Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-10-27
a BACHELOR HUSBAND
&c prCINs THE STORY
By RUBY NJ. AYRES
Author of "Richdrd Chdtterton," Etc.
Copyright. 1880. ov W. j. watt Co.

I'm her father dted thgD me, on5
gns" bscause she loped him ahu
Me.oSf he loved her; ne oecduSe "e
mosyY%b muy her, didn't loue dnyooay eise'
w ucould use the money me ar,amgv @
IN brought HIM, On ner J mD%eg tcg,,
soon she learns ING w" % Rocbeioy
I'm he may lire me ,ue oJ JpoIeJ D'''a
HasOaWu"s aWsriot t6ro,os herself in ms
mrs tnJ Uorie experiences groto-
edG s"ction for bakers, known as
go IorS GgrS' n friend Of her husband;
feaM:',S' -" rsf1rning home is sdddened
bGnyt Chris moroscneSs,. but dt he'
sot Gt tn,' ,bof she lacks Mrs.
mdnsG!.O%a ao,cer 10 scdy him. CHRIS
Heri0t Ivdreps for golf 10Th bis
goes 'o,mnonjous. 10 81, leaving her dis
booh ,," Cy"P Marie takes this hardly
cohsGGo.L cohsGGor husband should prefer 9ot 10
90, ",' bome 10 her. In a motor tr'p
cem,"gb cgb The country iCith the tdlthtut
MroJtg Mritrrs she lets him knotc. some oJ
bvrf feeling toiCdrd ChrS. lhey
A. 49, "% n gioriouS day, mdrred on'v oy
sDetino Mrs. Hertot at an ,nt ,nm
mis- sends Marie a cdrngo'W o,ooJ"
v m Scotland and implies an .edrtp
% ,,t"rn. when Feathers proposes S
oitrr ddy in The country md'1
s, .s;.Ss, her kind old Aunt hdd9e L"
20 Nth them ,,,,,s
ANp HERE 1T CONTINUES
.,rprNG the last few days she had
hosn vaguely conscious OF MISS
rbsster's silent disapproval.
ar .bol, be delighted IL Miss Chester
IN come" Feathers said readily.
w. p,t Miss Chester refused. She did
mind n short run, she said, but II
-. too far into Hampshire, so they
mist 10 without her. .,
sbe watched them drive away ana
a.r sat down to write to Chris She
.rtod tbe letter "Private,' and un-
s,rlinsd the word twice to draw .atten-
don to it. She wrote:
.,Iv dear Chris-Don't you think 1t s
Sor came home? Soon 1t Will pc
su,' yoets since you went away, ana
nv little hard on Marie, though she
y. NOT said one word of complaint TO
na' Mr. bakers is very kind, taking
h tor drives. and looking in to cheer
@ ,n but the child must want her own
SnsbSnd, and you have been married
Luz a Iittle time. She does not know
W., writing TO you. and she would be
.,sv angry If she ever discovered 1t, but
,sso an old woman's advice, my dear
Nov and come back.
Sbe felt much happier when the let
,,r had been dispatched she went PACK
10 her knitting quite happily TO wait
events. H.,
srt,cinotpd. for the morning post
hrorrbt n letter. which had evidently
crossed hers, TO say that Chris was al
,endr on his way home. but was break
inc The Journey at Windermere for
low doys TO stay with friends.
$50 he cannot have had my letter
Miss Chester thought In dismay: she
boncd il would eventually reach him.
IL she had been uneasy about young
Atkins. she was much more perturbed
,bout Feathers. She fully recognized
be strength of the man and the attrac-
ton he would undoubtedly have for
Sme women, and she knew that he was
already too interested in Marie.
"Chrs ought never to have gone
AWAY alone" was her distressed thought.
III he had taken Marie with him, it
would have been all right. .,
And down in the Hampshire woods
Marie was Just then saying to Feathers: !:
81 do wish Aunt Madge had come
Wouldn't she have loved itT'
II think she would. Perhaps she
will come some other time"
They had brought their own lunch
and had campcd at the foot of n mossy
bank on the shady side of the road.
1t was very pcaccful-the silence was
hardly broken save for the occasional
futter of wings in the trees overhead
or the distant sound of Q motor horn
from the main road.
Feathers was lounging on the grass
beside Marie, his hat thrown off and his
bair rumpled up anyhow.
There was little silence, then Marie
bald:
~ don't think I've ever seen any
thing so lovely. l wonder why Chris
didn't come to a place like this, instead
cf-" She broke off, realizing that
he was speaking her thoughts aloud.
"Instead Of to that Tower of Babel
BY the sea, eh?" Feathers asked cas-
hally
"Yes, that is what | meant"
II suppose he thought you would
pnd 1t more amusing"
"0r that he would" said Marie bit
krly.
Feathers did not answer. He was
lumsy threading bits Of grass through
the ribbon of Marie's hat, which lay
beside him.
What's become of young Atkins?"
be asked abruptly.
The uneXpectodness of the question
tent the color to Maric's face. 81
dont know she said guiltily. "He
hasn't been around lately. I liked him
% much" she added wistfully.
she looked down at Feathers with
houghtIul eyes. lie was big, clumsy
ngare lying there, and she smiled as she
Estched him busily tucking the blades
ot grass into the ribbon of her hat
,Do you think you are improving
tI she asked suddenly.
lie looked up, and their eyes met.
Feathers did not answer. He was
lumslIy threading up with sudden.
"ShaII We go on?" he asked, cor
NCa,G you prefer to stay hcrc?"
or we ", m!g4t stay n little while, don't
UiEor ever, if you like"
enc HG made n little grimacc.
k.,. we should hate it if it began to
lie looked up at the thick branches
oGyG their heads.
ram would not easily get through
eon ChrS and | camped somewhere
"r ~. '"lS pIar" II couple of years ago. :"
~. mus have been lovely"
No m nna WASH t so bad. We slept out iu
NopGh ar on warm nights"
,nnI Eancd back against the great
pn"SoT' T' u" tree under which they had
ue J"' "f amt looked away into the ave-
uE OF green arches before them,
puElng the last day n two She had
ot Thought 50 often of chris md t".
Hp lGe mention Of him had moi hrought