Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-11-25

| La.ioI fancy tne anlable Obosky has |
selected the former type Of the prevail |
ing malady. Percivalitis, ] believe, is |
the name 1t goes by"
There was no mistaking the signifi- |
cance of his words The Implication
was clear. even though yelled in the
uon or seeing the color ebb from her
cheek. Her face being averted, he missed |
tne swift flicker Of pain that rushed to
IL, ner eyes and departing. took away with
| " the sort light that had glowed in them
the instant before. He had touched a
concealed canker--the sensitive spot that
had been the real cause of her sleep
less troubled nights-the thing she had
refused In her pride to accept as the real
, source OF discomfort.
Down In her soul lay the poison Of
jealousy, cruel and malignant influence
that until now had been subdued by a
mind stubbornly unwilling to recognize
! It's existence
In the eagerness to supply herself with
auditional reasons for hating Percival,
sne s had given her imagination rather
tree rein In regard to his relations with
oiga Obosky. While she was without
actual proof, she nevertheless tortured
herself with suspicious that came almost
W the desired ,nss t IN IN any tSa ose sey tnsy
ated very positive sense OF irritation,
and nothing seemed to please her more
IN the dead hour Of night than the feel
ing mat she had right to be disgusted
And now. Landover, in his sly ar
raignment, prodded a very live, raw spot,
ana she knew that It was bleak unhap-
piness and not rancor that had kept her
awake.
is II necessary to beat about the
bush, Mr.. Landover? II you have any
thing definite to tell me about Mr. Per-
clval and Madame Obosky. l grant you
/ permission to say all you have to say
N the plainest language. Call a spade
a spade ] am quite old enough to hear
things called by their right names"
since you have been so quick to get
my meaning, ! don't consider 1t neces-
sary to go into details. daresay you
nave ears and eyes of your own. You
can see and hear as well as unless
you are resolved to be both blind and
deaf"
Did you not hear me say that I know
he loves me?'
'.'Yes-I heard you quite distinctly"
AS rule, do men love two women
al the same timer" she inquired, pa
tiently.
Il have never said that he loves Obo-
SKY 1t is barely possible, however, that
! he may not choose to resist her--i that
conveys anything to your intelligence"
1T does and it does not" she replied
J steadily. You see, l believe in him. l
trust him."
And l suppose you trust Olga Obo-
sky he said, with a sneer.
II understand Olga Obosky far bet
ter than you do, Mr.. Landover."
"I doubt it, said he dryly.
She is my friend"
: "Ah ! That measurably simplifies tho
, situation. She will no doubt prove her
= friendship by delivering Mr.. Percival
J to you, slightly damaged, but guaranteed
To-"
= please be, good enough to remem.
Der, Mr.. Landover, that you are not
| speaking to Manuel Crust" she ex
o claimed haughtily and, with flaming
I checks, swept past him.
Ho hestated a moment, and ther
t started to follow her. She stopped shor
= and, facing him, cried out: Don't fol
low me! | do not want tC hear another
l. word Stop! / can see by your eyes tina
YOU are ashamed-you want to apollo
r gize / do not want to hear it. am hur
terribly hurt. Nothing YOU can sa,
- will help matters now. Mr.. Landover."
: Just a secord, Ruth" he cried. nov
r thoroughly dsmRyed. give me a chanc
= to exElaia. 1t was my mad, unreasonin.
. love that"
y But. with an exclamation of shec
5 disgust, she put her fingers to her ear
and sped rapidly down the walk. II
o stood still, watching her until She en-
= tered the cabin door and closed 1t benin,
S her Then he completed the broken sen
/ tence but not in the voice Of humilit.
Y nor with the words that he had mtcnde
v to utter.
o CHAPTER XXI
= "SoaDy" Shay, coming up the walk
y distinctly heard what ne said.
V whats the matter, Bill?" he inquired
pausing. did she throw the hooks int
n you"'
n n Landover glared at him balefully
q 'Ycu go to hell, damn you" he Snarled
=, and walked AWAY
II , "Soary" rubbed his chin dubiousl
!, as he watched the rctrcating figure
|, PuTsing his thin lips, he turned his at
a tention to ar unoffending stump six o
"a "a eight feet away and scowled at 1t vim
! 1irfiValU tlrn1nR Q0mptninI
over in his mind, and he was manifestl
in state of indecision. Illuminating, h
spoke aloud, perhaps for tho benefit of I
=. Portuguese farmland who happened Z
: be approaching from the opposite di
I reCtior, but who still had some rods Il
cover before he was within hearing dis
Z | tance.
Gee, he's getting to be rs decent ant
I democratic as any of us. Shows what
e association will 90 for man. Two
n months ago he would have been too high
and mighty to tell me to go to hell. II ht
= keeps on at this rate, he'll be wortf
: more. Won't he, Bill?" This to the farm
v hand, who obigingly halted,
o Mr. Shay made constant and impair
tial use OF the name Bill Except in !
I very few instances, he applied 1t TO al
males over the ago of two, and no dit
I il so genially that resentment was rare
| Americans, BtitorS 1rishmen, Portu
: guese, Spaniards, Indians, Swedes-al
! races in fact, except the HebreW---cam'
= under tho sweeping appellatton His lie
brew acQuaintances were addressed bJ
the name of Ike.
, II 50 happened that this particular
', "Bul" was lamentably slow In picking
y up the English language. II Was ever
! said that he prided himself on beini
a. balfwltted However. being an exceed
Ingly dull creature. he was quite natu
n | rally a polite one. He was a good listener
: You could speak English to MIN by tn
a | hour md never be annoyed by verbal in
n tcrruptions. At regular intervals h
O would ins art n shrug OF the shoulders, o
|. nod his head, or lift an eyebrow, o
I snread out his hands, or purse his lips
I and he never smiled unless you did.
e Perceiving that some sort or an an
- swor was expected, Bill wiser
l, shrugged his shoulders. "Soapy" inter
Ia nreted the shrug as afilrmatiye-havinI
q n distinct advantage over BILL VIII
e %aSn't The taintest Idea which 1t was
1t and prc cceded to go a little deeper int
u the matter ..,.,. .,t. rod
d ovcr ruy Is up against SCmething, Bil
- Shn handed hin something he didn't like
d I1icht on the nose too, II I'm any Judge
le WTnt do YOU suppose II was. Bill?'
"Bill' nodded his head very earnestly
u ."rhat's what | think" said "Soapy'
II fixing his hearer with a moody, specu
~ iatjve frown, "N0w, I know somethn
;, "hont this Landuver guy that she doesn
w TnGHy | sulppOse A. a. will give mo a
's "u,fml manning II | up and tell her wha
20 / saw that day. He seems to think its
"a |