Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-04-02

Robert in penitentiary! Bobbie
Ashe, Ladyfingcrs, the boy man who
had been so gay and lighthearted, de-
MED the thing he loved SO passionately,
HIS freedom. Ends body was shaking,
her eyes were hard and dry and terrible.
why did you let him do it?' she
asked with sudden vehcmcnce.
''Iou made him do It." repeated the
old woman with mcrcilcss desire to cut
again at a heart already torn. Are
you proud Of your work."
Enid stared at her.
II ! did it," she answered
family. Eyes. | was afraid. I was
a fool and coward and worse. /
have ruined his life. Oh. wish to God
| could do now what Polly did for
him ="
Two spots Of color had come into the
withcrcd cheeks of Rachel Stethcril.
In her eyes was the glitter of hard steel
Yes, she said coldly, you have
ruined his life. You haven't done much
to make mine happier. trust YOU
have done thorough job and ruined
your own. | suppose. though. you'll
be marrying some farmer boy by this
time next year 80
II will wait for him always" said
END quietly. when he wants me he
can have me. If he never wants me I
shall love him just the same and want
TO see him find happiness somewhere.
But | can do nothing but wait. 1t is
you who must help him now! %
"I|' said Mrs. Stptheril stiffly.
You have money and money is now
err" cried Enid eagerly "You can get
q new trial Oh, don't know
how 1t is done, but you can do It.
You can get the governor interested
you can nave him pardoncd You can
get the best lawyer in the state and he
VIII hnd' the way to save him from this
Carter" called the old woman,
'show this person out. And. IL she
ever calls again. | am not at home"
You mean cried Enid. that you
won't try?'
Rachel Stctherl whired upon her
menacingly the old black stick clutchcd
in shaking hands
mean" she screamed, her voice
breaking, the spots growing rcddcr upon
h"r checks. that | have done with
you ana him IL | could annul hi.
sentence by the turn of my hand
would not turn it. Had he had dror
of humanity in his blood he would no,
have done this thing had he ar
ounce of affection for me or gratitud,
he would not have done it. He hat
nothing but his mad infatuation fo
you with your soft skin and fawn
eyes and he won't have even that lef
him by the time his two years ar
done. He isn't the kind to love any
thing for two years. He'll come on
and be thief again and laugh at you
And it will be you, you who hav,
driven him down to hell -
1T would have been better for hin
If had never been born" said Enit
slowly. "Oh, ! know now
Now that it is too late, And he ha
done only more harm by giving himsel
up, hurting you. hurting himself. Bu
| was only little fool, after all. an,
he is only boy who sought to d.
the right thing. You are old, you ar
wiser and stronger than we. you cal
make allowances for him. you can for
give him, you can help him nOw."
Neither now nor hereafter" wa
the curt answer ~ want never to So
him again. Nor YOU.
liut.' pleaded Enid stubbornly. "h
is your own grandson, he ."
'llc Is a thief whom you would no
marry snapped the old woman
"Kind!y remember that and don't asI
mo to accept the persons you are above
Carter"
1t was Wednesday morning. hence
school day. Enid with slow steps wen
forth from the Big House. Carter
following her to the door. whispered
| few kind words which she did not hear
She walked listlessly down the gravelct
walk, her wide opened eyes seeing moth
ing Of the orchard lands and gror
fields about her.
II was bloodlcss automaton VIII,
| opened school at . o'clock. She haC
not even the thought of declaring 4
| holiday; she was not conscious OF q
desire to be alone. She had not break
| tasted; Mt noon she received with d
faint smile the dainty luncheon which
the thoughtful Mary Wallace had sen,
| her. She did not eat II. She rang
the hell at u quarter of one, again at
o'clock, and took up the work foI
the afternoon listlcssly. An atmosphere
of uncasinCss hung over the school; tn,
children could not study and found nc
pleasure in taking advantage Of Mis-,
| Ends obvious preoCcupation.
After school she did not go directly
home. She turned. instead, into th'
| fields and toward the wooded hills. Sh,
| found the spot whesc she had first seer
| Robert Ellis, where he had been lost
where. though she did not know it, he
| had spent many hours alone upon the
Gny when she had last seen him. Again
! she saw the picturcs of her fancy
more real than the realities about her
She saw him as he had stood that day
the light dancing in his eyes, the frank
ness of his sunny nature turned T.
| her.
"BObbic :" she whispered.
lie had loved the forests 50 ; he haC
80 loved his liberty. And because there
was something which he loved mOr'
than forest and freedom, he had givel
them up. There was an intOlcrable pail
| In the girls heart aS she threw herScl
down where he had lain that day. Sh
lay very still.
1t was long before the tears cumc
bitter tears of one who accuses AM
ronvicts herself Of having betrayed he
lover.
Tired out she at last went to sleep
| lying in the grass. She dreamed o
him. Thought that he was holding he
in his arms, that her arms were tigh
about his neck. II was cold when sh
woke the dusk had crcpt into tn
woods there was II smear of cloud
across the sky; the world was dim AN
rhcrrleSS and very, very empty.
It was week before she wrote 4
him. before she could see how she mus
write. Then Sh" told him very simply
II love you, dcur, Oh, moro than eve
now. and since you first came my hrRr
has been fun of YOU. Aud ! want yo
to try 10 forgive me. And | want yO
to know that il you want me ! vii
wait for YOU and that want you
TINT IL you don't want me any NOR
shall not wonder, God only know
how wish it were all TO be done over