Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-06-02
THE DAILY NOVELETTE,
In the Rebound
Ry Martha McCuliOch- Williams

Action and reaction being always
soual how was Benning to disprovc
the axiom? BE sure it was no ques-
tion of his asking-he did not, indeed,
realize its existence. lie was, you
see, self sufficient with malice atore
thought, hence took no account OF the
winds Of chance.
Yet they had blown him through
painfully meager college years to q
Mholarly success that he felt assured
success still greater. Thus he had had
no time for playing, still less for the
pretty game of love making ex
pressed concretely in expensive things
like flowers, candy, auto and theatre
parties, not to mention giddy .raiment
Of the latest mode. Girls meant all
these - so imperatively Benning had
stoically passed them up, NOtwith-
standing he did not lack sex conscious
ness-but it was so braided in with
thrift and ambition that he had held it
riyidly in check. Yet in the packmost
corner of his mind. where he visioned
future of eminence, he stored an
appraisal of Persis Moon, not strictly
Of the college set, her father heing only
Pm adjunct professor in the lethargic
Aw branch of the university. PerSis
looked thrift personified-and lived up
70 1t, yet owned delicate small pretti
ness, and gently clipped speech, that
wasted no breath in undue emphasis.
IL he did not tell her so outright he
Enew she understood-as Is the priv
lese OF such ingrowing natures. So
when ne plunged into the world Of
snalrs, got football, only to be swept
nom 1t by the war food he felt that
only an if stood between them.
4, Luck lay in wait for him. Home from
ue iars, with never scratch, she
opened way for him, not gilt edged
out gllt-paved. 1t led to millions
soTs few years ahead. Meantime he
nta to get acclimated in the atmos-
phere OF wealth-learn TO dress with
sueh quiet elegance it S4r but amounted
camoufiage to forget the name of
money, except when he seemed to him
@n to squander it-and to do the
sYuanderlng with the gayest good will. .
ne caught quickly the disparsging i'm
pneatlon OF tightwad." There Poppy
,"u "% rock Of refuge, Poppy being the
%nohym OF supernatural buddy, un-
hTStasohaoly rich and reasonably sensible,
through the medium of his own hearty
Thheersy he saw Benning as n wonder.
so~SIryntore, he was glad to sponsor him
Ss;tlSy even to make him known to
st;a sFaoti Vance, the queen of his own
A. ;t,ta so;n. was, after a sort, compounded
,nr SAINT and siren. Vividly beautiful
msws NAVE 70 her finger tips, dancing ike n
INnad Ivusd and singing like thrush in
Srue Srst she had undlsputed right to he
BsnriInn. S, IN the hearts of her coIntrymcn.
The us rir mad no intention of dispnting
ders, bmWhen bsro 'c 1t came to Poppy San
hsd oinG merG was another story. Poppy
SssidSIi Ss% already more than he dcscrvcddpHS oddpS
iitta .. ne could not possibly need Me-
thsraf%oSso %S hehning himself did. Hence,
self IfVsOf" soT',,d ana because, Benning set him.
bis frieuG fieuGiously to the suppianting Of
but ' soo" hr AT hrSt cannily, covertly,
Fato' '" oy open and eager pursui,
case aate .. appeared to hay" taken , thc
growina V ,of MN, nm, Somehow there was a
w.ng distance bctwixt Mclttn md