Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-07-30
And So They
We're Married
BY HAZEL DEYO BACHELOR
COPYRIGHT, 1919, BY Public Ledger Co.
START THIS STORY TODAY

PINHEN they came back. Ruth's vivid
Z L imagination was picturing all kinds
of things that might have happened. The
pier and the tapping water, and Dots
exaggerated way of dressing, her queer
little birdlike gestures that were pro-
vocative in the extreme, and the cap
tain's obvious interest, all were con-
ducive to lovcmaking. Dots black
eyes were n little vague as she came
into the light, and us they went into
the ballroom to dance, Ruth noticed
that she danced more extremely than
any of the rest. She was very small,
and her peaked little chin lifted high
did not nearly reach the captains
shoulder. Her eyes were closed, and
he was holding her very tight.
''Dot is up to all her tricks tonight"
remarked ont of the women. where's
her mothcr?''
I ut wouldn't make any difference if
she were here said another. dot
does as she pleases and every one knows
that Mrs. Salisbury is anxious to get
q her married. She countenances any
thing that Dot does
Ruth looked out at the quiet water
and wished that such things didn't
happen, and that life were all that one
pictured IL, and that men never grew
tired of their wives. Everything was
SO still and beautiful out there, it
I. seemed a shame to cheaper it. And
yet womanlike. the thought ranked
in her mind that she hadn't been suf-
fciently attractive to impress the cap
tain, while this queer little girl evi-
IDENTIFY fascinated him. Not that Ruth
would have admitted such thing, and
not that she would have permitted any
Z thing to have happened. But she wished
4 that the captain might have shown
some interest. even to the attempt of
trying to hold her hand, which she
would have Immediately refused to al
low.
Then she saw Beatrice making her
way toward her with the young lieu
tenant who had sat next to her at din
ner, and her heart sank: Ruth knew
from womanly intuition that this young
Lieutenant Marshall would be the worst
of all to try and interest. He was OBJ
yiously interested in Miss Lovett. His
dance with married woman would
be the worst trial imaginable, and Ruth
wished that she had the courage to
say that she was tired and did, not
wish to dance. That was impossible,
however. il would be harder to do that
with the eyes of all these women on
her, and, worse still, the bright young
eyes of Beatrice, than to endure the
dance itself.
And SO she rose and went into the
ballroom, feeling like very awkward
school girl, wishing that she had never
come to visit the Moores. and conscious
that she was dancing just as she had
slways danced, while these boys evil
IDENTIFY thought the new tangled things
that these girls were performing, crude
as they looked, were the only things
worth while.
Much to her surprise, Lieutenant
Everett had more to say than any OF the
other men. He was courteous, eager to
please and they got on quite well. The
more encouragement she got, the more
Ruth responded, and they talked and
laughed as they slowly circled the floor
He was an easy dancer, and when the
music stopped he promptly asked Ruth
70 walk on the pier. which seemed to
be the thing to do after each dance.
He did not need much drawing out,
md he talked to her quite eagerly about
life in France, and on the ship coming
home. He told her great many
things that he would not have spoken ot
to one of the younger girls. taking for
granted the fact that she was married
and older than the others. There was
nothing of questionable taste mentioned
hut he was eager to talk, eager to SUD
! stantiate things that Ruth had heard
and asked him about. Ruth expanded
ioyously. conscious that she was IN
teresting him. eager to keep on doing
SO. When they finally returned to the
yerapda the next dance had started.
and Ruth was glad of it. They stood
together watching the dancers. Beatrice
4 circled by languidly and waved to them
q Dot and the captain were not to be
4 seen. Ruth had fancied that she had
passed them together down on the per-
but she had not been sure. Then Grace
Lovett danced by. and Ruth suddenly
remembered that she had been sure tnat
Captain Everett was interested more
than ordinarily in this girl.
~. Still swathed in clouds of pink tulle'
Grace Lovett's little girl face was up
turned to her partners. She smiled az
Iieutenant Marshall as she passed. huth
noticed how extraordinarily red her lips
u were. she had noticed them at dinner