Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-06-07
PART III
CHAPTER I

CHAPTER I
Mesntime, this is our earth here-we,i!
Kathy Hillyards maid stepped a pace
backward and looked at her mistress
with satisfied eyes.
A pink shaded light above the dressing
table fell on Kathy's golden hair and
firm white shoulders, from which her
black evening frock fell away in filmy
folds Of tulle.
There was little silence; in the long
mirror, mistress and maid exchanged
glances; Kathy smiled family.
She was still little afraid of this
smart young person in the high -heeled
French slippers. and with the sharp
black eyes, whom Ralph Hillyard had
insisted on installing in the house; still
n little apologetic in her manner when
she asked Jeanette to do some small
service for her; still very much awed
by her up-to date ideas and choice of
frocks.
"But that is exactly the sort Of per-
| Ralph told her when she complained to
him. Jeanette has wonderful taste !;
my sister tells me that she was conf
Dental maid to Erica Hewing for three
years. and surely that is recommenda-
tion in itself"
Kathy submitted timidly that she sup
posed 1t was: she did not like Lady
Erica. nor the way she dressed, but
she was afraid to sav so. just as now
she was afraid to say that she considered
her own beautiful hair overdressed. and
the cut Of her expensive gown more
smart than graceful.
You've done it beautifully. / think,
she said again nervously.
l Sha furpnd har had q Hftla 20 npf
side and looked at the elaborate waves
and coils which seemed too heavy for
her little head. "You are very clever
Jeanette. she added.
| jeanette smiled her hard black eyes
softened wonderfully: in her way she
was fond Of this new mistress of hers
who was so very. very different from
all her other mistresses: so much more
1 considerate--so much more "hu-
man" was the, word she wanted. al
Though she did not know it.
MADAME is looking her most charm
ing she said as she moved away
Jeanette had been born within sound
of Bow Bells. but she liked to pretent
she was of French extraction; she al.
ways wore French shoes and corsets
and spoke with a rather good imitation
of genuine French maid with whom
she had once lived a cat-and dog lift
in the house of a wealthy plebeian.
She busted herself about the room
now, putting away the silk and lace
garments lying on chairs. and bed. and
when everything was tidied she looked
again at Kathy-
"If there is anything else Madame
is requiring
But Madame was requiring nothing,
and said so in the same shy voice with
| nh ;oh oh IN, r.h nEa tn
| Jeanette retired.
| With the soft shutting of the door.
Kathy rose to her feet. stretching her
white arms little wearily. She stood
for n moment looking round the room
with eyes that really saw nothing OF
its beauty and luxury, but only a small
house and little room lit by a miser.
able gas jet; a table set for tea. with O
cheap tablecloth and cheap cups, Of
Jin's face smiling and CHEEKY in the
lamplight, and Don-handsomc and
CT itical. grumbling because things were
not quite to his liking.
| During the eight months of h,r mar.
riage she had tried hard not TO think
Of the past; she had done her best
70 make herself into the kind Of wife
Ralph Hillyard wanted; she had tried
to feel at home with the men and
women who were his friends. but to-
right. as she stood there in the silence.
she knew that she had failed and failed
| Eiserably.
She did not like the grandeur of the
hig house of which she was mistress !:
the servants frightened her with their
noiscless movements and almost irsscnne
attentions; sometimes she locked her
self into her room and wept tears for
the dream which had never come true !;
the little house-the small rooms. firelit
and coZy, the husband who would 60
off in the mornings with a parting kiss
and come home in the evening
Kathy was hopelessly plebeian In some
ways; she had no ambitions-she only
knew that Ralph Hillyard had never
seemed so little her own as he had done
since their marriage.
He was kind and loving-he thought
the world of her, but there
was a great, heart breaking put that
seemed to spoil everything.
His world. which could never really
be hers as well, was taking him from
her his friends-his amusements, she
was jealous of them all. ,
Sometimes he teased her a little when
she tried to tell him how she felt.
docs my little wife want me ,alway,
tied to her apron strings|' he asked
fondly. Dearest, don't you know that
some wives hardly see their husbands
from one day to the other?' ,
az don't want to be like some wives,
she sobbed, with her face hidden In
his coat. II just want yoIInothinl
else matters. Oh ! should be Sc
happy IL / could live somewhere righ
down in the country and just have yot
to myself" ,,,,
derly enough she was everything u
him he said he wanted nobody else II
all the world-there had never beer
, any one else for him-there never woul'
be; but--n his heart he was wishlni
vaguely that she was more like tn
wives of the other men he knew-mor'
ambitious-more pushing-more anS
ious to join In the race up the socia
ladder. She was beautiful enough TO
ANYTHING she made wonderful pic
ture at the head of his table; but sh
was shy--ill at ease; her sweet fac
Z flushed SO easily, and she would forge
to eat as she tried to talk to thei