Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-06-09
By RUBY M. AYRES

purse notorious for it's emptiness
r one was smoking a gold tipped ciga-
rette now, and leaning back in a corner
.. sofa, her head nesting luxuriousiy
among cushions.
whats the matter with himf' she
sa;u ssneq r, with lazy curiosity. HAS the
fair Erica been unkind?"
kathy shook her head.
Il don't think he can have seen very
much OF her since he came back IN EnS.
and, she said. And anyway, / don't
announced In tone Of fnsiity' "a
charming cat, admit-but I shall be
sorry for poor old Gig Il he ever mar.
res her. She'll never let him forget
'naI sne got the yellow boys . ="
ou. nad been standing by the fire,
pne ps ioot resting on the steel kerb she
"Is Mr.. Tallent,re engaged to Lad,
terest. "''n'u' "uch IN
MRS Sherwood laughed.
Is he-or is he notpn sbo ss,a
systematically. Nobody knows. nv dear
MRS: Stprgess; very much doubt
whether he knows himself. We've been
expecting an official announcement ~,
the last eighteen months: but annar-
emily there is a hitch Somewhere az
course, she's got the money. but I
rather fancy that it's poor old Cig who
is Jiobing at the last 'hurdle-what do
you say, Kathy?'
She had taken to calling Kathy by
ner Onrlstlan name almost from their
lection. """ "o W.
Il don't know anything about II. :"
she answered rather nurriedIy "Rn,
ralph Is sure that Mr.. Tallentyrc will
marry her-I don't know what else he
can 40; poor man." she added rather
sympathetically. ' '"'N0'
| why poor man." Mrs, Sberwood
demanded she flung the dead end M
her cigarette firewards and lit another.
Its Gigs own fault oh. YES IL
is,, she insisted, as Kathy demurred.
i've known Gig for long time--ouite
number Of years; and he's always
oeen the happy go. lucky, sufficient
unto the day sort of man. If he had
a thousand a minute he'd still manage
to be in debt-and I daresay ! should
he the same, so suppose I can't talk
=" she added with little laugh
jill mad taken up a paper ; She was
turning the pages, and apparently pay
ing no attention to the conversation.
kathy watched her rather wistfully ::
though she had always been tho ac
knowledged beauty OF the family. she
felt herself insignificant tonight beside
There's something so-splendid-
about her, isn't there?" she said after. .
ward to her husband. "I always
thought IL she had her chance she would
do great things, but never guessed she
would look as handsome as she did to-
She had felt chilled and disappointed
at JIl's reception Of herself; sho
thought Jill ought to have understood
that the coldness between them had NOT
been of her making, but her husbands
she was rather shallow little person.
and she did not guess how deeply tho
arrangement between them had cut into
Jill's heart; she was half afraid of her
sister tonight she felt apoogetic
whenever she spoke to her.
She was glad when the mcn Joined
them in the drawing room; sne went at
once to her husband.
Which is what you should neve,
do he had told her on more than one
occasion. half fondly, half in vexation.
IT looks so-well-can't you under
stand. dear?'
why shouldn't sit beside YOU,
|
tressedly. 'I'd rather be with YOU
than with any one else in the world. and
don't care who knows It, hate hay.
ing to b. nice to people don't care
Even when it pleases me?" he asked
with a touch Of impatience.
=. Ihey had had the same argument
through so many times; It was ALREADY
wearing itself threadbare, without hav-
ing made the least impression on Kathy.
| He smiled at her now as she came
to him, and said something in an under
tone; words that drove the smile from
her face, and clouded her beautiful
eyes; but she turned obediently and
went back to Mrs. Sherwood
Tallentyre had taken chair beside
Jill she. glanced up at him with q
faint smile.
You look tired" she said.
Tired !' he reused himself in.
stantly. "No-rI am not In the least
tired, thank you =" he glanced
down at the book on her knee; her left
hand was resting on the open page; a
splendid half hoop Of diamonds guarded
the wedding ring on her slim third
finger; Tallentyre hastily averted his
eyes.
He wondered where Henry Sturgess
was, and why he had not accompanied
his wife tonight; he supposed that 1t
was quite a marriage Of convenience.
He had never asked question Of
any one about 1t; he always avoided the
mention Of Jill when he was with either
Of the Hillyards; he had carefully re-
Trained from looking at any Of the
papers at the time of her marriage |;
when she had finally dismissed him, he
m col L..
out of Henry Sturgess' hands, and
severed their connection finally before
| he left London.
He had written to nobody during his
absence, except an occasional note to
Erica Hewing; he had tried his best
to forget that he had ever met Jill
ever allowed himself to care for her.
Like most men, he hated suffering !;
| he hated 1t because he could not forget
the one woman who had defed him |;
| hated il because her face. scornful and
bitter as he had last seen 1t, would
come before him wherever he was and
whatever he was doing.
That tragic night in the little room
in Acacia Terrace had not been their
last meeting by many, as Jill had fore
seen; the fact that she had engaged
| herself to Henry Sturgess had not
turned Tallentyre from his purpose; he
had managed to see her again, many
times he had tried every argument in
his power to break her will.
All his life he had been spoiled and
idolized when at last it was forced
home to him that Jill considered his
love an insult, 1t had been the hardest
blow of his selfish life.
That had been at their final meeting {;
she had lashed him with her scorn,
spurned him ruthlessly.