Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-12-20
By BERTA RUCK

sumed the bland protective air OF q
woman younger than these others, per.
haps. In years, but, oh, 20 much more
experienced In the ways Of the world,
| II don't sec why you need worry Ike
this about Clover and Duck Carmichael.
These things happen % often A few
weeks after marriage" che told her
mother. Cant you see It's merely re:
action Look at those two. They loved
at 6rst sight.
They were only engaged FIVE minutes.
Then they rushed away on this honey.
moon and had q deliriousiy lovely time
on like that forever. When they came
they found that life simply can't be
lived at concert. pitch Of romance and
pash," Scandal explained glibly. "And
the one Of them, probably, was offended
at the others seeming coolness. You
don't love me a. you did. It couldn't
have been really love- and that sort
Of chat. I con see It oil as plainly
as II I had been in the bedroom when
It was all going on; enlarged the
happer. Then one Of thein-probab ably
Duck CArmichael--said, proudly. Very
well, II you find that am Interfering
with your work, 60 bnck to your people
and get on with these immense deals you
are % busy with, Go! When you send
for me will come. not BEFORE Daily
Scandal used to add touches to this
Affecting fancy picture.
Then came the evening of an expert.
ence quite new In the house Of
Meadows.
It was after dinnes. They were all
sitting together in that drawing room.
Mrs. Meadows, upright In the Victorian
arm chair, wns casting on to long bone
needles another white jersey for Teddy.
Sandals long slim legs and long thick
Edwurdian sofa she was stitching fri.
descent green leaves to q silver brown
band TINT she meant to wear at a
coming dance. Rosemary, on the Neo.
Georgian fender stool, locked not too
happy In spite OF the "relief' Of the
absence Of the no longer. Eternal Jim !;
she was absently skipping through q
library book (as usual, Clover's).
Clover sat at the Empire bureau
her back was to the others.
say, Glover. tee," Sandal re.
marked casually, ''you know I've begged
your"
Clover didn't hear this for q moment |:
she was. studying something she had
brought home from tho city. This was
a foolscap sheet of squared paper with
Alps and glaciers and caverns, zig.
HagginR Hll over It in red and black
Ink. 1t looked like q fever chart. In
fact 1t was the fever chart Of that once
calmly prosperous business, Ephinstone
Brothers.
What do you say?" asked Glover,
abscntiy.
.'I just asked II It werc all right
about tomorrow night. You know, for
getting to the dance at Harrow. may
have the cdr, mayn't II"
1t was then that the odd thing hap.
pened. For the first time In the fam.
iiy's history Glover. having been asked
Tor something. said "NO."
Changes
Her family stared.
Clover, refusing something Cor which
Here were changes! .
Glover. In an odd, hard little voice
added: II sold the car this morning. I"
This was a bombshell. 80 e.
Her family stared more widely still.
The fapper cried out first. "You sold
the ear! You sold the carr But it
1T won't be BY this time tomorrow.
l sold 1t for fl2OO this afternoon.
"Rut wanted to 90 to the dance
lated Sandal. dropping O shower Of ar.
tifcial green lenves from her lap to
the carpet as she sat up. II had ar.
ranged to take no end Of people along
with me In the car" Her pert. flower.
pink face gazcd with bewildcred re.
proach upon the cars owner. I'D
told all those boys"
II am sorry, my DEAR" said Glover.
more gently.
Her aunt, mildly disturbed, looked
over the second row OF her knitting.
But. my dear child, Is anything the
matter? Why did you sell the car,
Cloveri"
FOR wages. auntie. Please talk
about something else. everybody, will
you? Or. do You mind, please. not talk.
Ing Ing at t,sr all tS;: for m'nute' am so wor'
She turned again to the glaciers Of
that chart, became again buried In the
doings Of the firm.
Now when a firm keeps all its en-.
listed employees on the full wages list
and when 1t tries not to ask It's de.
mobilized men to accept a reduction
business S IS ali I' round them. % the 'Ss banks Ks
begin to shake their heads. Private
hints are given that even Elphinstone
Brothers must cut its coat according to
its cloth.
Clover, and her poor harassed Mr..
Wright, the manager, had discussed
this situation from every point Of view
during these last weeks: with the re.
suit that there had been set afoot .
profit. sharing scheme with the en-.
''Thoush. Mrs. Carmichael, in these
days there 10 always some kind person
ready to point out that when q, firm
offers to share profits with % %emP!oyes;
sighed. II am not building on It that
half our men will come in."
Half did come In ; half had stood out:
In order not to dismiss those who had
stood out, the bank had been asked for
money and, for the FIRST time In the bis.
tory Of Elphinstone Brothers, that
money had been refused.
That was why Glover, Of Elphinstone
Brothers, pressing her white. fingers
over her tired gray eyes. continued to
study that health chart.
"Well. II the motor Is Eone I shall
have to taxi all the way" remarked
the happer, after the manner Of that
queen who, on being told that her peo.
pie had NO bread. advised them to eat
cake"
AT that Glover abruptly folded up
With its still new wedding ring over
her eyes. Then, turning In her chair,
she faced the circle.
"Auntiel And you two! Perhaps I
had better tell you now. I kent II back
as long as could. But-sellinR the car
Is only the beginning Of It. That HASN'T
settled everything. II you are soing to