Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-11-30


TT LEN was not badly burned
~ but the shock made her will
l. l. ling to play invalid" as she
expressed it, for few days
and be waited upon by Mrs. Cook,
and at intervals, by the irrepress-
ible Adele.
Lansing had been most attentive.
Flowers, books and magazines, each
accompanied by short note, helped
pass the days which were neither
long nor tedious.
Helen had the bed placed where
the buses. She never seemed to tire
good deal, too, those idle days. Not
unpleasant thoughts of the past. but
pleasant ones of the future. She Wis
Toned herself in the years to come,
If occasionally Lansing crossed her
vision, she swept him aside light1y.
Helen had suffered in the years
before she came to New York, espe-
cially in that last year before she
determined to carves out her own
destiny She dwelt in Gethsemane,
for she had lost her faith. She never
yet she had always had an abiding
faith in her fellows, in Their integ-
rity. That faith had been forever
shattered by one who should have
held it sacred. When the awaken
ing came she did not grieve for hin
Even poverty, the need of supper
ing herself, seemed not to touch her
at all The loss of friends was as
nothing, because of this other that
had scared her very soul and left
her stranded, her ideals gone.
Adele Foster was not by any
means the best sort of a companion
for Helen in the mood she was in
in her attitude toward the 7yorld
and people.
81 wouldn't trust a man as far as
1 could reach" she said to Helen
as she sat on the window ledge. and
had commenced to air her views.
place, we know nothing at all aLoat
them-just what they tell us, that S
all. And do you think for one min
ute they tell us the truth? 1 don't"
Helen smiled her infinitely wise
smile. Adele amused her immense
ly. She was so young and so Gym
you see, Helen, if I had trusted
men I would be in the river by now.
living you learn quickly, you know.
One has to-"
II dare say you are right" Helen
returned languidly, "but where did
you learn it?"
Fright here in New York The
greatest little school on earth. There
isn't anything you want to know
that you can't learn here"
Helen laughed but later, when she
was alone, she thought of what
Adele had said and-wondered if she
were right.
Lansing drifted back to the studio
HnInn again around.
He came, as before, toward the end
of the afternoon when twilight was
deepening into darkness and the
Square twinkled welcome.
directness. If it occurred to him
that she might not / as glad to
see him as he was to see her he
gave no hint of it in his greeting.
II did not expect to see any one
tonight" Helen said in a sort of
s apolGgy for her dress a working
Il couldn't stay away. You see,
like you-and l really like so few
people. You like me a little-per-
Ilhaps. Did you not, you would not
receive me. If I bore you send me
away"
Helen looked at hill. with shrewd
eyes th.-t held the knowledge of ter
rible things.
You wonder about ne--what |
am after,'%1 he said with perfect sang
will never believe me, because truth
is the hardest thine in the world
to recognize when we see it."
"No-I am through with wonder"
do you know" said Lansing
gravely, you're rather a dear, and
still 1 have a feeling that you are
full, chock full, of this worlds wis
dom" Then, after a moment. who
taught you?"
Just for a moment a shade of
something very like fear looked out
of her gray eyes. Then she laughed.
She raised her eyes to his With hat
directness that made UP much of Ter
charm.
mo one" she answered, unless
observation may be called teache.'."
She was not to be caught by him as
she had been by AIDE. e
gentle intimacy, yet Lansing felt
that she was hiding behind the
words.
you have observed, them"
"Who hasn't, and-profted" The
faintest of smiles lighted her. gray
eyes and curved her soft, red lips as
she turned slightly away.
Lansing flushed darkly. This girl
this woman-affected him strange
1y 1t was as If her real self were
hidden behind some impenetrable
mystery. Yet it could be nothing to
her discredit
A DELE. FOSTER had drifted to
N New York from midwestern
IN town, as do so many girls on
no particular talent, because
she found the home confinement lrk-