The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-06-09
AtCupid's
 By MAY CHRISTIE
Copyright, 1921. by the Mcclure Newspaper
 Syndicate
LXX.-Love's Cruelty

The sight of Eve-so coy. so in- timate in the unhappy feeling to the heart of Mary.
 She told herself she wasn't wanted herei Her action in bus coming to the Barley Now had been both foolish and unpolitic. Extraordi- narily forward, tool A burning flush rose to the young girrt pretty checks.
 Dick mustn't catch a glimpse of her whatever happened. How flat tered he would surely be to realize that he was being mercilessly pur- sued by two young. attractive women!
 Mary cut across d field, walking at rapid pace. Oh, to put miles between herself and Dick.
 Tt isn't worth it,' Mary whis- pered. a little mist of tears before her pretty eyes.
 And yet-sub ubconsciously--sh knew sh edidnt speak the truth. For love-the kind of love that for a few short days she'd lived through was worth its aftermath.
 She brushed away the foolish lit tie tears. She wasn't going to let herself be woeful-all unnecessarily Just because Dick chose to take tea NANi AhOAAAN1 'Ii--d SliA hG u hhONll before he ever met Mary--was no reason to be all unstrurg.
 Only-he's said he didn't care for Eve.
 But then, all men were attracted consciously or unconsciously by pretty, lively girl who under stood tn em well Eve was experi- enced with men. She knew just how to handle them--at least, so Mary thought.
 Simple hearted Mary didn't pre- tend to any such ability. Her life had been so fufll of work-so preoc- cupied with the hard business of earning a liNing-that she hadn't had the time or opportunity to cul- tivate the art of pleasing men.
 And yet-had she only known it --Mary's straightforward ways and genuineness would succeed where Eve failed.
 This knowledge of her own power hadn't come to Mary. And so. con siderably dejected she wended her way across the fields.
 Arrived at a little wood, she took short cut through clearing. Young. graceful frs bounded her path and turned the world into a gay. soft, misty green.
 There was a cracking noise be- hind her. Mary turned her head
 But she could see no sign of any one.
 Probably the sound had been occasioned by some wandering sheep-or by the lively little furry things that filled the woods and scampered everywhere.
 Louder it came--that cracking sound again!
 And what was that? A cough,
 Mary stopped definitely and turned round.
 There was crashing in the wth-the sound of heavy footstepsi
 And then appeared the bulky fig ure Of a man
 With a breath of relief Mary real ized that the intruder was someone that she knew--and not a wander ing tramp. It was Julian Wanda veer
 'oh how you startled men' She put a hand up to her quickly beating heart. live had fright or two--''
 Why. Miss Drew, is it you?rf van daveer doffed his cap. "I thought you were Miss Rochester I left her quite an hour ago, She was going to meet Calardin."
 Mary tried to smile. So Eve had had an appointment with Dick! Her smile was just a trifle strained
 Vandaveer noticed it, and at once determined to pursue his advantage If Eve was to make the necessary Init" with young Calardin Mary must be made to see that Dick was not her own particular propertyi The