Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-05-15

Anne Carriers meeting Wth Ger
dldine Carpenter, onU Of the CedHhieSt
tConlen in the little toun tchere Anne
had Hred from childhood. helped TO
bring some happiness into Anne's gray
hJe Her father had brought her up
tCith no friends and tcith none Of the
beauty Of HJe, tChiCh he considered Nh'
necessary. He selected mate gor heF,
q Uouu1 farmer. and expected her 70
comply toith his tctshes. and she might
hdVc done so and settled dotcn tltt0
OrdU middle Hfe II Fate had not taken
a hand. Through Geraldine, Annc m't
other people. people from the beautiful,
fripol0us tCorld outside ana among
them Dane Grey, the eminent Wrtter.
NS THE Saturday afternoon that
" Mabel Hill and Dane Grey were eX.
pected with some other people to spend
Sunday, Geraldine spoke again 10 Anne
about her situation at home. II was the
day after Anne's experience with Bill
Snyder, and she was still depressed with
the ignominy of his coming there. OF
playing the possessive with ner when
she had always given him TO understand
that any relations that she might ever
have with him would be because they
were forced upon her She knew that
something must be done about 1t ana
she hated herself for being a coward ana
X.
that any step that she might take would
pIunge her forever into the life that her
father had chosen for her.
"I want you to stay here for dinner
tonight" Geraldine said decislvely, and
afterward we are going TO dance. ana
you'll have a good time. ] have IN
vited some nice boys. so you'll have
! plenty of partners"
| alertness. Geraldine still thought her q
| child, when in reality she was woman
Geraldine could talk of nice boys When
! Anne was dreaming with every bit OF
| him again. to talk to him. she wouldn't
ask anything more Of life than that
But. Of course, II was impossible.
Geraldine saw the utter terror In
AnnC'S eyes and was suddenly lmpa-
Nov. see here. Anne. dent like
this attitude of yours. u isn't like you TO
be so Cowardly The thing to do Is to
doing some work here for mo and that
want you to come here tc dinner to-
night to meet some OF my friends.
You're nearly nineteen years old. To
you expect TO go through life never
doing any of the things you want TO do
simply because your father Is a tyrant ?
Surely he wouldn't attempt any VIC.
| lenCc." Geraldine's tone implied that
! such things We're done only in books.
Anne decided quickly that the only
| thing that would make Geraldine under
| stand would be to tell her the truth
And so, seated opposite her in Ger
aldine's dainty little sitting room, Anne
told the tragic story OF her child
hood She told OF her mother. young
and sweet and Fond ~ .h5 beautiful
things in life. She COnjured up tina,
awful night on the farm. her own mas.
! qucrade in one of her mothers summer
| dresses her fathers anger, and the sud
den flight Of her mother out into the
night when her father took down the
| slender little strap.
And when they brought her back,
Anne went on tcnclessly. "al drippins
with water, father blamed me for II. I'v'
never forgotten. you see"
Geraldine was not demonstrative, bu
she got up from iler nest OF pillows anC
came over TO the girl slipping her ARM
about her comfortinGly Anne did nc
cry, however: she had been over th
sc'"e too many times IN her Imagination
foy that She had suffered too mucl
thro Ugh many long years 10 feel quicl
emotion there was only the dull pail
left
But don't you see. dear" Geraldin,
said after few minutes. that yo,
cant let your father spoil your lIfe
You'll have to take matters into you
own hands sooner or later
"Rut I'm terrified at what he ma,