Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-12-22
The Phantom Lover
BY Ruby Ayres

llk llSl1udIIOnS. leli WHdt Il dII1 10 40
anything, anything in the world. My
whole life is yours to 'do with as you
VIII: Re my wife, dear, be my wife
For n moment the pen faltered, but
Micky went on again with an effort.
II will stay In London twenty-four
don't hear
The pen faltered again and this time
finally stopped.
CHAPTER KIN
June went downstairs singing: during
the last few days she had, as she would
nave expressed 1t. begun to discover
herself all over again certainly the
world had utterly changed, and was
II ralned great deal and where busses
and taxicabs splashed pedestrians with
mud. ''
Lydia met her at the foot Of the
stars; she smiled at sight OF a new
u, II was just coming up Miss June"
Shepstone." ''' '''o'
June held out her hand.
troubie take H. and save you the
fo1 a rn,S moment later June thrust the letter
Sut blissfully into the rain 10 meet
George Rochester '"'' ~ meet
hi, george was ardent he forgot To cat
tne, ,o most nos excellent lunch, and hardly
'ook MS eyes off June. Wy
us all 90 much waste of fin, ,,i,
onnS oenS engaged" he said with pretended
ANNOYANCE. Why don't ye do - the triot,
Son, nu get married? What are we waitinS
Wedding u trins rnss you to the States for
,,S,, Sune laughed, and protested blush.
ihsIy That It was much too soon '''"-
o,o - haven't thought about IT," she de-
tons of tbin, MOT quite truthfully. There's
my businessS iS s0d 10 see sst,dr to first What about
leave the one TO look nfter tho
o'uer, ne said promptly, '"'
Sne Ss,Ine shook her head
E.,h ouiunt-l should hate to leave
ried, too7" o''' 'ou'd 10 mar
,,o,'. oWelli.ilnd ,,,i her a husband; what
ao9us Meilowes?" no suggested jokingIy
Junes face sobered.
s,rs ohcMicky 10 LICK )" she said She was not
sure sure " she was justified in telling
feSoohester fe that Micky had once cared
ticaliy engaged to Marie Deland,' she
said doubtfully. '''0
iKSpShester iSpSh gave an exclamation.
Ihat reminds NO." he said. There
SEEMS zee TO have been a bit Of a row at
the Hoopers dance last night.
! wasn't there. but heard some fell
loWs at the club talking It over Just
ton?' ''''' ''''iiou ASH
June shifted inelegantly.
DO l not |"
Well. il you don't like him, you'll
pc pleased TO hear that Micky knocked
| him into tho middle of next week. =
| Rochester said calmly
| Junos eyes cleaned.
-. Never! Well, I'm delighted to hear
| What was II about?"
| RnChaafar oh III
| "Oh, they were gossipng about some
woman, as far as I could make out
a woman Micky had been rather friendly
with, from what gathered-they dldn',
mention her name. but"--he hesitated
I've forgotten tho name, but
/ think II was a petticoat chop"
,"Eldred's?' said June sharply.
Yes. that vas 1t What do YOU
"Nothng-go on! What were the,
saying" y4%.t s,s.a ,oor 10 p,.,. ,,.,,, ~,
loves, and Mellowes overheard It. and
there was a bit of a fight, and Mel.
n',D loWes said that the girl was his
June: June gsssped.
Rochester looked rather uncomfort
IT'S only club talk" he said depre
catingly. Dare say it's all lies"
June pushed back her chair; her brain
was in whirl; she stared at Roches.
ter with dazed eyes.
"of course you're mad, quite mad !!
she said calmly. cor I am! which Ii
It? My dear man, tho gir
Micky went to Paris with was Esther
| My Esther Shepstone: and here yot
arc trying to tell mo that she ant
| Micky are married " she burst into hyS.
| I'm not trying to tell you," he pro,
tested injurediy. ms only what ]
heard; and any way, If Mellowes wen'
He broke off before the anger ir
III you speak about Esther in tina,
tone OF voice again shall hate you
forever" she said furiously. "If you
must know the truth. I'll tell it to you
till you've heard both sides of the ques-
tion," and she promptly proceeded to
tell him the whole story OF her meeting
with Esther, and all that had happened
| since
CHAPTER XN
Esther woke from a troubled sleep
| that night to find June standing beside
her Pale moonlight shone into the
room from half-dra~n blinds, filing 1t
with an eerie light, az Esther started up
trembling and frightened.
What IL It? Is anything the mat.
|
She cutched at June with both hands.
"Oh, is anything the matterT' she asked
again.
June laughed nervously. SHE found
| matches and lit a candle, then she came
back TO Esther and thrust something
mt" "Yon'Il nnT never never forgive mo-" she said
But I've had i in my eS coat ,oSHS po6Het fer for
dark hair back from her forehead
tragicaly. Lydia gave 1t to mo foI
hat to meet George, and was euoh
IA selfish conceited pig that be- put
everything else out Of my head. and
was lying awake thinking
and then oh, Esther, It's from
Esther looked down at the crumpled
vos only half awake; she made a very
fair picture there with her Ions hall
tunbiing about her shoulders and hei
face a little flushed and startled
| Tune turned to the door
"I'U 20 away--you don't want me
ri GO" but Esther caught
her hand. Watt, Pleas. wait !,
wait !" 49,. IT,, no,. trozon
I. ~. June looked plaintively al
Esther but Esther had forgotten her
md she dragged the quilt from the bee
and wrapped II round her small ngur'
iii iii she looked like mummy, ,.,
''I TSero was a long silence, then Esther
raised her eyes to jmss ninsS snSous ard t1Ge he,
Her own was QUITE co'or'eSs' anu ''o'
blue eyes looked daSed. ,.,, -.
viii you-will you-read IT, she
so,d fointly. "Please--I want you to
s. somehow l feel as II I'm dream
ing" ,,o mos vida oy,ke
I, on,V took her two minutes to read