Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-12-18

"But-but why did you do it?"
He pressed the hand he still held.
- For your sake, my child. I saw that
what you said was truc that IL you
could break off matters between Gloria
aud Kenneth it would be Il big boost
for you with Mrs. Harrison. And !
wanted you TO have that big boost.
Honest ~
"And was that your only reasont'
she demanded sharply
isn't that enough for little old
slim jackson? The higher an old
friend goes the better it Is for me
isn't that SOP" He laughed once more.
ooh, I'm not going to lie to you, Jen
ME. I had other rccsonsA but I'm not
going to tell yoll--not now. Same Ms
with tonight's little affair, think it's
wisest not TO tell you what's. doing
until after it's done. Yes, ] had other
rcasons--big reasons--and you'll know
when the time comes.
She was still bewildered. But
Kenneth thinks you have betrayed him:
You have thrown away his friendship.
Kenneth feels sore ut me now. But
little later he'll care less for Gloria
and will be glad he escaped her-and
it'll get 20 him that ] did what | did
with the chief idea of saving him
and he'll like me better than ever.
You lust watch-that's the way it's
going to work out!'
"And Glora?"
''We needn't waste any good worry
on Gloria. Tonight'll never be talked
about, and it'll not hurt her any. That
girl simply can't help making men
make love to her--and that same goes
for n lot of these young society DANES
They don't care lot for any one man
but each one wants bunch OF men
making love to her. They like lit
flatters 'em--they're man. crazy-and
each mans a sort Of souvenir. ! guess
| ought to know! AS lot lot
Gloria. tonight'll not hurt me plt
with her. She just thinks we were f,rs
both caught together. Gloria anu IL
be Just as good friends as ever,
Jennie was so dazed with this SUD
she had considered to be wholly ner
own righteous plan, so bewidered with
Sims ocular and cynical self appre-
citation. that she stood there beside the
car utterly without words.
"And / say, Jen," the light, voice
went on, "that letter was swell for
gerry. You certainly are still all right
With the pen! That little knack will
come in useful some day--you see lie
laughed softly once more. Ihat all
I wanted to see you about, Jen-l just
wanted Won to know that / was sitting
in this game with you. And, Jennie
remember my saying four years ago
down at the Pekin, that we were going
to put a lot of things across togetheer-
you and I? AS yet you don see now
big this stunt tonight really is and Is
going to be. And tonight's stunt Is
only the beginning for us two, Jennie
only a bare starter! Good luck, Jer
and good by:
Almost noiselessly his low car moved
forward into the engulfing blackness
She stood motionless for space, his
chuckle of cynical delight and self
satisfaction still sounding in her ears
Then she crept back into the house ant
into her bed All the exulting triumph
which had swelled within her only
brief half hour before, when Mrs. Har
rison had taken her so warmly int
her arms and had so praised her will
words from spontaneous heart-tha
was all gone. The glory had departet
from her achievement and huddled II
her bed shs felt humiliated and yer,
small and very sick
Also that night, for the first TIM
in her life, she felt afraid of slim
Jackson.
When she came down the next morn
ing Gloria had already departed, ant
no mention was made of her name. Ken
meth had also gone, and when Mr.. Har
rison came home that evening he brough
word that Kenneth had left for thu
West, to be gone an indefinite time
The explanation made at the table was
that his purpose was to examine somt
mining properties in which Harrison
& Co thought of acquiring en- inter
est but every one knew that Kenneth
had gone for quite another reason
Mrs. Harrison's gratitude and hel
frank affection, spoken most warmly
that morning and thereafter, expressed
in some way every time they met, Jen
ME inwardly shrank from-as she also
did from the spontaneous outbursts o
Sue. A sense of guilt rested heavily
upon her; she felt that she deserved
none of this. Somehow Slim seemed
as if by those adroit hands of his, tC
have snatched away all the genuine
ness, the sincerity, that had been in
the act which they were ever declar
ing had saved them all from misfor
tune. And yet Jennie dared refuse
or avoid none Of their gratitude and
none of their affection. To have re-
would have required explanation and
explanation might lead somehow to ex =
posure. There was nothing for it but
to accept the situation.
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