Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-12-22
Printed by Special Arrangement with
Hough'on Mlflin Co.
COpyright. lhID. by Leroy Scott

DUT after dinner, up in Mrs. Harri-
- sons sitting room, where Mr.. Har-
rison had asked to see her, Mr.. llarri-
son began without preface.
Kate, I've got to sn, I'm not .ex-
actly pleased with this engagement.
"Why not?" inquired his wife.
"Don't you like Jennic?"
AZ like her, ycs-I like her very much
as a person. But beyond what she may
be in herself. she doesn't represent any d
thing, and she won't bring anything to
Kenneth
Mrs. Harrison spoke rather sadly,
'DThere you go-bcing very worldly
again"
''Ones got TO be worldly, Kate he
replied doggedly, ''to hold ones pace
in the world or to win higher
place !"
but why need one bother about ones
place in the world?"
~ know you need not-you were
born at the top, and so it's all matter
of course to you But | was not; and
/ pulled you down, out of the circle oil
YOUR friends. OF course we've got up
n lot since then, but I've got enough
of a man s pride in me to want to place
INV family on what was your level before
we married-and a higher level il |
can! !"
81 am satisfied. James
''But | am not ] don't object to
Jennie as an individual. With all his
popularity almost any girl would have
said yes to Kenneth. There are plenty
of other girls just as pretty and nice
as Jennie is-and one of these would
have had money and position, which
would have helped Kenneth up a lot.
And while I'm about it, ne went on
doggedly, 81 might as well say some
thing else: I've been quiet about it be i.
cause ] thought something just as good
might develop for Kenneth kate, l
think that that Gloria Raymond aff0ic
was taken altogether too seriously |
admit Gloria is headstrong, and | ad
nit what she did wasn't particularly
admirable But she could have settled
down, and her money and position
would at once have put Kenneth at
the front of New York's foremost young
men of affairs-anG with such a start
where couldn't Kenneth finish ~
Mrs. Harrison replied with n decision
one might not have expected in a char
acter where graciousness seemed the
chief element. Money and position
aren't everything! And particularly in
Kenneth's case, they're not what he
needs most. Jennie has brains, and
character, and strength-and these
things she can give will in the end be OF
greatest help. We might as well be
frank with ourselves about Kenneth
with all his abilities, he has his strait
of weakness. The real force and char
acter in Jennie may be what, If she gets
time and q real chance. is necessary tC
make Kenneth into q big substantial
human man. And to have my son Q
real man-that to me must always bt
the dominant concern about Kenneth. y
Mr., Harrison shrugged his shoulders
"Well. there's not much use in dis
cussing which is the better way sine,
the matter is settled" He moved abou
restlessly for a moment, then turned
back upon his wife. ''All the same,
he said abruptly, lit might have beer
better for Kenneth, and for all OF us
if the girl in the case had position ant
money
sShe replied to the look in his eve
rather than to his words. whats tn
matter, James? Business worries?"
''Yes. And the right sort Of connec
tions might help us out of those worries
The business relationship with Mr.
Conway may not prove as profitable
or agreeablc-as in the past.
''Why not?'
''He faces trouble, and if it comes t.
pass we're certain to suffer. Back of i
all is political fcud between Mr.. Con
way and a man named Murdock, and i
doesn't look promising for MIR. Con
way, It's partly politics-a fight 70
district leadership. You wouldn't under
stand it don't understand it myself.
Mr.. Harrison did not add that as
careful business man, who wished t
keep all his connections respectable o
remain ignorant of such as were not, h
had avoided trying to understand il; ; an
he did not add that since the Sunda
several weeks back when Conway ha
called upon him, he had used all the in
fluence he could exert through his mos
powerful social and financial connec
tions upon Murdock, and Murdock ha
seemed still recalcitrant and determined
He was filled with forebodings-no ol
account of what might happen to Con
way--blfSAon account of what Conwa
had so clearly and truly stated nigh
happen to the business of Harriso
& Co.
While Mr.. and Mrs. Harrison dis
cussed and considered, Jennie, havin
excused herself and gone up to he
room, also considered. Her dominan
feeling toward Kenneth was still be