Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-01

rather perplcxed
eyes: suddenly she scrambled to her feet.
rs this your wood!" she asked in.
tcrestedy.
1T is" said John Harden.
She flushed ut the tone Of his voice.
"Oh!' she said. Then I suppose
you want me to go!"
The wood is private" he told her
again. There are notice boards on
each side Of the boundary"
"Oh. yes. I saw them, but I didn t
think It mattered," she explained.
However, as apparently 1t does mat.
ter great deal. / think I'll TO-" She
stopped md picked up the punches of
primroses. II suppose may have
these? she submitted with irony.
"Certainly!'
But she had yet another question to
Are you John Harden:'
Harden colored at the unexpected
use of his Christian name.
YES" he said.
Her eyes grew more interested.
'Well,' she snid with impulsive can.
dor. you're not nearly so ugly us I
thought you'd be. Roger said" She
broke Oft in confusion; her face grew
scarlet; the words had slipped out heed
essly until this moment she had not
..eaiizcd what she was saying. "Oh !"
she whispered hc!ple>sly.
..,iou are very kind" said Harden
sunny. though there was IA ghost of a
smile in his eyes; this was refreshing
candor after the miuseating hattery
with which he'had been bombardcd dur.
ing the last four months. "Are you q
Little Helptonite:' he asked dryly.
She shook her head.
No.at lcast-wcll. I'm one Of the
There was touch Of defiance in her
eyes and she looked at him with q shade
Of anxiety, as if not quite sure how he
would take this interesting piece Of in.
formation.
Indeed" said Harden.
She took courage from the impartial
tone OF his voice; she came step
nearer.
I've been abroad for the last two
years." she coniided. Away at school
hated it, she added gratuitously. /
Harden said "indeed' again; there
seemed to be nothing else to say.
Yes" She nodded her head in
'ather childish manner. '"rhey
couldn't manage me Mt home, 70 was
sent abroad: I'm the only one of the
amiiy who has been to boarding school
u ALL She raised her eyes with sud.
len disarming frankness. IL daresay
t would have been jolly good thing
I we'd all been to boarding school,
he added cohtidentially.
There was little silesce. then:
II suppose you do know us, don't
eu!" she asked quantity.
.'l'vc heard Of you" Harden nd
Nitted.
He had. bur now he came to think
vcr what he had heard. he could re
lcmbcr nothing but disparagihg re-
larkS and complaints: even Wharton
oy~~had condemned III" whole family
/ Dnngcrii"lds a, "imposs!ble.
Outsiders all Of them !" Ls had
aid in his irresponsible chcery way.
Harden remembered this rs he looked
t the girl, and he found it rather diff.
ult to believe.
Even to his impersonnl eye, she was
rctty: her hair was just the color Of
ne woods in autumn--dead leaf brown
and her eyes were gray like lake on
frosty morning. She wore no hat.
nd her hair hung loosely about her
ice; her dreS&-but Harden never
oticcd womun's dress, and was none
io wiser that the frock she wore was
adly cut and shabby, or that her boots
ere shabbler still. =
Il thought You must have heard of
ie boys, she said complacently; she
lckcd bunch Of primroses into her
aistband. I'm afraid they're rather
'rrors, aren't they?" she asked, as il
nxious for him to contradict her.
II really don't know"
Harden sounded bored; the girl
ijscd her chin little,