Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-10-04

ont toOh JtIltI1y lace DetWeen ner
hands. holding 1t SO that he was forced
TO meet her eyes she stood on tiptoe
and softly kissed his chin.
I'm sorry" she said, and now there
was very genuine ring Of earnestness
In her voice. I'm more sorry than can
punIshed enough. i--oh, IL you knew
how miserable I've been"
Jimmy stood like q man turned to
stone he stared at her with q sort OF
dread In his eyes. There were tears in
hers; one big tear fell from her long
laehes, and splashed down on TO the
lilies she wore
Are you what are you trying
to say to me7"
Z Her hands fell to her sides she looked
down with touch OF shame.
I'm trying to say that I'm sorry: I'm
trying to tell you that IL don't mind
how poor you are thought 1 did, but
oh. Jimmy. I'd rather have you. and no
money at all, than--than be as rich as
Croesus with-wlth any other man."
'Cynthiar' Jimmy spoke her name in
q stihed voice she raised her eyes quick
~. There was none Of the passionate 10y
In his face which she had 30 confidently
expected; none of the passionate Joy In
MS voice which her heart told hsr ought
from her he put his arm down on the
mantelshelf, hiding his face in II.
Jimmy" She whispered his name
with q sort OF fear. "Jimmy--what-
what Is it7 Oh. you are frightening me.
thought you would be so glad--so
against his side: she laid her soft cheek
to It.
Jimmy Challoner tore himself free
with a sort Of rage.
Its. too late-too late.' he said
, hoarsely.
'.Too--latcr' she stared at him, not
understanding. "what--what do YOU
| mean? That-that you can't forgive ma .
that-that you're 80 angry that-that--i
ne swung round, white-faced and
hopelessly. I'm engaged to be married
oh. why did you ever send me away?'
no broke out In anguish.
Her face had paled, but she was still
far enough from understanding
Engaged 20 be married-youl I.
To whom. JimmyT
rage.
It's your doing-all your fault, You
nearly drove me mad when you gent ma
away, and II" There was a long
pause II told you that I met soma
FRI, friends in the theatre that night when
10 c,,,,,,weli weli, I'm engaged to her
,S, 70 christine I've known her all my
IRE. IL was utterly wretched
! asked her to marry me. We're-wera
soing TO be married the day after to-
morrow" W.
,,.,,yI mw,ce she tried to speak, but no words
thn Ii,he; come; she was as white now as
s.' s.e iiies she wore: her eyes had a
stunned. incredulous look in them. She
.nI t,aa never even remotely dreamed OF
.his II was like some crude nightmare
60. jimmy engaged! Jimmy who had
smorn smo;h a thousand times never to love
asnotner woman; Jimmy who had been
nnSart-oroken when she sent him away,
She broke out in vehement protest:
"Oh, no--now
IT'S true"
| For the moment he was hardly con-
sGlous or any feeling except a sort OF
mind that she would come back no him
ne could not believe even now that She
| was IN earnest; he found himself re
membering that night In her dressina
Ioon at the theatre when she had lied
70 MIN, and pretended, and deceived him
Perhaps even this was all part OF tho
play acting perhaps she was just tryine
70 win him back again, to make a fool
OF him afresh.
Cynthia broke out again.
Well, this girl must be told she can't
care for you. You say you haven't seer
her for years. Its-it's absurd.' She tool;
a step toward him. you must tell her
jimmy; you must explain to her. She
buv,nr sur SURELY there is such a thing as
The .vulEarity Of the expression mads
him vince he thought Of Christine with
q sort Of shame.
She would be the last girl In the
world, he knew to wish to hold him 70
promise which he was unwilling to full
| MI: he thought Of her pale face and
wlstful brown eyes, and he broke out
strenuously:
TITS impossible IT'S too late
we are to be married on Thurs.
Cynthia, don't 60 on talking about II.
You drove me to do what I have done,
word" w. ''
She stood twisting her fingers aRi-
tatedly. Suddenly she went to where he
his neck, but he resisted ficrcely. He
held her wrists; he kept his head flung
back beyond her reach.
ITS too late. Cynthia--do you hear,
I've given my word I'm not going back
On It now. Yon can't blame me. :
I'D have given my life for this to have
happened before-just a few days ago !;
but now"
"You don't love NO." she accused hin,
passionately she began to cry, you
said you would never love any woman
but me as long as you lived. / thought
you cared more for me than I do FOR
you but now I know you don't-you
don't care so much. II you did you
wouiu slfS up thlS-tnis GIRL whoever
voice dropped sobblngly. oh, Jimmy
Jimmy, don't be cruel; you can't mean
II. ! love You so much you be-
longed to me frst."
and STGs dsesises sset me ms! away you lied to mo
He felt that he must keep on remind.
ing himself of IT. that he dared not for
one instant allow himself to forget
everything but how beautiful she was.
n M hntxyv MN Mt ~
She fell back from him; she dropped
into chair, hiding her face ana Sobbinr,
There was touch OF the theatrical in
her attitude. but Jimmy was too ln'ser-
she was miserable and on his account,
and that he loved her.
He broke out agltatedly:
Don't, Cynthia-dont'cry; you break
my heart. oh. don't cry"
she sobbed "YouMyou w iSe'e hsVeD't cot om, a
heart to break. II you can stand there
like stone and tell me that It's too late
It's not too late; you're not married yet
Tell her the truth; oh II you love me
Jimmy was looking at her. but for a
moment he only saw tho big sitting
room at the hotel where Mrs Wyatt had
died. and the crushed little figure of
Christine herself. as he had knelt beside
her and drew her head to his shoulder.
"Oh, Jimmy, I've got no one now
no one" Her voice came back to him. a
mournful echo: and his own husky
answer:
you've got me, Christiner'
How could ne go back on that-how
could he add to ner weight of sorrow?
"She's got nobody but me in ali the
world" he said simply: he was looking
at Cynthia now, as II he found It easier
"She has lust lost her mother. and she's
the lonellest little thing" he stopped
jaggedly.
For a moment she did not answer; she
had stopped sobbing; she was carefully