Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-10-13

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ne felt the little hand tremble in his
aha % then suddenly lie very still, but sbe
% uau not speak, and he went on with an
ehort 10 get away from the something
scious. '"s"'iS W"
me?" ''' 'n"' you married
not" vi course
words. e0' '' W nef
There are heaps Of other fellows in
Lne world, better than l, who would
'ave made you happier" he said.
She laughed at that: a little broken
laugh of amusement.
There is nobody els. I vould bavs
married. she said family.
You say that now, but You 're sucb
differently" ''''
Perhaps. you will, too, she told him
with trembling lips. "''''
Chris laughed scornfully.
you know that" ""'
She did know It, and was alad to
know 1t. IL was the one small rav ~
nope IN her darkness that IL he did not
love her at least he had never loved
ahJD DOuy else,
She s,h gave a long sigh Of weariness.
..,,,i ,ou re tired, said Chris, quickly.
~ go. Don't sit by the window any
more. It's getting cold, and you We
got to be careful, you know"
very well, she said, as she rose
1Dcdlently, and he drew the window
down. They looked at ono another ri.
Iently, then Chris said:
,,Good night, Marie Celeste"
Good night" Her voice was almost
,naudiblc, and, moved by some impulse
ne could not explain, Chris laid his
hands on her shoulders.
Kiss me-will you?'
hne turned her face away sharply.
'Id-pd rather not"
Very well. Good night"
lie went out Of the room without an
other word, and Marie stood where he
had left her, staring helplessly at the
closed door.
He had asked her to kiss him and She
had rcfused-refused, though her whole
heart and soul had l61lged to say yes. "
Had she been wrong? She did NOT
know. She had tried so hard all along
TO do only the best thing for his hap
piness, and yet she hed been miserably
conscious Of tho hurt in his fare as she
tuIneu HcF own away.
Should she 20 after him and ask him
to come back! She longed, vet feared
to go. Perhaps he would only kiss her
in the old careless way as brother
might have done, and it was not that
sort of kiss she wanted.
Half loaf Is better than no bread
The old proverb foated mockinRIy be.
fore her. But half a loaf was no good
to her, starving for love ms she was:
better die, she thought passionately.
than have anything less than all.
Twice she went to the door and
turned the handle, but each time she
came back again to pace the room rest
lessly.
He had not really wanted to kiss
her. or he would not have asked. He
would have taken 1t without waiting
for so poor thing as her permission.
Her cheeks burned as she thought o,
this humiliating fortnight which people
were calling her honeymoon.
She had hardly seen Christi was
Feathers who had been her chief COM
panion-goOd, kind Feathers, with his
ugly face and his heart Of gold. Did he
know, she wondered, what sort Of a
marriage hers was? If so, he had never
:et her guess by word or look that he
inew. and once more she fell back on
her old desperate hope.
Il shall get used to tt must get
used to 1t"
She had been married a fortnight
now-only fourteen days-but they
seemed like years. The pain had not
lessened, and the weary, aching dis
appointment was still as keen.
And sudden revolt rose In her mind.
She had as much right 10 her happiness
us any one else. After all, what was
the use Of straining after the unattain-
able? Why not take what the gods gave
and be thankful2
She opened the door again and looked
out on to the landing; she knew thnt
Chris room was the one next to hers.
with communicating door which she
had locked on her side.
The outer door was not quite closed
now, and she could see thin streak OF
light through the opening.
She drew the door Of her room to be-
hind her and stood tnere in the subdued
light OF the passage, her heart beating
fast, her lips quivering nsrvously.
She had put out her hand tremblingly
to knock at his door, when suddenly she
heard his voice from within, speaking
angtly;
iectured by you and that's final! The
Lord only knows why you've suddenly
climbed into the pulpit like this. n
you say you saw me with Mrs. Heriot
s,no use denying It, but It's nothing
to do with you, and I'll thank YOU TO
was an accident that the skiff drifted
away, I tell you! And It's a darned
lucky thing could swim, or we should
have been left on that Internal boat all
night And then you would have had
something to talk about, but as II ia
Wv he broke off. and there followed
the angry slamming Of a drawer.
Then Feathers spoke, quite quietly,
and without any anger.
ITS no use losing your temper.
Chris. 1t was the merest chance that |
Happened to see you. As you say, It's
no business Of mine. but as Mrs. Heriot
is the class OF woman shc Is, say that |
you ought to tell your wife the truth, |
You can't trust Mrs. Heriot-she'll |
make the DEVILS own mischief one of
these days"
Chris said "Rot!" with violence.
What do you mean, the class OF
woman Mrs. Heriot is'f-she's friend
Of mine
He did not care IN the least what
Feathers said Of Mrs. Heriot, but the
sheer "cussedness" of his nnture drove
him to defend her: II Feathers had
adopted the other attitude Chris would
have veered round instantly.
But for once Feathers forgot to be
tnctful. He was burning with anger
against his friend, moro for Marie's
sake than for any other reason; he
,Ould not understand the circumstances
# this marriage at all, though little by
little he was beginning to see that there
was nothing of real affection ahout II