Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-09-25
The Second HONEYMOON
By RUBY M. AYRES


DOW awKwardly.
Who the dickens was she, he asked
She was rniddle-ased and sray.haired,
nnc she had a girl In white frocx sit.
ting beside her.
,r,s THEY were sssl, both looking .g at him and
expectnnt In the girls face.
Challoner felt embarrassed. He was
sure that he ought to know who they
were, but for the life Of him he could
not think he met SO many people N h's
remember them all.
His eyes turned to them again ana
again. There was something very famii.
lar In the face OF the elder woman
so,nething... Challoner knit his brown
The lights went down here. ana ne for
got oil about them as the curtains rolled
slowly up on Cynthia's first act.
Challoner almost knew the play BY
word by word as IL he had never seen Il
before, till the big velvet curtains fell
together again. and storm OF applause
broke tho silence.
opened the door Of the box to go to Gym
tha when an attendant entered. He
carried note on q tray.
For you. air.
Chailoner took 1t wonderingiy. IT was
written IN pencil on a page torn from =
"A lady in the stalls gave II TO mo,
sir" the attendant explained, vaguely
apologettc.
Jimmy unfolded the little slip Of paper
and read the family penciitd words;
Wont you come and speak to us. or
have you quite forgotten the old days
at Upton House?'
Chaiioner's face flashed into eager de-
light. What an idiot he had been not to
recognize them. How could he have ever
forgotten them? OF course the girl in the
white frook was Christine. whose mother
had given his boyhood all It had ever
known Of homo life
or course, he had not seen them for
years, but---dash It ali What an un-
grateful brute they must think him! l
For the moment even Cynthia was for.
gotten in the sudden excitement Of this
meeting with old friends. Challoner
II knew It must be you," Chrlstine's
mother said, as Jimmy dropped into an
empty seat beside her. Christine saw
you first, but wo knew you had not the
though you bowed so politely" she added
"f'm ashamed. positively ashamed"
Jimmy admitted, blushing ingenuousiy.
but I am delighted--simply delighted
to see you ana IsTlsslne S asan snnmsttS ssp
doubtfully
The girl in the white frock smiled.
eyes. and knew you at once she said.
Challoner was conscious OF faint dis
appointment as he looked at her She
had been such n pretty kid. She had
hardly fulfilled all the promise she had
given Of being an equally pretty woman,
no thought critically, not realizins that
II was the vivid coloring OF Cynthia
Farrow that had for the moment at least
spoiled him for paler beauty.
Christine was very pale and little
nervous -looking. Her eyes--such peauti'
full brown eyes they were-showed dark
ly against her fair skin.
Her hair was brown, too, dead brown,
very straight and soft.
"By Jove It's ripping to see you
again after all this time Jimmy Chal,
ioner broke out again eagerly. He looked
for though he and Christine had been
pinafore daye. Jimmy challoner had
adored Mrs. wyatt right up TO the time
when, in his first Elton coat ne ,ad nad sa,a ana
walked right out OF their lives.
"And what are you doing now. jim
my?" Mrs. Wyatt asked him. sup
pose I may still call you Jimmy?' she
'A'ii "Ratther! t Please do I'm not doing
anything, as matter of fact" Chal-
loner explained rather. vaguely. I've
got rooms in the Temple, and the great
ance and expects me not to live beyond
It." He made a grimace. you re. g.,
member my brother Horace, Of course !"
"Of course ! do! Is he still abroad?'
that want him TO-" Jimmy hastened to
add. with one OF those little inward
aualms that shook him whenever he
thought Of his brother and what that
brother would say when he knew that
he was shortly to be asked TO- accept
Cynthia Farrow as sister-in-law:
The great Horatio. as Jimmy disre-
spectfully called the head OF his FAMILY.
loathed the stage. It was his one dreao
might run the risk of taint by being
even remotely connected with one OF It's
Hes not married, of courss'" Mrs
Challoner chuckled. Married! Good
lord, no /" He leaned little forward to
And your" he asked. Has the per-
feet man come along YETI"
faraway days that Christine would
never marry until she found a perfect
man. She had always had such quaint
ly romantic fancies behind the serious
She flushed now, shaking her head.
And you?" she asked. Are you mar
Challoner said no" very quickly. He
sbout MSSnercy Cynthia. The % Thought reminded
him of his promise to 60 to her after
the first act He rose hastily to his
Il quite forgot I've got an appoint.
bssR msnt' T., + TSy, Seyil excuse me- III como
0Afk He bowed himself off. Christine's
beautiful eyes followed him wistfully.
II never thought he'd be half 30 good
looking when he grew up" she said
much, has he?"
least" Mrs Wyatt laug ghed. Fancy
him remembering about your perfect
christpsI I1sHt h,n we must ask nm ob to
don. How funny, meeting him like this
always liked him 30 much. I wonder |
he hasn't got married, though-.a charm |
ing boy like. that!" But her voice
to find Challoner still n bachelor.
II don't know why he should be mar
ried," Christine said. Hes not very
old-only twenty-seven. mother"
rs that alH Yes; I suppose he is
the time goes 80 quickly"
10 the back OF the stage. He could not
imagine how on earth he had even for |
one second forgotten his appointment
He was, flushed with remorse and eager
A dresser was retouching her hair.
Challoner waited impatiently till Cynthia
sent her away. 1t occurred TO him that
she was deliberately OBTAINING her. He
But at last she was dismissed and
the door had hardly closed before he
stepped forward.
Darling His eager arms were
round do her tbn Are nsS you %nsfy yth
some old frlends-at least they spotted
me from the stalls and sent a note, and,
of course, I had to go and speak TO