Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-09-16
'The Woman Halter
-s srAnrs THE Story
BY Ruby Ayres

dtsapp dtsappyh"erS he emerged a poman hdter. HIS
wnlogg Tranter, Is IN love Nth q
I1awttfI toomdn = iotdoD -- kame
pnna"ss,s ,y oa,rs,stSsdrt. A lot oy unkind things
o,a sotd about her, bnt gre not pert
gre s' Mrs Tranter, Philips mother,
u..,niores Miles to prevent the mur
sv ,gags Miles calls on Pa,ry, omg e,
f,Ie'ssqr;. am ,oilf preDent Philip IRON,
ru..,,ito Mrs. Dundds. Mules culls on
nou;s and she tells him she shH ioves
hi",. he leads her on untM she az.
likes TranfssySi *. ere freaks Ks az sy, smSeoement
vsnRR'TTn xxx Tyanter TO lunch ,otth Fduer;
yss uhs,, Parry seeks out Trdnter and
sng" nts mn, Of seeing Mrs. DUMAS and
Favershaut IN the oaJo, Tramter t t,Jes NO 10
Jor.oos J,os anoyv and evdstve.. Phtltp--ttn-
Rrvnn,,--seeks out LdIlie, but she puts
happS0 sfl, IN and then phones to FaversnGm
~ ~" eaif and see her. FaVeroham teHs
her she must choose oetTeen , .s run ama
mtspshe ioyes him, and he feels that
III ns has oone deeper into the q6atr than
he he attended. "What was to De the end
Of Hp
,,u thought Of the bet he had made
II with Parry In the club. What devil
:, r,adness had possessed him to play
,ri,h souls in such q reckless way?
There was no escape. He was caught
a., q, n net of his own making. He
"a this woman were w-prisoners..
snII snIaiiis began to speak again with
heaapbilip is your friend. know. and
~ course you think j have treated him
Sadw ." She waited, but Faver-
ssara s did not speak. and she went on
":Tff ":Tf YOU had never come back into my
N,e Miles, / should have married him.
.He was kind to me, and had grown SO
tired Of not belonging to anybodyr Sry. u,,,,
understand when l tell him that love
you-that would rather belong to you
than any one else In the world. Oh, j
am sure, he will understand"
| Faversham laughed bitterly. Her anx-
ious words sounded as SO much fool.
ishness to him. He had gone through
ina suffering that Tranter had got to
experience, and knew how 1t robbed a
man Of all reason and sanity And she
said hopefully that he would under
stand"
He moved away from her.
I think for his sake" he said, with
an effort, If you were. to leave New
| York for a time He paused,
with a sense of irritation as he saw
the childish disappointment In her face.
For years he had been free and unfet-
tersd save for the shadowy chains of the
past, and now they were forging them
seyes afresh about his life. The future
would never be free of this woman and
her love. .....
Tie went on with a touch Of anger in
his voice ..,
possible"
And all the, time he was cursing him
self and his hypocrisy. His mind was
cropping round and round like a Gagged
animal, vainly seeking some way of es-
cape.
She was quick to detect the subtle
change in his voice. and she broke in
Il will do as you wish--of course !
Anything! You know best I only want
10 please you-always, but =" She
put out her hand as If to touch him,
then drew, it shyly away. Miles, II I
50 you will come and see me? You won't
leave me alone for long, will your"
II shall come and see you, of course" "
little flicker of doubt crossed her
eyes, and she said with sudden eager
ness:
ter II tell him the truth? II tell him
that knew you years ago? He doesn't
even know that yet II tell him that
In my heart I always really loved you,
only = perhaps snntes ala not realize ALI IT., it.
ruth, Miles~-tnat we love each other.
and that we are going to be married.
He has so often said, he only wants
my happiness; he will be glad for both
eur sakes,--you are his friend. Let me
mo" The answer came curtly. and
Der eager face fell.
II Faversham had been less concerned
with his own thoughts he would have
realized how this woman's very happ!-
nsss. was pain. She was completely mas
nf
They swayed her hither and thither help
lsssy. She had lost consciousness Of
everything but her love for him.
OF course, IL you would rather not"
She broke out tremblingly.
u think for the present II will be
better not, You say that Tranter will
understand. Well, I know he will not.
re will hate meas should have hated
him II the circumstances had been the
same years ago."
She caught up the two last words.
Years ago You speak as II you
then"
He smiled ruefully.
! am not so young as ! was then
Perhaps am wiser than I was then"
she gave a little protesting cry.
don't want you to be wiser, I want
you to love me as you did then-to think
that there is nobody like me In the
World She came close to him, laying
hoi WHltc MS breast, look
,ng up into his face with eyes of passion
ste pleading.
,,"Dc DO you love me as you did then.
For an instant she thought he was GO
my 70 put her away from him, then
suaaenly he caught her to his heart
When you look at me like that" he
saie hoarsely, II love you more than
any fool has loved in this world"
she laughed tIemulously, turning her
'aes ana hiding 1t against his coat
I'm so happy" she said I'm so
afraid that tomorrow I shall wake up
anu md It isn't true"
iHIerhaps tomorrow you will wish you
touId said Faversham, but she did not
'ane MIN seriously.
r..5 before that evening at Marnio's I
,o useo 70 mink had had all the happiness
shsi,. sb"i was as 70 be In my life" she told him
shyly; But now know I've never really
,s .een happy at all untir'-her voice fall
bnre bea ana the white lids fell over the
ma v"ssyHee brown eyes-''until you kissed
u'es sne added IN a whisper.
Sut there was little enough of happI-
SoN N taversham's heart as he left the
ouse In all his life before he had never
h,, h,wn W. What 1t meant to feel ashamed,
lnn,, now II seemed as II he could never
''Sn nan an honest man In the face again.
Srlre SMnere was his madness to lead him ?
to,d ttne tere must be some way out" ne
none. 'e'e'S' put ne could see
O, thaTe would hate him. The sincerity
his U,er on. friendship had been blasted by
eo woriS Hwh actions this dishonorabie thing
life, wa" WIN MN 10 the end Of his
aftcN Mr Parry, called this evening, sir,
him wSou {S0u nad gone out" Greyson told
MIL I%ren he got back to his rooms.
pSnnies Maes Growned. He had no wish 70 sec
70 viii tie would have given a grear deal
"Nb IIraw the bet made between them
into III lie adore you" The words floated
hardenssd' thoughts unbidden, and his face