Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-04
--r nAILY NOVELETTE,
A Bit o Fluff
nv NORA LYNCH

~,AD YOU chanceo -, ,,,,t.,
| H H. n.etedly you would have ave DBL. ounxeu xeu
psa pe.,.a YOUR eyes convinced that you
snd ruop to on the second. act OF "A
I'D corr rrn" The setting was the
BIT 49,, canopy Of blue, blue SKY
'a SD over the grass'ereen .r,aa
prea. pas csrpet. the stile and the sna,leu
dotteu ayen 10 the tiny red-haireo
old w ~ hlue and yellow rufiies' whom
star IN s.o,,rod ~. gave the piece Its name'
c''.,I her feet gazing up at her, jus. 40 .
~ .na watched them SO ot.en ou,'s W
you ,ost @ ak months, reclined the youns
the m ian Terry West. HAD you
lsaom, u ,h,s YOU would have held your
seen :" ...o,t,np for the first notes OF that
Orea ',ls,,e love song which any one WIN
eaa arv one at all, whistled or sung OF
was a." You would have listened IN
p'aye' r,o,pb the setting was the same,
vain. Inuus I,,ara different. Moreover, there
| the lines w., n,Icker between Doree.s
was 4 hrows. almost petu.ant W,s.
arcneo ,oyely little mouth. Terry "a'
,.ooosEIng easily, swiftly
sps er,.ros he finished, "lts chance for
u,h n he real, to get away from al
" .s, Vv V,vawdriness, It's chance Tor ,ne ut,,e
Some," s he broke on. III 9u and az waited
to ty y tightly a small brown twig.
pL pms face was a study In conhicting
poieee che knew what his chance
emotio"s, o. Terry, He had never cared
mean o " stage as she cared. He had
Ior T on because of her. but always
sIset IsN The dream Of little place IN the
rn,rv a home with her. Suddenly sne
laughed the little ripping iausn nnn %nrui
aouru .n.a-rv w how" she glanced at his 1.-the
.,.uderness from the corner OF her eye
no n!2TSYg' SSv ~ The monosyllable was almost
,.,noraonaI. The little brown twig
snappeu pause, o. Doree was finding It hard
"a sneak Finally gazing straight ahead.
sSe "Jers cansys .Sa wife ssIusped iS ss.s,ns
Tssn e, .rWhy did Rose Hargood give you
NV rN'a address" impatiently. Her mood
'nsTs Terry, boy, i-you know how I like
,or--hut m silk made" Her voice
Sronped lower. II am 30 tired OF cot
toni gray, ugly cotton, which cramps
Youth and beauty and love-
"Jere Canty can give you SILK ne
broke in harshly. "and you will give. up
lave s for a scrap Of silk" he marveled.
She sprang lightly to her feet: Bal
sncine on her toes, she caught his
shoulders between small white fingers.
'srhInk as we'll as you can OF Doree
when you are way out West'." she
whispered.
The wide blue eyes, the fragrant red
mouth were very near. He was tempted
10 kiss that mouth til the white lids
,,,iln IN
| ne thrust her roughly away and turn
| INK. went down the road. Doree watcn-
| ed him out Of sight. A tiny tear coursed
| down her cheek. She brushed IT away.
Fluff has no depth. Walking hack to
/ the house, she found herself wishing that
Rose Hargood had not gone to the city (;
she felt In need of confidant.
Small things change the course of our
lives but for that trip to the city Doree
would not have been talking to Jere
Cantys wife In the little sitting room
osity was her predominatlng emotion /:
curiosity hidden under her most grown
| I'D manner. Jere Canty. oil millionaire
over night, man about town, with a boy
lshness his gray hair and rugged ply
sique could not altogether disguise, and
this apple dumpling of a woman with
her work-worn hands and her dowdy
clothes. his wife.
"Mothery, though" she thought visit
fully I'D like to tell her about Terry
boy"
Marthe Canty was speaking Through
THE crazy tumble of her own thoughts
Doree caught a word here and there.
'Jeres just a boy. for all his years"
Funny. pnd he always seemed 80 old to
her "Had Terry gone yet" she Won
dered. always after some new toy"-
MRha Dnren ha hiy LOT n
pleased her. She nodded her head-stiffiy.
comes back to me- Marine CAN'T
seemed the kind to come home to. Would
Terry write to her? He could not hav.
gone unless he walked; there was no
train until 0. A cold feeling was closing
over her heart What would Marthe
Canty do il Doree should climb into that
comfortable lap and have n good cry?"
Marthe's next question brought
Doree's thoughts up short.
my Jere?"
Love him? She did not she could not :
|ail her love belonged to Terry, whom
sne had sent away. Somehow she
found herself in Marthes lap sobbing
out me tale of Terry and the silk that
would have to be cotton. Marthe's arms
NED her comfortingly, understandingly.
Lneh OF sudden the shower ceased. She
Slid to her feet.
Walt" che commanded Marthe as
sne left the room. She was back in ten
minutes, turban Of crushed vioIets
pulled down on her curls. a fuzzy yell
low coat and an overnight bag In her
|arms; Tell Jere you helped me find
|oVe'" she whispered as she held up ner
ace 70 be kissed. She thrust a bit of
PAPER INTO Marthe's hand. Take this
w Ceclle and she'll dress you for your
|second honeymoon. BY" she chIrped.
hutter OF skirts, the sound oI a
motor; Doree had gone.
Later, upon her return from the city
|hose Hargood found an empty hous.
|and tiny note:
I'm going with Terry II I catch the
nah; Close up this place and send me
my clothes. like a duck. DOREE
II; s.--How long have you known
Aarthe Canty?"
Tomorrow's Complete NoveIette-Tho
House With the Green Door