Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-01-24
THF GIRL WHO
ALMOST MISSED
BY Mary Dougiasa-
DIFFERENT STANDARDS.
Chanicr Inv

DIFFERENT STANDARDS.
Chapter Inv.
Home againl gave a Sigh happy peace
as leaned out Of the window and watched
the blue hills and the quiet green of the
country slide across the windows. Even
dusty station and the shambling station
master had the look of home.
In the past month this gentle country
and the ncighborly people have made their
way into my heart for the first time since
Mother died, | feel ] have a home.
| descended the high steps of the train,
lifted down my bag, and found myself
shaking hands with the station master,
as though ] were n long lost native.
There's Howard | cried aloud.
For there he sat in his odd-looking cart,
waving his cap To me with wild hilaritv
Don't get down. please | begged
well. rather" he cried, while
haven't seen Won for n week when YOU
~ running of with never q word TO any of
Your friends. think this merits an cx-
planatiOn. young lady
III tell YOU about IT" said sobcrly,
III You'll drive me homc"
We'll. like that When I've been down
10 meet every train for the last two davs
until the natives thought | was quite out
Of my mind. Then she asks me to drive
her home
oh, Howard, pleaded, do be
serious have something serious TO
tell YOU"
Instantly his face lost it's teasing cx-
preston, and found hlm grave and ready
10 listen. told hm Of Peggy for felt
hr should know from me that she was
married. somehow | had the suspicion
that he had cared for Peggy; and rs usual
when she had anyone 5 heart in her little
fingers. she turned and twisted Il like a
new toy and. having found the secret of
It's working, threw II aside with her other
discarded playthings.
tired 20 tell him rs gently as could:
hut suddenly he turned to me with y
scowl and SAID You're keeping some
thing back. Hazel. you haven't told me
everything
That IS my affair answered sharply.
II beg your pardon
We drove on while in silence, Then |
turned 10 him swiftly and told him the
Truth about Peggy how She had clOped.
how snc bad refused to marry Jack, how
they were living together IN tho lodge in
thc mountains and finally how | had
pleaded with him and won
- she's married said Howard
,id not Ike the tone OF hls voice nor the
rvnicll smilc that played about his mouth
"tnd. hcpg married, she's : virtu-
uiI- wnmanr
don know what YOU mcanl ] ans
vcrrd flushing hotly
pnlv that tho standards of mon and
women arc - different It is one point on
which We mover meet.
"lhrn you mean
II mean that the dav before Yesterday
Pcgg, was living III dishonor, now, ac-
corinE 70 NyIr standards, She Is an
honorable woman NV God
'Oh Howard, don't begged. This
i'm "a hIt Ike you. ! cant understand
Nou at au
"Pcrhap, you have not understood me
Ncr ht SAID and there was a fash IN
hi- blue eyes that puzzled me
w were "a the door nov. H0wari |
Va~ helping me down, aS he leaned on
h,> rrI-c lie was 50 gentle, So thought
fill thst could only feel that his remarks |
mad been brought Ont by the pain Of
hearing 81 Peggy 5 marriage
i should not have said what | did
iu vou, Hazel he sand in low yolcc
/" y ou a5c not like these others who |
arr plavug tho game for all they are
worth YOU are one IN thosand'
Ncs, ! was ono IN thousand, ] thought. |
IN turn rather cyucallv but not the pretty |
one IN athousand Il : beauty that counts, |
after. al, with men They can put up with a |
lack oi other qualities, but bcauty they |
must have.
Perhaps had idcalizcd my home since
/ had left H. Bu, now ! found i looked /
shut in. went about throwing
up the windows and strengthening the /
rou h and pulling dead flowers from a !
vase even bciorv ! had taken of my hat /
and coat.
How small the sitting room seemed
alter the huge lIvIncroom At Pine Lodge
IN, dining room looked singularly bare
and lonely, and had no desire to sit down
ana cat my evening meal by myself
took up the pile of letters that found |
showed under the door, and went out 70
catch the last CLEANS OF light from the
iving sunset.
Bills Bills, Bills How could ] ever pay
them? ! tad gwen Peggy the last OF my
bank account when She had threatened to
borrow from Howard Now | had only
AlrS Newton twenty dollars a month 10 |
rount on. How / should have to rctrenchl
Most OF my food must come out of the
garden. / turned over a letter from Aunt
Niartha-then remembered with a pang
lat | owed her forty dollars. She had
cnt me the money 10 get TO Peggy
Ia tho who'll, pile there was only one
cttcr that looked at all hcartening. 1t
,ore a London postmark. ] knew the
writing 10 be Charlotte Newton's.
/ tore It open carelessly. Then / took
, inside 20 get a better light TO read by
han the fading sun.
Tomorrow