Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-12-07
The Phantom Lover
what she said and how she takes II
BY Ruby Ayres

Mieky was w vasuslv FAD tSst thare had
bsen no time In which to shake hands.
moment. and he was waikinv away
alone down the nia tforn,
What a cad the man was what n cad
| ---he wns amazed that he had not dis.
oovered II haSoreS-tn ciear an and ,eavs
a gIri like This without a word Of fare.
we'll except the letter, He wondered IL
he meant 10 deliver it and admit that
he knew Ashton. or ~ he meant iust TO
stick a stamp on Il and post it to her.
He reaiized that there was nothing
very much 10 be proud OF in an ad,nis-
sion that he knew Ashton. and vet they
had been frlends for years
II vas strikinr twelve wben he rot
home he stood for a moment on the
doorsten, looking I'm nj The starry sEy,
Several clocks were Ginning midnight
in the distance he listened with queer
This was the stranpest Nav Years
Eve he had ever spent in his life.
The Are had been earefuiiy ,Sade lin
ana b,s sI,pnsr, ena dressins sown nut nj
| To warm. Micky looked ~ them with n
sort of disgust; II was siciening for O.
healthy grown man to be 10 pampered
he kicked the slippers into a corner and
tossed the dressing gown on to tho
couch.
He wondered what sort Of a room
Esther Shepstone had in the very horrid
boarding house-what odd corner the
thin black cat curled into to sleep.
He took Ashton's letter from his
pocket and stuck 1t up against the clock
on the mantelshelf
Miss Esther Shepstone ="
1t was fate. that's what II was He
wondered IL she would ever have lived
to get that letter had fate not thrown
her across his path that night.
She had been desperate--at the end
that cad. Ashton.
He tore the envelope open impulsively
and drew out tho inclosuro. He un-
folded II and began to read. The silence
Of the room was unbroken save for the
pspsr erip tSsn 'Gq"d shs ss MSay tsaPsS the
rug at his feet and lay there. half curled
up, as II It were ashamed Of the words
1t bore and wished to hide them,
Presently no picked the letter up from
Of his fingers as II 1t were something
repulsive to him, and threw 1t down on
The hrst few words stared up at aim
as II lay there'
Dear Lallie-By the time you get
| this letter shall be out Of England, ana
I hope you won't make things worse for
me than they already are by trying
| to find out where I have gone or by
writing TO my people and making q
scene. The worst Of these little hirta-
tions is that they always have to end.
as this must, and you must have known
It shall never forget you and the
good times we've had together. should
try and get back at Eldred's. II / were
you. It's q good thing we didn't get
married as matters have turned out, or
the fat would have been In the fire with
vengeance. As It Is, I shall have oil
my work cut out to put the mater In a
good temper again. am sending you
friend of mine and as rich as Croesus,
and as selfish az the devil. II he offers
to take you out, let him, by all means.
II wouldn't be a bad thing II he took
fancy to you he doesn't care q hang ior
any one but himself II only I'd got half
his money but what's the use
OF talking about 1t? Anyway, this is
good.by. / shan't write again. Be q
sensible girl and try to see things from
my point OF view. 1t would only have
meant ruin for both Of US II I'd stuck
to you. Good-by; send you my love
for the last time.
RAYMOND ASHTON
Micky dragged forward n chair with
his foot and sat down straddlewise liz
leaned an elbow on the chairback and
sort of bewildermcnt.
Hes as rich as Croesus and as self.
ish al the devil ."
And this from Ashton, his friend--
the man whom he had helped out OF
scrapes scores of times; the man &c
! whom he had lent money without the
: least hope OF It's ever being returned
! Micky felt as II he had had a blow In
the face.
Micky sat for a long time, lost In
thought: the hands Of the clock crawled
round to one and the chime struck; he
looked UP then, glancing ut the clock
vaguely
II ne had not met Esther Shepstons
there might have been no Esther in the
world at all now; II he allowed tina,
letter 10 reach its destination he would
be plunglng her back again into the
abyss OF despair from which he had
dragged her only that evening. She
loved Ashton. OF that Micky was sure
Very well then, she should at least have
some part Of her ideal left to her,
He went over to his desk and took up
out before him and studied the writing
carefully.
Ordinary sort OF writing, rather un-
formed and sprawly but after a trial
run Micky managed a very presenta bic
copy of II.
With prds he had eySd hs
his vocation, he told himself with a
Then he dipped the pen in the ink
again and squared his elbows. He had
never written n love letter in his liz
but he knew positively that he he was wa,
about to write one now,
He thought of Esther and the wistf,,I
ness OF her gray eyes she was the girl
whom q man could love. He colored a
little as the Thought involtntarilv crossed
his mind she was a girl whom--he he
gan TO write RAPIDLY,
my darling little girl"
Micky was naturally rather eloquent
with his pen. though he had never he.
fore tried n in this especini directi,n
This is the most difficult letter have
ever had to write in all my life frat,
because | love YOU 80 much and sec.
nnSi,, hnoo,,n ' s-.la l..