Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-05-23
CHAPTER XIII-CContinued) J

wv asked pontblank
stSome one has brought uhis proof to
him." explained Jerry. Evidently he
was enraged by it and alarmed. He re-
preached me and he ordered me to pull
off--to give up the fight with Rand over
the franchise"
ITO quit?"
slli "To quit"
"But you couldn't do that"
"And told him so
sswas he angry"
"Morc in sorrow than in anger
what did he say?"
'Little, of course, but he left the init
4 nation clear that If the situation deNel-
oped in a way to make it unpleasant for
him. not one atom of all his great power
would be left unexerted in an effort to
make me desist."
"Includng me-"
Ruth was very sober.
'Inciudng you Ruth He also spoke
';she would be your bitterest enemy II
she thought your fight was somehN"
He challenged me to show this proof
to her and | accepted the challenge. 49,.
"Why bring her down on US nov
parted Ruth, evidently very doubtful Of
"Don't you think it would be fairer TO
most disagreeahle possibilities were
Ruth did not answer.
"You seem so very funereal, Jerry, All
at once" she observed. and rather in
sistently, If the observation were crltl-
cism, since she was very solemn herself
Ruth" he responded gravely hegln
more and more to feel solemn. At nrSt
1t was Just a little skirmish of YOU and
me and Victor Robinson against Nal
dono and whatever political influence ne
could command although Victor made
ba Dnip he prpttN
test. Then there came up this fight or
the Archer Tool Works against tana
franchise. and while that goes on, day
\ by day, hour by hour. minute by minute
almost. the field of action wldenS: REQ
pie are teIephoninE to me from all dtrec-
Tions. Letters come. Men and even
women slip in with their little stories OF
abuses, of wrongs and injustices. IheN
indicate what is in the mir; they show
how widespread the evil is and how anN-
fously people are looking about for "A
lesder, for champion.
Ruth that wasn't just street Squah-
BILE | stepped into so inadvertently 1t
was a battle-most likely a war And
don't see the end Of it and don see
y the leader-unless it might be Victor. 1t
isn't going to be easy to know now 10
d fight the war either because the lines
are not sharply drawn. On" doesn see
K now who is going to be for and who
!. against. That makes it more dangerous
z II fills the way with unseen pitfalls, but
now that chance has made me temporar-
& iiy CONSPICUOUS, ] reel tndt lOl tIl" Ili'-
nent the whole success of the campaign
depends upon me. | must not falter ana
/ must not lose this first contest mat
was why hestated moment in stand
ing out against your father.
Ruth listened with a steady increase
of respect that grew toward awe ot
Jerry as she saw their little impulse "t
sympathy widened till 1t comprehended
issues of warfare for whole city Her
mood was more than wonder and adml-
ration it was worshtpful
OH . Nfrlg
ing eyes, Il never knew all this was in
you. | never suspected no" hiE a man
you are. | know who the leader IS Tor
TINS whole movement l see him It
ruth {" Jerrys rebuke was actually
stern. After moment he added but
you too. see the matter more seriously.
again, "As You say" she went on
p5esenty TT ina all sSyT SHemed so TmDs Wc
were -thinkng about. and ! am afraid
at that time | was 1ust-lust sent
mental. But now. it's different when
you II leaves me rather-rather muddIed
and-humbled You know what father
has been and is to me-aImost goo,
know l haven't always understood
him but I've always believed in him
There's only one particular in which |
do not trust him altogether and that s
( IN what you might call his social in
stincts Father Is an indivihualist. and
IL somehow seems to me that none OF
us can be that any more. Yet, in any
large question of Judgment on public
affairs as between father and you. YOU
must see that II is rather inevitable |
should incline at first to his point Of
Il do see it, of course" Jerry agreed
rather mournfullv Il dared expe"t
nothing else" He had hoped for some-
n sreat eSsS Wave "0Fe of lonenneSs ness sweep over
him, oh, Ruth" he murmured, but
she was going on now with;
AT the same time, i,n for me erI to f1teSd deSeTt
chin from YOU. Jerry-nothing-nob
nobody but you could do that
The earnest lover murmgred some, SOM,
hands toward her, Ruth took one OF
them and held it firmly as if imprisoned
by her more fragile, fingers; while with
a change in spirit she concluded:
"And to say that there is ANYTHING
which your duty impels you to do, that
you must not do because of its possible
effect on me-that is something which
no one can force me 10 agree to. ., ..
''Noble and generous rs Joan Of Arc ~
declared Jerry; but unnecessary. You
can't imagine" he reproached-" You
mustn't for one moment suppose that
am going to see you exposed TO the
slightest danger or even to serious an
the world to me. Ruth. The very dear
est Consideration for you comes
First of all" Interrupted Ruth "ex-
cept that underlined thing which is your
very self-your sou-your honor-oh,
how do we describe ii without getting
all preachy and didactical? But you
know what ! mean"
"Yes," said Jerry. Il know what you
mean. and of course you're right, as
usual"
Both were silent for moment, stand
ing by an open window and looking
out into the early night which was
very black with only here apd there a
star. That change was coming over
Ruth's mood was witnessed by the
change in her handClasp II had been
cool and firm. II became soft and Jerry
gently released the fingers and took
them in his caressingly, but still pre-
serving the silence which seemed more
and more to shroud them in mist OF
3 Tenderness and mutual understanding.
ut seems TO me Jerry, Ruth began
at length softly and in tones of the
rarest Intimacy he had ever heard from
any lips, "as IL we-you and might
be entering the shadow of something
4 very-yery difficult. Differences OF
# opinion. misunderstandings, separations
# mcy come. Ugly tales may be told
= Choices may be forced upon me that
6 will be very difficult TO make. But let
us say this much now, that whatever
" happens, we love each other and
"Oh Ruth !" ..
She had confessed il at last and most
3unexpectedly-mor sweetly than II
could ever have come in any other way.
Jerry could hardly contain himself but
beyond reaching out and grasping her
other hand he had to contain himself
for Ruth's manner somehow compelled
IL as she went on in that same tone OF
tender reflective intimacy, to add:
rWhatever happens in the future, let
eel nau that ra shall still haliAVe