Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-12-02
Are Flappers
az Bad
AZ They're
Painted?
Are
yass.Bovs
All Limbs
Of Setdn?

sS' Wv 'hV StVuNtuSt tUuIe W WIICl
she was now forced to descend, or gaz.
ing through the lace curtains of tn,
drawing room at the passing traffic o.
the street outside.
TO the family conferences, she addct
little Of advice or encouragement ant
was silent when Cherry. with troubled
frankness. proposed that they should
move ut once to a small house far up.
town or In the country. She listened
only to Bob, who stu stimulated hei
hopes with pleasant possibilities that
they might continue to live where they
were. And during the day, when Bob
had gone down town upon his Wild
goose chase after the vestige of their
tlissipated fortune, she remained aloOf
from her daughter. writing conciliatory
notes to persistent tlressnakcrs. whose
demands. disrcgardcd too long, were
now becoming oblurate.
Cherry WIS nainfully conscious Of her
mother silence and estrangement. She
knew what 1t meant. This was Alicia
Mohun's protest against Chcrry's in.
difference to the match with John Chi
chester. Her mothers manner gricvctl
her. but it hurt her more than it
grieved. And at times, us Cherry
thought of the phrases in which Bruce
COwan had referred to the man. her
tongue was very near an Outburst Of
rebellion at the impcrvious assurance Of
her mothers point Of view. But the
nttcous look of appeal In Alicius eyes
dnunted her and she remained silent.
Where was tho advantage in bringing
new misgivings into her hcart--ncw
pnin into her weary eyes?
The situation became more difficult
daily. 1f the mails. ut the Mohun'si
house brought fewer square cnvrlOles.
the OblOng ones continued to accumulate
on the library tnblc at an alarming rate.
1t was astonishing how they grew in
number. Cherry didn't know what to
do with them. She realized that before
her father was taken sick those oblOng
envelopes had always miraculously dis
appeared from the library table. Now
they remained there in huge pile,
disregardcd. evaded, by the rest of the
family. They were Of different colOrs
and bore the familiar names Of trades.
men, dressmakers, tailors. public serv.
ice corporations. Others we're from
lawyers with curious nalmes---or from
prrate mampnt, her mother having
decided to take drive. with an indul.
gent friend. Cherry sat calmly at the
desk and. opening all the envelopes,
carefully made list of the obligations
that remained. The result OF these
calculations was astounding. for her adj
dition revealed Il total of more than
twenty thousand dollars in unpaid bills.
Cherry Is Stunned
Cherry sat for Il moment stunned Mt
the revelation. Twenty thousand dol
lars! There must surely he n mistake
She went over the list again
and again. and verifying and adding the
columns Of figures both up and down,
at last convinced that she had made no
errors. Twenty thousand nearly
twenty -one thousand dollars--most Of
the bills accompanied by urgent np-
penls. veiled threats. or threats un.
vcilcd !-Chorry' bills many of them,
for gowns. hats. shoes. stockings. con.
tmctcd in the name of the sick man up.
stairs Where was the money
to come from. Cherry got up and
paced the floor. nprvously turning
over again and again the shraf of bills
her own and her mothers
personal share in this obligation. Her
bills--fOr gowns that she had worn-
for some Of the very clothing on her
body nt the moment. These bills
would have to be paid. all Of them. The
sale OF the automobiles would help, but
Mt the low prices which Cherry had set
would not provide rs much as one.
fourth Of this amount. And her mother
and Bob We're counting on the sale of
the machines to pay the immediate
household expenses
Cherry was troubled. For the first
time. she found herself thinking of
John Chichester in mere terms of
money. And then If she dared to marry
him how could she bring him such a
heritage as this. The thought of 1t re.
volted hcr-to consider her body in
terms of shoes. stockings and dresses
Of future stockings and dresses from
his bounty!
1t was in the midst Of these disturb.
ing m"dita,i"ns that Alicia Mohun re.
turned 70 the house from her drive.
Cherry heard her in the hallway out
side and in n moment her mother en-
tered the drawing room. But at the
rustic Of papers she turned and bcheld
her daughtcr's head peeping forth above
the mountains of bills.
., =, "Why;; Cherry" she said, what on
Just bills" Cherry broke in.
"Why. Muzzy! How sweet YOU look
It's done you good. hasn't it,
ut was very pleasant. Mrs. Hey.
wood is q kind. She's been telling me
about cverything.'
Ch"rry's troubled brows relaxed,
There was little smile upon hcr
mothers tired face which was raintel
here and there with pretty touches Of
pale color. Cherry understood. Mrs,
Haywood had the gift of light gossip,
Aliria MOhllN, after n month of rntiro