Evening star., 1922-09-24

thoroughly before he cast in his lot
with 1t. He made no insinuations
He only warned Stephen that the
country was full Of investment COM
panies the chief assets Of which were
their stimulating bond salesmen.
Against the Diamond Oh Refining
Company he knew nothing. Perhaps
he was himself overconservative.
Perhaps he was just = little dis
appointed.
Il had sort Of hoped" he said. ''you
felt you belonged here. There IL
nothing meteoric about this hrm, to
be sure, but 1t win probably be here
tomorrow-and . week from tomor-
row."
Against his will, Stephen had found
himself in the position Of champion
for an almost unknown concern. He
wished more times than he cared to
admit even to himself that he had
not been quite so precipitAte. But
he had made his bed. Now he would
have to lie on 1t.
THE night before he left for Kan
i sas City, where the main ohices Of
the company were located. he went
out to call on Constance Truman.
She was alone in the library when he
arrived. She had not expected him.
and he noticed she had been reading
t'The Three Musketeers."
Like it?" he Asked.
She nodded, her finger still holding
the page. "Yes. Every time read
it."
They sat down facing each other. =
why do you like it he said finally,
Except that it's q darned good yarn?''
Constance Truman smiled. "Wel1.
it is q good yarn" She was silent =
moment. ''But it's something else.
too. It's romance and far countries
and adventure and freedom"
"It's rough and vulgar and passion-
ate and immoral" He stopped sud-
denly. "And you like itf''
II like It" She met his eyes
frankly. ITS the most fabulous stun
in the world, but it's reaL IT'S ~
zeal as the wish behind It. Look at
this house," she said finally. "at this
town-at me. Everything In my life
has been perfectly comfortable and
perfectly commonplace. It's been va
ried with going to California instead
Of to Florida; with ordering lamb
chops instead Of steak for my fathers
dinner" She laughed. q little em-
barrassed. "Can you see now why
girls like me escape via the route Of
The Three Musketeers'
Stephen looked at her in amaze
ment. Funny" he said at last.
From my side Of the world your life
looks like Christmas and striking
gold in the Klondike. To the girls I
know you'te got everything" He
stopped q moment. "AlI the things
they couldn't have, no matter how
much gold they'd strike"
She leaned toward him suddenly.
her eyes searching his face. "Why
do you say from my side Of the
world'7
For q moment he met her eyes.
then he looked down at the tips Of
his shoes, splsndidly new and shiny.
He thought suddenly Of Lily Sedel-
meyer; Of the girls who would never
leave the farm; Of the girls who were
teaching school and working their
way through college; Of the girls who
would never make more than SIS q
week in somebody's ofice. Money
could never restore to them tho
sense OF security they had lost in
childhood, for the acid. Of poverty
etches deep and its marks are not
always beautiful. Their background
was his, their nght had been his. It
was one Of those girls he should
marry. 81:
stephen" she persisted, aren't
you the one who, 10 making the 1ine
distinctions? Ii there ever any bar
=risr between people who talk ~