Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-12-06
THE DAILY NOVELETTE,
COATS of Fire and Jeremy
By ELEANOR T. SPERRY

uIJOwEVER shall punish him?"
II Helena Wright bit her lip and
Looked out across the sunlit square with
ewes that saw not, veiled as they were
with tears. Jerry has never acted like
that hofore-nirted outrageously and
conspiCuOuslv with a perfectly strange
girl And Just to pay me back for re-
Tusing to announce my engagement i'm
mediatcly. throw up my career, and go
back to Reacon Falls to embroider table
cloths and pillow cases. Such an abb
surdIty. I've half a mind"
uelena's half a mind was to pay
Jeremy Matthews back good and proper
for his diqgraceful behavior of the night
before AZ the Artists Mardi Gras. Right
well did she know how to pay him
back, There was his ring she could
return, n slender gold band topped with
an extravagant. colorful stone. There
were hittcr. ncathinE words with which
10 stem the flood of his apologies which
she did not doubt would be forthcoming
when he realized the cnormity Of his
thero was Butler T"nney. in the studio
Pt the end Of the hall. whom she could
nrt with, even as Jerry had firtcd
with that bralnless little Adele. Oh.
yes. she could pay Jeremy back
Then her gaze wandered from the
pigeons feeding in the street to her doe
Uttered with half-fnished sketches
frame. tho face of Jeremy looked forth
at her-not a guilty. penttent Jerry but
the happy gO-lucky. up-nnd-coming
young chap she had promised to marry.
And. of sudden, Helena's intentions
OF drastic retaliation underwent a
change. II beleve-yes, think | will
pay him back in a way he doesn't de-
serve :" she cried aloud Running over
to the Il, SIX she picked up the picture
and gave It little shake. exactly as
4 staFtR Tot
Matthews, I'm going to punish you by
heaping great, hot, burning Goals of
fire on your utterly worthless head"
Some hours later well set-up young
man might have been seen crossing the
square package in his hand. The
offering-a five-pound box of Shaw e
Pages best. He was feeling very
humbl" with n sort of morntng-after'
The -night-bcforc cDntrition. Helena had
been very short with him when he had
left her at her door after escorting
her home from the mad and merry revels
Of the crowd she elected to consort
with
Neither one of them had mentioned
Adele Great heavens. what bore 1t
had been, carrying on with that shall
low-braincd, fluffy -rufIies Adele Yet
grimly, purposefully, had he danced and
frolicked and romped with her, sus-
tanned by an end in view which, re-
called in tho broad light of day seemed
very silly and quite unbecoming n rising
young journalist such as, in uplfted mo-
ments, he farcied himself to be.
His purpose had been to arouse in
Helena a demon of jealousy which would
cure her Of Il certain disposition to
place he" wishes before his her Art
w!th-I-Clpi'al-A before her destiny as
woman and his wife.
l'm a fool for my pains" he told him
self as the elevator shot him upwards
1T was no way to treat Il girl. I'm
darn lucky II Helena doesn't throw mt
down hard ="
Stepping from the car he flung back
his shoulders, squared his chin. and
strobe down the corridor to Hclenas
door. Heaven send she hadn't departed
suddenly leaving no address, or-pertsh
n" awful thought ,-elopcd on tho spur
OF IN" moment with Butler Tcnney.
But Helena was there, sweetly do
nestic tIel"na over by the window in
some sort Of clinging crepe dc chine
affair instead Of the fanriCully colorcd
smoCks she affected at times.
You're late, Jerry dear" She smiled
Sweetly UP at him, mottoning to the
chair opposite.
",Jerry dear" 1t was going to be
either a whole lot bettcr-Or else, in
fnIlely worsc-than ne had feared.
..n,I We been thinking" went on Helena,
m really getting on in years. I'll be
twenty-five my next birthday. And I'm
not making much of success at my
work not enough, at any rate, to justify
sagrlhclng everything else TO continue
Keeping tight hold on himself to utter
WORD. le had an awful feeling with
N nm that in n moment something
would spring at him. Also, he was no
ucIhs sadly how very beautiful Helena
looked over there with the CretOnned
PACK OF her chair forming bright frame
Tor her delicatelv poised head with its
wealth of Crinkly, sun-gOd hair.
=. ana then, the something he seemed
10 nav" been expecting came,
III you say the word, Jerry dear, III
marry you tomorrow :"
"Helena!" But there could be no
.riGk about this. Helena was too wom-
any 70 max" joke of a matter so ten
CtfIy serious.
0rC, On the instant, he was beside her. his
On' my darling! But first of all, let me
grI this weight off my soul Yes, ! must
seH you thtt this very thing was in my
TIhu last night Wait while | eXpla in.
carried on-and adjust to make you
ieHIlle That you really did care for me
ana mat our love was more important
"4h million careers and"
uou hul suddenly Jerry drew back and
it,eleHa saw an expression of awe creep
INTO his eyes.
=, BY lingo, Helena :" he all but shout
so' ~ worked, at hat! 1t worked"
IA Hood Of protest rose to Helena =
mps, a Nolicy of explanations as to her
poHed Goals Of fire. But they re-
m%fhr" un@pokcn, as wave of light en-
lourc right, I'm afraid" she said
s'o"'y' You're right, Jerry. 1t did"
NeNt Complete NoveIette-"Questlons of
Cousins"