Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1918-03-01
EFT Tu
Br11te!"
By Lillian Hall Crowley


Copyright, Mcclure Newspaper Syndcats.)
To say that Paul Ellsley was hap
py young man is only putting it mildly.
He had health, strength, good looks,
and had been fairly successful in bust
ness since graduating from college four
years before.
Besides all this he had fallen in love
with Airline Maynard during the last
year, and he now realized that life
would mean nothing to him unless she
shared it. His income was sufficiently
secure to enable him to support wife,
even the Independent and capable kind
he knew Airline to be.
The girl of his choice was an artist,
and although only twenty-four, already
had had enough success to make her
sure of secure place in the world
of art
Paul was very happy indeed that
pleasant summer evening as he went
toward Arline's home, intent on ask
ing her~to marry him. He found her
father and mother on the veranda.
and they told him Airline was in her
studio. He said he would announce
himself.
Paul is in love with Airline" smiled
Mrs. Maynard at her husband.
Il could not ask better man for
her." he replied HE is as serious
and steady as any man twice his age.
The men downtown say there is no
nonsense about Paul Ellsley. l am
sure Airline likes him"
EXpectantly, Paul tapped at the stu
do door.
Come in," called the sweet and ia
miliar voice.
She was arranging some paintings
and greeted him with a pleasant Good
EVENING""
Paul's attention, after greeting Ar
line, was conferred on the photograph
of remarkably handsome young man.
II was placed in a conspicuous position
on a table. and Paul's heart sank with
in him when he realized that he had
never seen the picture. Airline sat
down beside him, and let her gaze
wander to the handsome face and then
to the canvases around the wall.
Paul could not speak. To himself
he said: HE must be an artist, whom
she met when she was painting in
Provincetown last summer, and he has
Won her away from me. So talented
a girl could not care for a business
man. l was a fool to think she could
be happy with me-"
words he came to speak were left I'M
spoken. and he went away very short
~. going out by another door so as
not to meet her father and mother
again. All he wanted now was to be
alone with his poor wounded heart.
The next night Sallie Edwards call
ed him on the telephone TO remind him
that she was waiting for him to come
to her house to make plans for an en-
tertainment in which they were both
to take part. Needless to say, Paul
had lost interest now, but as he could
not give the reason why he went to
meet Sallie as matter of course.
The first thing he saw as he entered
the cozy living room of the Edwards
house was duplicate of the photo
graph he had seen on Arline's table.
It had been placed on the piano.
against rare Chinese vase. Paul was
amazed, but as Sallie did not mention
the picture, neither did he. Sallie had
| another engagement, so they hurried
with their plans.
In q short time, which seemed long
to Paul, he found himself walking
home in a daze. Did Airline love a
man who was evidently untrue to her
| or why should Sallie have the same
| new photograph? What should he do?
Tell Airline. No. he couldn't do that:
| there was not enough evidence against
| the villain.
He had previously accepted an invi-
| tation to dine at the home of his chum,
| Roy Sandres, the following night. He
would rather have stayed at home with
| his sorrow. but he knew that Roy
would fetch him bodily. Anyway, it
might help TO kill time. Killing time
| was all that life meant to him, now
that he had lost Airline.
| Roy's sister, Peggie, was the only
| one in the living room when he ar
| rived She greeted him as big broth
er, and went on arranging some vases
on the mantel. Then she turned to
table on which were some books, and
| oh. horrors, Was he seeing things
No, a lemonade was all he had had to
drink, and that wouldn't make him see
the same handsome face of the photo
graph in Arine's studio and on Sal
lies piano. The third time. Why, the
man was gay LothariO!
Something must be done. He must
save Airline from the clutches Of
wretch who was obviously making love
to scores of other girls. 1t was mad
dening! What was he to do? Peggie
picked up the photograph, looked at
it smilingly, and put it back carefully
Il Paul was as fond of Peggie as he
was of Roy. 1t was his duty to pro-
tect her as he would his own sister.
She looked so winsome and sweet that
he wanted to choke the rascal who
would bring sorrow to her confiding
little heart.
i Full of chaotic thoughts he could
hardly manage to eat his dinner, make
his excuses and leave early.
Alone in his bachelor quarters, he
lighted his pipe and planned innumer-
able ways 10 foil the villain. None OF
his schemes was feasible. At last he
decided to tell Aunt Margaret, bis
mothers maiden sister. She had new
or failed him. Ever since his mothers
DEATH when he was fifteen, he had
taken all his problems to her. Yes, he
would tell Aunt Margaret Perhaps It
Il would be better for her to inform the
three girls-no one knew how many
more there were--and make them IN
derstand that thers ~ : Gecslvw