The Press., 1918-06-13
By Lillian Hall Crowley

| pleasant summer evening as he went toward Arline's home. intent on ask ing her to marry him. He found her fnther 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. "I could not ask a 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 diO door.
 "COme in." called the sweet and fa- miliar voice.
 She was arranging some paintings and greeted him with pleasant Good evening""
 Paul's attention, after greeting Ar line. was centered on the photograph of Il remarkably handsome young man. It was placed in a. conspicuous position on 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 girl could not care for a business man. I was a fool to think she could be happy with me"
 | Poor Paul was so wretched that the words he came to speak were left un- spoken. and he, went away very short ly, 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. I The first thing he saw as he entered the cozy living room of the Edwards house was a duplicate of the photo graph he had seen on Arline's table It had been placed on the piano against a 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 a 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 dOi | Fell 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, 1t might help to kill time. Killing time was all that life meant to him, now that he had lost Airline.
 ROys sister, Peggie, was the only one in the living room when he ar rived. She greeted him as a big broth CT, and went on arranging some vases on the mantel. Then she turned to 1, table on which were some books. and oh, horrors! Was he seeing things No, lemonade was all he had had to ll drink, and that wouldn't make him see I the same handsome face of the photo graph in Arline's studio and on Sal ;I lies plano. The third time. Why, the man was a gay LOtharioi \ Something must be done. He must save Airline from the clutches of wretch who was obviously making love to- scores of other girls. It was mad denfngl What was he to do? Peggie picked up the photograph, looked at 1t smilingly, and put 1t back carefully.
 Paul was as fond of Peggie as he 'l was of Roy. It 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. ---
 ! Full of chaotic thoughts, he could hardly manage to eat his dinner, make his excuses and leave early. ~I Alone in his bachelor quarters, he N lighted his pipe and planned innuner- able ways. to foil the villain. None of his schemes was feasible. At last he decided to tell Aunt Margaret. his mothers maiden sister She had nev- CT 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 1t would be better for her to inform the three girls-nO one knew how many more there were-and make them un- derstand that there was a deceiver abroad in the land.
 The comfort of this decision enabled him to sleep and to finish his work next day. so that he was able to go to his aunt on his way to dinner. He had | telephnned her that he had something most important about which he must consult her.
 She would not fall him, he knew. Wasn't 1t one of the very good things of his life that he could always de pend on Aunt Margaret! Bless her
 With hlghshepes he leaped up. the steps of her home. The door was soon | opened. He rushed Into the library where she often sat. She was there as usual, but the smile of greeting he had for her froze to one of horror. For there on the martel facing him.