Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-02-14

"T GOT a new proposition, girl One
thatll make Checkers look like
thirty cents. A white proposition, too,
Mari. 4 baby could listen to it.
Eyes, yes, Blink, but not now. When
you get lit up, you--you oughtn't begin
to dream about those millionaire prop
ostions, Blink. Try and keep your
wits"
"A baby could listen to this here
proposition, Mari. And big money, too,
Mari. It's diamonds for you"
Somehow with her lips she smiled
down at him and did not tug for the
release of her hand. Dallied for the
instant instead.
You're lit up, Blink
"Some big guns in Wall street,
Mari, are after me, Mari, with
million dollar proposition. L"
=, Yes, yes, but wait minure, Blink,
I'll be back"
She slid past him lightly.
''In a minute, Blink.
Hurry" he said, his smile broken
by swift twitch of feature, and rails
ing his fresh stein.
Once out of his vision, she veered
sharply and in bath of fear darted
! toward the small hallway, with it's red
bead of gaslight burning on and flick
ering against the two panels of colored
glass in the dingy brown door.
Outside the flakes had ceased and
the sinister looking side street lay in
white hush, a single line of scraggly
footsteps crouched into the snow, of
the sidewalk. A clock from a sky
scraping tower rang out eight, its
echoes singing like anvils in the sharp
thin air. On the ross-town street the
shops were full of light and activity,
crowds wedging in and out. Marjorie
Clark pulled at her strength and ran.
At the Twenty ninth street corner
she paused for the merest moment for
breath and for quick glance into the
dark lane of the diverging street. The
double row of stone houses, blank faced
and shouldering one another like paper
dolls cut from a folded newspaper, stood
back indistincty against the night, mos
of the high stoops cushioned in untroc
snow. the fourth of them from the right
lean looking and undistinguished, ex.
cept that the aShcan at its curb was
a glorified urn of snow.
AS she stood there the ache in Mar
jorie Clarks throat threatened to be.
come articulate. She took up her swift
pace again, but onward.
Ten minutes later. within the great
heated mausoleum of the Grand Unior
Station. she bought ticket for Glen
, dale. On track ten the eight eighteer
! had already made its first jerk out.
ward as she made her dash for it.
In the spick swaddling clothes o
new laid snow. it's roadways and gar
den beds, macadamized streets ant
runty lanes all of one identity. Glen
: dale lay in a miniature valley beneatl
! the railroad elevation; meandered dow
: slight hillside and out toward tn
: open country.
Immediately removed from the Stee
flight of stairs leading down from tn
gabled station, small houses wit
matched roofs that wore the snow lik
t coolies hoods appeared in uncertai
ranks forming uncertain streets. Light
cleaned in frequent windows throw
: ing square of gold colored light in tn
Q snow.
Here and there where shades wer
: drawn the grOtesque shadow of fir
: tree stood against the window; sill
houettes moved past Picket fence
marched crookedly along. At each in
tersection of streets a white arcligh
: dangled, kissing and spreading its radi
e ance to the very stoops OF adjoinin
3 houses.
= Two blocks from the left of the sta
ton Marjorie Clark paused in the whit
shower of one of these arclights. Th
and it's raw breath galloped across tn
6 open country, stinging her.
e Across the street, diagonal, 10y
> house of too many angles, the sno'
:, banked in a high drift across its mort
flank stood we'll back in shadow OK
, cept that on the peak of its small ve
: randa and clearly defined by the arc
e light weathervane spun to the gale
Marjorie Clark ducked her head I
the onslaught of wind and crossed tn
3 street, kicking up fine furry of sno'
before her. A convoy of trees stoo
r in military precision down the quie
: avenue, their bare branches embrac
: ing her in immediate shadows. Th
?, gate creaked when she drew it back
ward, scraping outward and upon tn
d, sidewalk a hill of loose snow. Befor
y that small house a garden lay tucke
, beneath its blanket, Scrawny line q
: hedge tiuted with snow enclosing
, and a few stalks that would present.
flower. The hood of the dark veranda
surmounted with its high ruche o
, snow. seemed TO incline, invitational.
. Yet when Marjorie Clark pulled ou
: the old fashioned bell-nandle her fac
sickened as she stood and she wa
. down the steps again, the tightnes
squeezing her throat, her glOvcd hand
tumDlng luc gate !dICH' ana HtT hle
flung against it. pressing it outward.
In the moment of her most frenHie,
, attitude. a golden patch of light from
an opened door streamed out and owe
her. In its radiance a woman's wide
bosomed, wide -hipped silhouette. han
bent in visor over her eyes, leane,
forward and, rushing past her an
down the plushy steps. the barchcade
figure of Mr.. Charley Scully, red an,
antiQuatcd red wool indoor jacket fiy
ing to the wind, and forelock Of hi
shiny hair lifted,
"Marjie"'
She backed against the gate.
/, Mari. MariieI'
"I-nO. no-I-"
"Why little one. Marie Marie ."
"l-nO-no-'
p But her inertia was OF no moment
and very presently Charles Scully'
| strong right arm propelling her, sh
, was in the warm, bright lighted hall
way, its door closing her in. and tn
wide bosomcd. wide -hipped figure i,
spotted silk fumbling the throat fasten
ings of her jacket. and the stOope
,, form of Charley Scully dragging OF