Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-05-21

out any name signed to It that'teIls you
what you want to know"
That's a friendly intimation r1shi
enough" said Jerry. only let m" ado
| that | shall watch my mail with unusual
anxiety for the next day or two.
Gimme time Gimme time urged
Kelly. his voice getting far away as nc
prepared to diSCOnneCt
At the exact hour of his appointment
| Jerry was waiting in one of Mr.. Buck,
| inEham's tiny two-by-four glass walled
reception rooms. A few moments later
! he was being ushered into the presence
The financier's glance was not the be,
nign one with which he was accustomed
! to Welcome his young friend. ,.,.
The old boys pecVed,' was jerry 5
irreverent reflection
How are your scars demanded Mr..
! Buckingham, rather gruffiy.
almost healed" laughed Jerry. i've
forgotten EN-, in fact, or had, till that
absurd scream in the papers this after
noon Have you seen it,
Seen it? / have been disgusted by it,
And that isn't all. Look here This is
what they were intending TO publish
Mr.. Buckingham. with manner that
was distinctly severe. reached into his
drawer. produced the galley proofs and
passed them over to Jerry. who unfolded
them to his eye wonderingy. and read
''rhe hounds! % he exclaimed Drag
| ging in Ruth'S name and yours into a
mess like that"
II your mess, Sd lu hT. buthlTelAil
accusingly. They are merely connect
ing our names with yours because our
| lives are connected"
But Mr.. Buckingham. they wouldn't
| dare"
They didn't dare" said the manu-
facturer grimly. but / don't think we
have you to thank for that"
Certainly not. Mr.. Buckingham. Of
course, it's just the editors second
thought-just the natural sense Of"
! hold, Jerry-the financial power And
BucknghamS manner was no longer
austere but fatherly. which made what
was said next all the more forcible. The
publication of that story would have
Inundated me and Mrs Buckingham
beyond measure. | need hardly add
that it would have made the Continu-
ance of friendship between you and
Ruth impossible"
"Impossible!" :" gasped Jerry, incredu-
lousy.
Exactly that" said MIR Buckingham
with certain air of the irrevocable
but also an air Of regret for it was
very sklllfully that his manner had
been changed from one of autocratiC
reproof of that. of an aggrieved friend.
Mrs. Buckingham was none too pleased
with your encounter down there. Those
things make talk and talk of "A sort
that in her circles is distinctly un-
pleasant. Now when you go on and
make an attack on the reigninE po-
litcal power in that vulgar, spread
eagle fashion, you not only make a
public character of yourself but eX-
pose your friends also to the fire OF
! INSCRIPTIONS enemies. The first weapon
Of those people is invariably Islander
and calumny. Why this very afternoon
-" Mr.. Buckingham checked himself
gulped, changed his mind and went or
with Therefore, Jerry. | advise you
to make peace with these people"
Jerry was astounded, but he controlled
himself. Swiftly but subtly. Bucking-
ham had changed the front of CONVEX
sational attack; Jerry must be subtle
also.
Mr. Buckingham" he inquired
would you make peace with a burglar
you found looting your favorite bank
for fear that he would afterward SLAM
der you? Would you make peace with
a slanderer?"
when one is in the wrong, one has
to get out any way one Can," reflected
the fnancier coolly taking the stua-
tion for granted.
Mr.. Buckingham. ! am not wrong,
said Jerry quietly. very quietly, but
with low vbranCy in his tones, the
significance of which did not escape
so keen a reader of character as the
man to whom the remark had been
addressed
Mr.. Buckingham was surprised and
for the moment silent: he was taking
time to reconstruct some of his strategy