Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-06-26
DAILY NOVELETTE,
THE COQUETTE
H., Narv EoIInv
BY Mary A. Kelley
stT CERTAINLY wish to emphasize

4 the fact that the title OF coquette
properly belongs to you, Muriel.'
The words were spoken angrily and
the speaker seemed to hurl them with
vicious enjoyment at the girl beside
him. =
Muriel Wheeler WINGED little and a
hurt look came into the bright eyes as
she remarked:
MAY l ask your reasons for ascrib-
ing that title to me?'
For an instant there was silence,
then proudly drawing herself up, she
added bitterly: Z.
mo, don't answer. ! don't care
what your reasons are. You have spoken
unjustly tonight, Kenneth Wright, and
/ shall remember your words as being
symbolic of you. True, have danced
with you, sailed with you, motored with
you and had a pleasant time generally,
but all on the grounds of friendship,
and in no way have l earned the title
which you have just given me. IL L
were what yod have termed me, ] would
have let you so on and make declara-
tions for which you might be sorry after
because l wished you to have no such
regrets on my account, ! asked you not
to talk in that manner. Of course, if l
cared for you, I might grieve deeply
over the injustice you have done me,
but as it is l shall forget it by morning.
Good night, Kenneth
When he realized she had gone, the
man walked over to the railing and
looked out into the might. His face was
pale and remorse plainly written on it.
"What a cad / am !" he muttered to
himself Il have done her an unpar-
donable wrong merely because my pride
was injured. Jove! how l admired her
as she stood there, with flashing eyes,
defending herself from my unjust ac-
cusation. Muriel, little girl, although
you said you did not care, perhaps if I
had proved worthy of your love, 1t
might have been different
He stood there alone in the summer
night-insde were strains of music
around him gay laughing people--now
and then from the water came the
sound of splashing oars and snatches
of songs. 1t all tended to increase his
remorse and it was far into the morn
ing when restless and unhappy he
sought his room.
Muriel Wheeler closed her book and
YEARLY looked out of the car window,
wishing her journey were at an end.
As was the usual case now, her
thoughts were on Kenneth Wright, and
; although it was early spring, memories
of the previous summer were still fresh
in her mind. For three days following
that eventful night she had kept to her
room and refused to see him-sent back
unopened the notes he sent craving for
giveness. Then he had gone, and since
: that time she had neither seen nor heart
, from him. A tear trickled down hel
cheek now and she wished, as she hat
many times since, that she had not beer
quite so obdurate.
Crash! Shrieks of horror filled tn
.. air and Muriel was thrown violentl.
from her seat amidst sounds of smash
ing glass and splintering wood-thel
something fell upon her and her sense
failed When consciousness returne
= what sight greeted her! The wrecked
train-people moaning and dyinj
, around her-confusion and sufferin
: everywhere. With some effort sh
+ pushed off the timbers which held he
: down and crawled to her feet, realiz
e ing with joy that she was unhurt saw
for few scratches and bruises. He
Il first thought was to help the sufferin
, ones around her. and noticing a docto
hurrying around among them, sh
, quickly offered him her services. Gla
of her help. the doctor accepted, an
i together they bound up wounds an
! extricated bodies from the wreckage
- At times she felt she could stand n
more. so great was the strain she ha,
undergone. At length she was on tn
, verge of fainting from sheer exhaustion
when they came upon man uncon
scious. lying on his face. They started
,, to work on him and when they turned
, him over Muriel's eyes fell on his face
and she cried out
Kenneth o doctor. save him.
With some little work they restored
his senses and, with his head pillowet
l on her breast. he opened his eyes ant
. murmured, "Muriel!"
The doctor, whose home was neal
by, insisted on having Kenneth takeI
there, and with Muriel's careful nurs
S ing in a few days they were ready t,
start homeward. The evening befor
: they left, as they sat talking with tn
t doctor, Kenneth said:
e II once very unjustly called her
coquette, doctor, but now, contrar,
to my expectations, she has forgiven
4 me-"
The doctor smiled and replied, ~"I,
my mind the title of heroine should b
r applied to her."
81 quite agree with you, doctor. ;
( Kenneth replied, "but she is soon t
have a title which will bring me un
limited happiness"
The rosy color which suffused Mu
g riel's face at this remark, and tn
), happy light which shone in the. eye
). she raised to Kenneth, told plainly tha
n II would also bring to her an equa
o amount of happiness.
The next complete novelette, - TIL
Case at the Notch.