Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-06-01

anu sne tnouBht, II must break II 4"
y. And yet she did not speak. She had
little OF Joe that week. W When Vine 'S liz
dreaded night arrived. he did not come
nome until very late. From her room
she heard him come in, and presently BY
kthe silence she knew lie had settled him
Yearly and dressed herself with a resolute
air. But already Joe had gone.
t was a beautiful morning. with
Susette she went to florists shop and
lra nao tne ohild pick out some flowers.
inen tney went out to Amy's grave.
And a moment came to Ethel there, an
oYerwhelming moment, when something
seemed bursting UP In herself and cry
Ing passlonately.
II can't !"
But a little miracle happened For
Susette,. who was only three years old
and understood nothing of ali this, took
nalf the purple asters from Amy's
gra grave ana turning back conhdinsly she
saw a sparrow and chased It, and
laughed merrily as II few away,
Az night when Joe came home, Sal-
though ne did not speak Of the flowers,
she knew. that he too had been at the
grave. He appeared relieved, the ten
Now is the time to speak Of her."
And Ethel looked up with a resolute
trown: But once again she put 1t
W,
Weeks passed, and the memory of
that day dropped swiftly back behind
them. And there came night when
Joe. close by her side, had been talking
slowly Tor some time. but his voice
husky, strained and low and she had
been sitting very still. She turned at
last with a quick little smile. said:
Yes, Joe, III marry you-and-oh,
pIeass Tm ysry yomp6 happyy Please go now, dear
And when he had gone she still sat
very still;
From that night the name of her sister
was not spoken between them-was mot
spoken for nearly two years
She grew used to being held in .Joe's
arms, to his kisses and to his voice
that had changed to the things he said
and the way his eyes looked into hers.
That hunger, 1t was always there, and
she'd never had before, that-"we're 10
be parts Of one another !'-deepened,
thrilled her with its depth, dazzled and
confused her mind
One day she went to Amy's room and
slowly began looking over the clothes.
From the closet and the drawers, In a
careful, tender way she took the SHIN
mering little gowns and dainty hats and
slippers, silk stockings, filmy night
ggGwnsLand packed them into boxes
Her throat contracting, she turned away
with sharp pang OF pity and Of jeai-
ousy and Of a deep, deep tenderness.
She lavished her love upon Amy's
child. What adorable little garments
she bought for susette. those autumn
days. And at night, bending over her
cradle, Ethel would whisper to her,
oh, I'm dreaming, dreaming, dear -
And to Susette. this was a huge Joke.
and they would laugh at It like mad.
"oh, my precious loved one What a
fine. happy life well lead!"
They were married early in Decem-
ber. There were no preparations to be
made, for a wedding is nothing with
Amy's and Joe said nothing to Ethel
about 1t, she knew he had not sent them
word. IT'S better" she thought. She
herself wrote to a few girl friends. but
No one Of them would be coming east
And at times she felt very lonely. with
memories of weddings at home and of
her dreams for one of her own, which
she had planned so often, she begged
Joe to let her be married In church. and
Joe gave in good-na turedly. He did not
go to the minister who had buried Amy
year before, but to one who had q
small Presbyterian church on tho next
street. There he soon arranged TO be
married. But then, in his ignorance
Of such matters, Joe said. in his blunt.
offhand way.
Il like TO settle these things ahead.
So So onyo II You'll @ lust ,L name the amount"
ened up, as though at an insult. Joe
redeemed. Look here" he blurted, II
didn't mean"
oh. that's all right" The other man
was s.en smps rs S% SSsserE HGw Ss Rs5 sns
Ever been inside of a church,"
No, can't say that I have"
Then why do you want to get mar
Joe smiled frankly. The brides
idea"
II thought So" said the preacher A
CLINT of hunor came into his eyes. You
asked me what 1t would cost to get mar
will cost you exactly two dollars, But
II you care to be married here-well.
there's an old scrubwoman know
who for nine years every Sunday has
come to this church and put a quarter
In the plate to keep this institution going
for you. And II you care to use it now
It Will cost you Just what 1t has cost
her. Figure It out and send me a check,
or else go down to City Hall"
In pay up" was the prompt reply;
keen relish at the Joke on himself. And
Ethel smiled rather tensely and said,
Cont let's make joke of 1t, dear.
Let's make 1t as much of one as we
But there was little or nothing to do.
And the next afternoon In church 1t
felt so queer and unreal to her as she
stood with Joe in front of tho pulpit.
Behind her in the shadowy place were
superintendents wife No long rows OF
faces-caring Only the hard murmur
of the busy street outside. No excited
whispers here, no music and no flowers,
no bridesmaids and no wedding gown.
II pronounce you man and wife"
One evening about two months later
Ethel was dressing for dinner. AS usual
they were dining alone but long ago
she had taken the habit Of dressing each
night as though there were people com
ing. Amy had taught her to do that;
and after the death of her sister she
had always made point of keeping
up" for Joe's sake. although often It
had been an effort. But 1t was no eff
an hour, absorbed In this pleasant,
leisurely art that had such a new mean
ing and delight To keep being diff
ferent, revealing her beauty in new
his arms and feel her power over Joe.
had brought back her old zest for pretty
clothes, and she had been wearing all
the things abe had bought when she first
came to town. Last years clothes, for
they still smilingly called themselves
poor" although Joe was doing much
better now. Last years clothes, and
the styles had changed, but in ways
which Joe, poor dear, was too blind to
notice.
The room In which she was dressing
had somehow assumed a different air.
Although in the main 1t was the same
as when Amy had been here, and her
picture was still on Joes chiffonier-
still subtly by degrees 1t had changed.
Some of Dthel's clothes were lying
about, her work-bag and book or
two; the dressing table at which she
was sitting had been. covered in fresh