Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-25
THE DAILY NOVELETTE,
AN LNCORRUPTIBLE THIEF
BIZ Martha McCuIlOch- Williams

sang as Jane came down the steps She
made face ut the singer, then gave
! him her profile. n creamy cameo against
her red Sunshade. as she said 'Why
don't you tell her yourself? Remem-
bcr, procrastination is the thief of time
and no time like the present
please, I'm singin' to my dog
Rough Neck. trying to train him. You
interrupt" the singer returned sadly.
(which is very bad--for both of us.
! 'Tention. Ioughy--yOu go tell. but
don't say it with howers--and you
haven't words enough That's lucky
she looks at you som'p'n awful when
YOU venture on candlcd speech
Don't you mean Clndid!' Jane
broke in. The dog trainer frowncd and
shook his head. II know what | mean
Roughly the one that has to find
out, he said "NOw. old top, listen
hard. Do-nOt.--s -say-it--with flowers.
She has all the howers-and then some.
But she has also fine almost athletic.
appetitc-so recall the time when you
fetched home to me a three pound pOr-
tcrhousc Stcak-and repeat the per-
formanre for her benefit
so that $ how yOu do II; No won.
der you're such pals with Roughly,
Jane cried joyously. 'But aren't YOU
Silly--to share such n providcr with
anybody
Dear girl there is method in my
madness" Roughy's master explained
airily. "It has suddenly dawnCd on me
that your oflishncss. your positive in
difference to me is based on n craven
fear Of scant rationS. Cupid soluS is
notoriously an Indifferent commissnry
but Cupid plus Roughly. once you
know what he can do
~ sec, from Jane. ~ also see that
a prosperous future will depend very
much on hnppv choice of nCighbors.
suppose fate ordained MS to live. whore
such designations a. pOrtCrhOusc steaks
were rcigiousy frowned On:"
"Why. We might make out on legs
oT lamh---at pinch--or even fine fat
fowl. \ "oal chicken fear Roughly
would keep for himself" cX.C Captain
Elrdsoc explained. AT least he did
one time. ] suppose his conscience cX-
cu>cd him--rcal chickens being such
rare birds.
"IIow did you find out:" Jane asked.
pretending anxiety.
BlcdSOc sighed. ''lIc was tracked.
he said. THAT seemed to nc fcIoni.
.cus--cOusidCring We were service mcn.
But tn" lady. party Of the other part.
said we owed her Sj--two for tho bird
and the balance for the wear and tear
ON her feelings at doing without ii.
Jane swept him n curtscy. Its glad
] am You two got your come uTnanc"
enc time" she said in the best man
rcr Of Nora the cook. ".\nd hope alsc
il trachCd yc lc>Son--$3 of chicken
neither If yC ate is sinful eXtrava-
EanCc.
"It is. You ought to save us from
such things in futur".' Bled>2c acqui
Csced.
Over her shoulder Jane Lander.
spoiled beauty and hciress. flung back
ut him: "Ill think about it--provid"d
YOU don't put it on the ground of
patriotic philanthropy.
d NO danger of tnGt-just pure. plain
philanthropy-which means. YOU know.
love OF your fellow man" Blcdsor
called afte" her. whistlinG Koughy to
HNol and marching away in the other
, direction. He was riotous--drunlicn
with happiness. Free from gives that
. had threatened to hold him for life.
! He had laughed in the face of them
even as he had laughed in the face Of
lideous death. always lealing, though
lie might crawl through a hail of bull
, lets, sparing his men where and how
he might. but never Sparing himself.
, There seemed magic in such hardi-
hCOd-hc had come back without II
Y atCh-without also th" precious
q trnketS orders. crosses. what not
which he called "hardware dc luxe
that rewarded other men of no greater
courage nor daring. There was no III
juStirc IN it--he had rcsolutcly rc-
fused to tell Of his own exploits.
{ More. had begged silence Of the others
who might have spoken. They had
= nbcyCd. not too chcerfulIy. until lie
said to them: ~ want to 60 back
. myself, and all Of !ou who lived
= through with me, knowing and feeling
: that nothing can distinguish us more
than til" title of plain American
citizens. II any Of yen 'ion't agree with
ne IN heIp you get the hardware.
: doesn't fit my peculiar style Of beauty.
So he escaped. Other things he did
-, not escape. One Of them. sweet and
- twenty. piNuantly pretty, with an ador-
;, abl" way of murmuring broken English
- had made him believe himself fathoms
deep in love. They had parted on a
promSe-hcrS to come to him when q
"a on to let her leave. He had meant tC
- keep faith--hc had kept it indeed. unit
E Jan" had dawncd--a sun putting out al
~ lesser lights.
Now Felicc had written tear -blotteC
J. brief note SSc could not leave grand =
i, mothcr-bcS!dc there was the young
count. Ever 80 grand family-with n
= "hat"au-hHndsOme, and deep in love
: with her, though she had not vet spoken
Il with him-had seen him but once.
H Then only he had set about Courtinl
Jane in earnest. Earlier he had felt il
/ would be insult. Now at the very back
H of his CONSCIOUSNESS he wondered if hi
scruples might not cost him his hap.
\ pineSS. lie was in no fear of the
Il ruCk swarming after her, but John
Lapsley was the devil to beat once hi
mind was made up not to BE- beaten
When one speaks or even thinks OF
the sun, sometimes one behodS his rays
H 4 motor horn, vciOusly insiStent, made
H BledSoc turn to face Jane and LapSley
berkoning to him and laughing hard
II "GOu-yOu have to show us, Jane
II painted. THE ma jor says yOu'rC an i'm.
II mortal liar-abOut Roughly YOU know
II is he good and hungry now BlrdSO'
II nodded. "Thrn come along home viii
II us we'll stage show worth money, /
only you can repeat it Thursday night,
II 'Can--but | won't. Objects OF my
II affection are not to be exploited com
mercially," BlcdEoc protested, Chamber
H ing in beside the pair: Shame yol
II haven't got the limousine, Jack, he
said to Lapslcy. But tn" running
H board will serve at plnCh--Nou can
II pry Roughly from anything that hold'
= me.
: Three hours later Inc Executive Com,
Z mittCe Of a benefit for disabled veterans
gathered after n specially fine luncheon
upon the Lander lawn, watching with