Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-16
BY RUBY M. AYRES
ists+t

~ saw the WorIu reu'
savagely: ,,.
"a, with your damned humoug-
.drg pretense of friendship trying 10
Sesl my Wife
M raised his fist in blind passion,
.sd Feathers broke out In an agony:
"Cbris for Gods sake
rhoro was something so tragic in his
face that Chris hand ieit limply.
no turncd away, leaning his arms
nnV ho ~ mantelshelf and hiding his face.
on aTt,s ~, absurd to say I'm sorry, v
r.,tbors said after moment, duly.
aes.n'r iGN. ror't find adequate words for
VIZ ching like this There's only
aso @ reparation can make, Chris
sss TO tell---your wite'
Chris did not answer, and he went
:, "I should like to feel that you
I XII, trust me sufficiently to--to allow
me to tell her.
Chris flung up his head.
"Nothing will do any good she
ns.eI ns.neS,r-".ir that is what she thought. 4"
NJ was something like a sob In his
so;ce, anl. Feathers WINGED.
Th. dclirum of that hour with Marie
ssemed like a dream. What madness
S.d nossesacd him? Her love mad been
Given 70 Chris, and no one else. IL
was ouly in her unhappiness that snc
III t,irnrd to him, as SICK child
nSni 'iiI nftrn turn to a stranger, away
from the one it really loves best In all
the world. ,.,, H.. 10
,nSw II wns the truth-knew that his
only reparation was to give her back
10 Chris. :, ,...
Chris trrrcd suddenly, his young face
ased By pain and despair.
'"Shr told me that she hated me-, "
be scid agair. 1t seemed as IL the
fscl was engraved on his heart and
roInd ~ the exclusion of everything
sIsn lie broke Of breathing hard, as
n le were choking. ''She told me that
she loved you---you who ruined my hap
nlpcss and set her against me
Cnqc you. ! say! Curse you to all
Chris. for Gods sake"
Chris turned away. He was shaking
with passion, and for n long time neither
OF them spoke.
Then Feathers got up from the table
and laid hand on his friends shoul-
,;Moric has never loved any one but
rou," h" said slowly. shes been des-
peratoly unhappy. and when-whCn a
woman is unhappy, she turns to the
first friend who will listen to hor
Your vile turned to me If had
been any other man, she would have
dong lust the same. viii you believe
me whcn tell You that / know things
are going to be all right? Chris,
for Gods sake, believe me-
Christ shook his hand of impa.
tiently.
away hatred with words" he said.
IInd she meant what she said I"
She's never looked at me like that in
her life before ~
Feathers walked over to the window
and looked out into the darkness. The
stars seemed to be watching him with
sympathetic eyes-the stars that were
as far removed from him as was the
woman he loved,
Chris spoke again presently:
'Jll got off. If 7 talk till Doomsday
nothing can be done" He turned ia
the door. Good night" he said
grufay.
Feathers held out his hand. but Chris
would not sec 1t, and he went out.
shutting the door hard behind him.
Feathers stood at the window and
listened to hl% steps diving away down
the street. It was the end of their
friendship, ho knew. and the knowledge
cut him to the heart.
He sat up oil night. trying to make
some sort Of order out Of his tangled
thoughts. lie would never see Marie
again lie would write to her and
explain.
isut lie knew she would be uncon :
WINGED by letter, and, after all. what
could he sny that would give her back
her lost happiness. poor child
He waited til 10 O'Clock the following
morn nc ard rang Chris on the phone.
Tho SI"vcnt who answered it said
that Mr.. LrwlcSs had gone out. And
Mrs. I.awless?" Feathers asked.
"She has gone out, too--for the day,
she taid w
"With-wiih her husband"
"Oh. no, sir -
The surprise in the girls voice was
like knife In his heart. So the serv
ants knew how seldom Chris and his
wife went about together; and it was
all his doing.
Marie had gone out for the day
He knew only too we'll what that meant
that she had already left home for
eVe", to join her life with his.
1t vas impossible to stop her now. lie
would have to go and meet her, as they
mad arranged last night.
4 ne had told her to meet him at a
lttIc inn on the Oxford road. Hc had
arranged to drive the car down in the
evening and take her away!
Last night It had sounded like sense
but this morning
Madness utter madness
-, lwic" during the morning he rang
Chris again, but each time he was still
our, and finally Feathers wrote to him
lie Scnt the note by boy who live(
III the house, and went round to tn,
karaEr to fetch his car.
IL Mari" had gone to the inn earlier
thHh he had told her, there was still
back home.
u was afternoon then; an unusually
npt day for September, with a curious.
~ numid feeling in the air.
I r. reathrrS drove like a man in q dream
Everything seemed so unreal and i'm.
POSSIBLE. lie wondered what the en-
CT all would be.
II was only / o'clock when he reached
Ihe Inn, but Marie was not there, II,
supposed he could hardly have expecte,
heE 10 be, seeing that he had not toit
ming.
in remembered how he had calcu
.aS,ed that 1t would be dark and tina
S oncS could make their escape unde
% SoHsr Of the friendly night. His Who'll,
Tyul Th Writhed now az he thought of it
nF .hna L. L.,l a
Wh,SIlmed him
aie hever knew how he got througl
tms me iohg hours. ] ie could not keep still
Jsro% moment. In and out he wan