Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-09-13

Betty, going up the dark stairs every
night at exactly the same time, had dis
covered him. unspcakably weary, silent
and noncOmmittall. but safe. Now it
was for all of them to do all they could
to wipe out the soreness in Genes
heart, and at last in the heart of Betty
n tiny ray of hope had begun to burn.
She seemed intuitively to know just
what to do. She kept the others away
and was chary of bothering Gene her
self. But when she discovered that he
did not seem to mind her, she served
him as unostentatiously as she could.
Betty was Genes kind. \ man may
hunger after a woman who is not his
kind, he may think he prefers her, but
after all he feels himself when he is with
a woman who thinks as he docs about
life.
Betty had determined to ask no QucS-
tions. to act, in fact, as though nothing
at all had happened, to wait until
Gene of his own free will should say
something to her about what was in his
mind. 1t came after he had been home
nearly a day.
In the cozy. unconventionality of
| artist folk they had had supper together
in Genes studio, and afterward rs
Gene sat smoking silently, he suddenly
spoke.
why are you so good to me, Betty
Betty dropped her lashes over a look
that suddenly famed into her eyes.
.NITl- -,II.'t 7 hn 1nnI 10
aren't we friends?'
Il know, but you cant help having
a certain contempt for me-"
Gene, how can you say that
Retty's low tones held a passionate
entreaty.
"Well. I couldn't blame YOU if you
did you know all the details, of course,
and the way / made a fool Of myself
You never thought I'd be that way, did
you, Betty? But tell you a man never
knows
He smoked in silence for a moment
and Betty looked deep into her coffee
cup and slipped the last few drops.
Tell me what you do think he
said suddenly.
II don't think at all
He stared at her then.
but you must have some ideas OF
the subject"
She shook her head, mo. I haven't
7 know Elsie's kind, and ! know too
that a man really never knows. You
for instance, have always seemed sen
sibls, | have never seen you even in
terested more than normally in an,
woman before. If any one had asked yoD
about il YOU would have said 'impos
sible' and laughed, and yet here are til
hare facts of the case, so no one ca
really Judge either his own limitation
or those of others
That's an awfully fair creed for
woman, Betty. ] didn't know Their
> were women like that
: "'Plenty of women think just as / dc
Gene, women who have been forced b
E circumstances to find out truths 70
themselves. If you don't mind m
. speaking of Elsie, / might say tina
a fter all she isn't so much to be blamed
t She has never had a chance. She's bee
brought I'D from childhood to believ
that money was the only thing tina
mattered.
Silence again, then Betty went on,
'.Ruth Raymond would have bee
that way if circumstance hadn'
altered her. Don't you remember no,
Z she disapproved of me at first, and no,
. She resented SCOTS friendship wit
e us?"
h Gene nodded.
CHATS why ] say don't blame Elsi
a any more than YOU have to-
Gene reached out in the twilight an
3 nut his hand suddenly over Betty
fingers. She trembled a little. but dc
'termined o 10 show any feeling what