Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-06-04
unduly familiar with him. even in he

She could eat no tea the long eve
ming stretched before her uninvitingly.
She felt strangely excited: she tidied
the room and sat down on Don's empty
couch by the window.
What would Don think IL he knew7
she wondered. Mr.. Sturgess would have
been kind friend to Don, she knew
that he would not have been ashamed
of having crippled brother in Ilaw;
not. impatient with his irritable temper
and sharp tongue he would have done
oil he could to make the boys hard life
more happy.
Tears wellcd to her eyes; oh, IL only
she could have Don back again 1t
seemed SO hard that now. when riches
and all the good things of life were
lying within her reach, the one for
whom she had most desired them was
no longer with her.,
II it had come>a month sooner Don's
life might have been saved; they might
have tried all the wonderful cures of
which she had longingly heard and
read; Don might have been made suf-
ficiently well to enjoy the life that had
| so often been only torment to him.
Then she thought of Tallentyre, and
the tears dried as IL by magic on her
| cheeks.
He had never told her that he was
engaged to Lady Erica Hewing; she
remembered that they had spoken Of
her that first day when he took her out
to tea, but he had never even allowed
her to guess that there was anything
but the most ordinary friendship be-
tween them.
And all the time they had been en-
gagged a burning blush stung
her cheeks. In his heart Tallentyre, too,
looked upon her as Hillyard did she
was outside the magic circle Of the lives
of both men; it was no business Of
hers what they did--no interest to
them to tell her.
She rose and began pacing UP and
| down the ROOM it was a warm eve
ming, very still and breathless; the
house seemed to stiHe her, and she put
on her hat and went out again.
When she reached the corner of the
street beyond the green railings, a taxi
came slowly along the road toward her ;
the man glanced at her interrogatively |;
Jill grew reckless.
Soon-if she married Mr.. Sturgess-
she could ride in a taxicab all day long
if she chose. She hailed the driver; she
got in and told him to drive her to
Regents Park.
Daffodils and primroses were there
| in full bloom, she knew; the gray
| breathlessnesS of the spring evening
made her think of them with sudden
longing.
She leaned back with a sense Of de-
font lrxury There was nobody to care
how she snent her money. so what did il
,notter 70 .bo threw awav one of her
%s' few hall. crowns on a ten minutes
nleasureP
Soon sbe would be as rich as Kathy-
coon che would be able TO show Kathy
omd hnr hnshond that tbeirs was moi
j;ttIn Litter lougb escaped her.
A. Iost She would meet Tallentyre or
bis own Level os Henry Sturgess' wifi,
ha wonId have IN trent her as he treated
nil "m I ~ otbo, women of his set :. il would
~, nn i1 Innaor ho n conGesrension for hin
to i' toLe ,V bor ont 70 tea. she would b,
oble ~ inyi+o him n her house--to en-
+arto;n he W;fa - the Thought wa.
a stah Sbe hit her lin as she though
% IaGv Eirica Hewin9 her beauty. he
, ciothes.-no wonder Tallentyre wanted
to marry ber. she was woman O
.bon TO mary srSh ner man Sn as be would he nroud
Mao,n WV ms suon oor man Who % would he n fittin,
ornoment for his house.
She glanced down Mt her own hand
in thoir chean gloves: she remembered
rho first dav he had taken her out t,
tne tno ~ anJ tbS hole in her glove that ha,
camsed her such agonies: of course, HI
had seem il even though he had pre-
tended NOT To of course. he had Away
thongbt of her as some one infinitel,
beneeth him Tears of rage and morti
fication rose TO her ewes and wer
brushed angrily away. When she wa
married to Nr' Sturgess she would show
Tallentvre what she could be and do
, she would let him see that she coulc
dress as we'll as LADY Erica; her eager
mind leaned ahead into a future when
NJ In a. she would have left the harbol
of i;fa for the sen. and the winds O,
the world that blow there. Already she
snomod to feer them stineing her face
already She seemed to be drawing the
freedom of luxury and riches deep, deer
% into ber mnHs % Henry Sturgess was
oniv a means fo an end he made sub
Stn11tiai foundation for the building OF
her dream castleAnothing more; she
foroot that to reach that castle she had
frss to exchonpe one form of bondage
for another
,oroS bar oil bar liza in the ioy that
ot last she was casting her letters aside
~ '"s. 80 -. .hout a. r;ya,