Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-19
Read the First lnstallment of This
Gripping Serial of Love and War
A MAID AND TWO MEN
The Story of the Girl Who Was Left Behind
BY HAZEL DEYO BATCHELOR
Copyright 1918. by Public Ledger Coz

LATE in the shape Of circumstance
L was molding the future of three
lives. three very youthful lives. who. al
though unconscious of what was In store
for them. were using Time as a play
thing Strange that on the night before
Circumstance took definite hand. each
young life was running so true to char
Hcter The night disclosed Ruth Row
land flushed and warm, Offering to split
her third extra between two implorng
partners.
Mustn't be greedy, Scott" and she
laughed up into the face of the man
who stood over her.
His face was dark and keen, eager
rather than handsome, and filled now
with something that the girl apparently
did not see or pretended not to see. SO
obviously was Scott Raymond the less
favored Of the two men.
The other man was heavier in build.
not so fine, and more even-tempered.
He was the plodder. the typical Ameri-
can husband. He wanted happiness
bought with peace and right living, al
though his youth disguised the common
placeness of his views. But Ruth, as
she turned toward him, saw only the
square virility Of his figure. that look
Of alteration in his eyes that made her
almost catch her breath so ready was
it to proclaim its owner a willing slave
and subject to her will. And Fate in the
shape Cf Circumstance sprawled a
dusky length over the polished floor, and
for moment the veil was lifted, and
Ruth looked wide-eyed into the future.
She saw squarely tnat thing that she
had never yet quite faced; she looked
whitc-lipped into the face Of War. and
was afraid AS yet the glory of 1t had
passed her by. she saw nothing Won
derful about service. Youth looks upon
sacrifice as unnecessary. and rarely un-
derstands its meaning. War meant to
Ruth Rowland one terrible thing. 1t
meant that Jack would have to go
across. Ruth was not light. only
thoughtless not selfish. only ignorant
She was just like countless other Ameri-
can girls, brought up in well-ordered
homes, who have to be wakened, VINO
resent, with all of youths arrogance
the first of life's problems serious enough
TO interfere with the regularity and COM
fort of the lives they have been taught
| to consider secure and impregnable
Euth's glimpse of the future lasted for
only a second, for Fate Is merciful, and
| Ruth would have to live before she un'
| derstood her own heart and could mee'
/ this problem of hers with the fortitude
necessary to bear any sacrifice. She
had not passed beyond the hrst stage
where, imbued with the feverish desire
to do something. the girls OF her crowe
had wound bandages and had KNITTED
with eager fingers. but with little. ser'
BUSINESS in their thoughts. the sweater!
and other garments that were needed
Over the entire country the wave o
patriotism had famed even indifferen
hearts TO willing response, but the heart
of the Young are hard to wake to dill
cult problems and the fad of the mo
nent is often the reason for impulsF'
undert2kings.
Whats the matter? Are you seeing
shosts?" asked Jack as he wheeled hei
out on the floor.
Some one walking over my grave
she laughed back bromidically. the fas
cination of the dance banishinS the las
yestige of her fear. Ruth was to e
back again and again to the level con