Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-09-23

NS''' LStuDtF tOUDu"
go as she had been would have meant
everything to her.
One morning in her mail she dlscov-
cred n letter in the old familiar hand
writing that for three years she had
seen everywhere without trace OF
emotion Now it brought the blood to
ne, mer cheeks and she opened her letter
WIN trembling fingers Julian had
worked hard over that letter He had
wanted II to express Just the right
shade OF feeling. He had wanted to be
congratulatory without OVERRIDING the
thing, and he had succeeded.
Diana read the short note over and
over. II was signed your sincere
! friend"
Sincere friend" She could have
laughed at the irony of it. Your sin
cere friend, Julian"
OF coursc-what had she expected?
| Had there been any lingering hope in
| her heart that Julian still cared for her
ana would express It when he heard
! the news? That would account for her
/ disappointment in his letter How
! friendly II was, and how merely friend
~ There was nothing, more than kind
~ interest in the coming event. and 1t
was written so easily and in such good
| faith that Diana simply could not i'm
aGinc II TO be other than it was 1t
was not even stiff with conventional
/ phrases which might show that Julian
was prrturbed when he wrote It, 1t was
| as though Diana had flung down the
gauntlet and Julian had accepted It in
good faith, only a woman seldom means
| anything she does to be taken literally.
Gleaves urged Diana to leave Madame
/ Naldi's Already he had the idea that
I his future wife oughtn't to be working
! II worried him to see her go to the
othce every morning, and besides he
wanted more of her time. But he found
Diana extremely hard to influence. She
ma ntained a certain sweetness of man
ner even while she kept on in her own
way and did as she pleased. She did
not come out with plain words and say
that she would not leave Rita until she
was ready to. but Gleaves could nor
help feeling the steel of her will under
the sortness of her manner toward him.
Diana was finding It increasingly
hard to leave Rita, and between the
two women there had sprung up GER
tain GOODNESS. Diana had felt some
thing alien in Rita's manner toward her.
At first 1t had only seemed that Rita
watched her closely, and then finally a
veil had dropped over Rtas friendli-
ness and blunt cordiality; and Diana
had responded with suave courtesy
IGtas manner left her uncomfortable
and she wondered II II were because she
was going to leave, She asked Rita one
lay. They had been taking inventory
and had in consequence been thrown
more closely together than usual.
Rita Strengthened up and looked a
her evenly. 1T isn't that" she said
slowly. "Of course, shall miss you
and I wish you could find 1t possible
to stay on here in your capacity. o.
course, ! shouldn't expect all YOU
Tine; you could arrange that to sui
Yourself, Many married women do, yot
know" Rita's tone was eager
II wish / could. Rita. It's because
] hate to go that ! am staying on lik,
this. I've been so happy in this work
II seems as II I cant give 1t up But.
she said. suddenly remembering III,
haven't told me yet why you are dis
pleased with me. What Ia wrong Rita
; what has hurt our friendship"
I Tomorrow-Rita makes an astounding
: confession