Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-06-22
LOVE STORY of MOVIE S7AR
CHAPTER III

This Is the way It was. ! must tell
il. Twilight of a winters day; little
hard snow falling like black granula-
tiOnS from the sky; our kitchen full Of
soft shadows, with the stove. like a lit
tie rcd heart. shining in il. But. strange
though not new. was the way. every
time tho mills in the distance famed. a
sort OF reddish lightning won't through
the room. And in this lightning saw
Mons" on the floor. leaning against
the windowSill.
had come IN the steep hill. climb
ing the path Of wooden steps. and think
ing Of boy in school. Finally reach
cd tho little road on which half dozen
houses stood. ours among the number.
| was little prepared when. opening our
kitchen door. ! saw in the lurid gl;fnc-
ing light. Mons" crouChcd on the
floor against the window.
! walked over to where she was
softly.
" Mons said. and again,
Mons 80
She turned and looked at nc. her
cNcS like those Of an animal at the
point Of death.
Then she held up hcr hands. and i'm
puISlvCIy seized them and hrlped her
to her feet. suddenly felt older than
she. She seemed, indeed, nothing but
poor child.
Then she bound me to her in her
arms.
"NolIa. Nclla! My hearts a broken
thing,
| gave on" sob. though I tried hard
to swallow il.
',Oh let mo tell you-Im so lonely.
50 lonely"
"I'm hero. Mons. " said.
Then she told me. in broken. frag-
mcntary. disconnected words. She told
m"-and even now my heart ShrinkS
up lik" dead lcaf--that her husband
was unfnithfu TO hcr.
! remember slipping TO her feet. and
clutchng at her, as if TO keep from
fdinting.
was fifteen. was ignorant beyond
measure. But I identified myself with
her. and shared her contempt for her
husband. My respect for my foster
father had been one Of the foundations
of my life; now this was taken from me.
All, dear Mons" if YOU had known
what YOU were doing to me-, would you
have thrown your woman's burden on
a girls shoulders? Ii YOU had known
that my best faith in life was destroyed,
50 that became cynical about men,
and about marriage. and felt old and
/ wise before my time. would NOU have
made III" your conndaht@'
| remember at last now 'r'Gh''h'I
ii" was, hitting me IN n'r arms and
soothing me; ana when ! Shld thnt J
would Kill my foster father. begging mr.
to grow quiet.
When he camc in for supper, there
were two fitting shadows in. the
Kitchen. not one. never let him k:SS
me after that.
May =,
IL. sent mo roses today, They arc
before mo. against thc mirror. Why
can | not take more pleasure in them!
Il j. 80 good. so patient. Perhaps
he understands this secret struggle
am going through For | am thinking
Of him. and Of the first time ! met him
was seventeen at the time. was in
the little mill town Of 4, not so faI
from Pittsburgh.
| had run away from home: run away
three months after my foster. mother
died that memory | needn't re-
vIyr here. For three months ! lived
with the man who called himself my
fathor. irving to keep house for him, lIt
finally told me ho was going to re.
marry Early tho next morning. with
tLr few dollars MONS" had given me
and n bundle of my clothes. | left the
hnusp and took the trolley car.
| ,rol!cypd all that day. That evening