Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-09-03
The STORY of NINETTE
By RUBY M. YRES

ferent to any one she had ever met-n
law unto himself.
The silence foil again and this time
Cavanagh himself broke it.
"Ninette, why have you never asked
me about your motherf"
He felt her vince, and saw that she
turned her head a little TO hide her face
from him as she answered:
Perhaps because I don't want to
know"
His hard face relaxed a little
You mean tina. you think 1 was not
kind to herr he asked.
Ninette's head sank lower.
Josh told me-years ago-that when
she died she had only a few shillings in
the world and that she died alone in the
little back room that looked out on a
yard where q dog doctor lived. He said
that the dogs used to bark and howl
night and day. Josh knew my mother
you see he used to watch her go up
and down stairs, and 1 know he was
sorry for her He said she had the sad
dest eyes he had ever seen He said
that she was like me, only prettier. l
think-T've often thought that perhaps
he loved her, just little, and that was
why he took me and looked after me
when she died"
Cavanagh rose to his feet. putting
Ninette gently aside. His shaggy brows
were frowning as he crossed the room
and. unlocking the bureau, took out a
little bundle OF papers. he brought them
back to where the girl sat, and took his
chair beside her again.
I've often wondered If, when the time
came, 1 should ever bring myself to tell
you the truth" be said harshly. But
you may as well know 1t, Ninette-as. Al
any rate, 1 should have told you at
my death. Your mother left me-of her
own Will. We married for love. l was
poor man in those days. Sometimes
we hardly knew how to get the money
together to pay for the two rooms in
which we lived. But I think" He broke
OF, seeming to forget her for a moment.
Il think those were the happiest years
OF my life. Then-then my chance came
man I worked with in the city office
he was crooked but as clever as they
make them-gave me my first chance to
make money quickly-and dishonesty
need not tell you the details, Ninette,
but / took the chance, and that was the
first rung Of the ladder of success for
me- I've never gone back since, though
I've deserved to. as, according to the
doctrine they teach US when We are chill
dren, the wicked never really prosper
But I've prOspered, Ninette can write
my name to check of more figures than
almost any man in London today, and
and"
His voice fell back to its own hard
tones. and he said again, more quietly:
Where was ? Oh. yes, your mother
she knew nothing about it all, of course.
l knew her well enough not to let her
guess the truth. She was a good woman,
Ninette, but she had her own narrow
ideas Of what was right and what was
wrong, and l knew she would never ad-
nit of any half measures You were COM
ing then. and she was too happy dream
ing about the future and all that IL meant
TO her to think much of me and what
I was doing. And then, one day, she
eound out! I forget quite how it was,
out one thing led up to another, and one
night she taxed me with the truth.
tried to lie to her, but 1t was no use.
She had eyes like yours, Ninette-dark
eyes, that seem to see behind lie, and
scOrn it; and in the end l found myself
hurting 1t all out to her. She listened
very quietly, and when l had finished she
asked me what | was going to dO-if
1 was going to take back the money
which should really never have been
mine. or If meant to keep it. Well. you
can guess what l answered. l was poor,
and 1t meant a start in life. Other men
did the same sort of things and pros
pered, and so would l.! She hardly spoke
them she just looked at me, and all my
life I shall remember the expression of
her eyes 1 think l thought l had con-
WINGED her that I was justified in what
had done 1t shows how little l knew
her because in the morning she'd gone
and ! never saw her again as long as
she lived!-Copyright 1921, by The
Wheeler Syndicate, Inc.
(TO be oontinued.)