Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-12-20
The Phantom Lover
ry,s STARTS THE STORY
By Ruby Ayres

AZ suicide tOW WhI. ,,,,r,.,rnt
@Iess.d. ma friend, Ashton, Who says
70 4. IsaVin1 to,Cn dnd ne sUeethgnrt
~ ~. wofhsr's request ana dskS ust-
1 %,,,s 10 doifper a letter 70 tho gTi
y.eIv discovers the gfr!, Esther Shep-
.,one. TO be the oiic no huu ".ot cIpng
=. ISs strset. Instead ot dchrc,inV
em, letter Ashton gave htm no, prftcs
aaothsr, kihdher one, and signs
au.S,on,s name TO, u. Eathcr tells
Wlotv Of her intention 10 ,accept po-
sition as amanu,ssnsS a,s ~ 20 S' ,hSnton,, hm,oa,
dnd h'c"R, as created, Is incrcduio,s
and soys she must not % tnSro, nc
proposes sn n," beiapes herself emo gsd
,o Ashton. Micky goea TO Paris. re
sees Ashton w co"pp "W ~
Clare aug .btoo;s gi1nafure AZ
hs"h ~ ,h,afre Nth Miokvl and June.
irle,sd Of Micky, BsMor sgcs hsh,on
IN d bog ict!n n,s nud m"" minis ,f,cny
eomes ss aSh,on TO lcduo England nert
sav, and lTtckp sonds Esther ter
coat and comar 70, nc" ,,. bo,n, hg
tons nnmo. pII,,c, hands hi,n tho evening
cops, to read and points oM notice
Of AshtorS mdr7faOc 70 C'ue'
Mickp drhHvos vo,,.t,,, ayd IN kosp nU
,..,,snonsyS Wv, from her. but she oUer-
hedrs i,ro mcn commenting on mc
marriage ana Jse's .n', pa,ts tn snJ
ore uhh uhion and Wicky JolIo1s her In
% o~tcf haste. He comes across her at
Cdtdts and q scene c"s.nJ sI;c.n '". te,ys T' bsT
20 oe,ho io", s,c s,,nno.cd To have
son,, s 70 her from Ashton IN reality did
sot come from him. "Thcn Uho--pho
rrotc mem' sne de"'o".a ,
AND Hh"h II 'oH fiNo
A WAVE or crimson roooeu N'eNes
white face. He dropped his head III
his hands as II he could not bear to
,o, hor ovea
mee' n'' e'e''
II did, he ea'd prokenN.
For q second they stared at one an
.,bsr than Micky said hoarsely:
soner' '""' "'.Ns 80. ona ,hs,
You dom oeieve me 'nu
kgain more slowly. You mean that you
pdont be,Ieve--me?"
y" ~. avo,,.r,an, ~ tho noment
III 'he 'N''o''e"' VI W.
neither Of them had noticed that the
kraIn had reached its destination and
.,,,,.,
voluole porter had already "rencheu
bpen the door and was imploring mon
r,.nr n oncen, b,. serv,ops. n was
,. - a. r,a,,,,
impossible 10 say any more TO Esther'
Mlcky followed her out on to the
,,orn, uo fo,t that tho last shred
~ na,,onoo ard ,o,,dorne.. md hoon
of nB Pa''e"'e "'u 'e'uo' 'e'' ''"" o''"
re, her 20 to Ashton and see for her
=, -. nv, =, var n. uoa
tn "e 'o' V, ,'S.l no ""'
He spoke with savase impulse.
81 won't bother you with my unwel-
-. oor,,o,y any ,onuer you ,vill
'o"e 0' ,s,.,, a., Al, ..am'
pc able 10 get preaktast III the 'eS'au-
tere understand English 4. Good
SN"-N--
'rs,hor covo a II,tlo gaan
aSonsro IscnSr not not going ' 10 ieaYe me2"
THO In rdness NJ hIa cyes did not
ne 'N'''''e'' Vi ''' ''''
"vn, oro NOT .rviny IN toll mo that
90, "'j.h mo 10 stay si,rcly?" he sub
Wv y T'sr dr,,,. me !" ''"'' 'D'''
'"'s,vn ssa rnts:d bor bead.
STortaInir S not. n TO- nj, i'm YOUR own
fault you came"
ne dla not ans"er' peumapS ne .Vu,d ond
i.ot uust .,I,se ,,i., ne ,S Ts,har
yu,neu sm"y ,I,S,,, INA ,,.aired
s.a.eneu ne, suse aS t., 'sy ;ha ,tr. % ,-,,inn ~
s' w nsa i,mo,,. -, orary inrh nf tho
Toro ,a.ara ana baI heen there
,tnn.ond. - ,I,n.s ha,nra
p,,, har beart was beatinp I'm in her
throat and she would have given q
prsst deai had II hcen compatibie with
Sieuj,v ~ r,,sh after MIN and bep him
ke stay
She wandered out of the station, not
knowing where 10 70 Raymond seemed
Id have faded into the background: she
only thought of him subconsciously; 1t
~as the figure of Micky Mellowes that
worried her--she could not forget him.
Through the morning she walked
walked. Her thoughts were a maze.
Noon came.
man passing stared at her, hait
etopped went on again. then turned,
paused irresolutcly and finally came
pack
he walked quickly TIL ne drew apreaet
Cflth her, anu therc was cuiious
tess N hS race as ne s.oopea u i,ne
LOOK az hers' tnen ne Sa'e All eN''"''-
1T' Ta,iis II. e'es Good me heavens What in the
hIIIe Hoo9 Hea's 81 III '''e
!AVt'a are you o0ms nster nete
- was way '''''o N'
CHAPTER XVI
And ,o tho dream had come true after
lii anL sha and Raymond we're together
IL psri. '''
His overwhelming conceit suddenly
yoke ,ho ,r,sh IN h1s heart To know II
khe sun careu, or sne mao i%Srsot.en %
| nd nd his %,'S cyss grew ten".r as ,hev me, the
EragsSy 30 hers he looked hastiiy
Ero,nd
W. c,,,t ,,lk b.r. VIII vou Gonna 70
\ cste7 Thsrr r,,'H 10 sn much shouia I,to W
10 say IN Won when did vou come nvar'
TSs, St "r ,roro ~ vai,,;s, sior,,, o,on9 ,,o
mans hsad h"n, ar5ant," ,oavors ha, ane
He had once told Micky thai This airi
WAS the only woman he had ever iovsd
kounted loy" WOO ''e nc
He took her To a cafe--ono w,ar.
kberc yynuid 10 rnhody jiS.I,, ~ ,o
tI,s hi,,, m"uiu h a os nonSey nhe,y 70 recos
Nov ,rr can tnil, mndis,"rbo1 ar u'ts, H.
aid he moved b;S cho nIosor ~ ~"
ther's-.hc IaiG bis hnnd on 80 " HS-
She aid no, mnws mr r trv Vn ~ nnss, ne.s h.ol
touch She ius, Looked down " NJ 'bGar hiu SS n's