Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1922-09-18
Sheila's Triumph

was qulIe sure Indt III IHe enc
Sheila's beauty and charm woult
win out, but, oh, [ wanted to save
the girl from any more unhappinesi
than had already come to her.
AS usual [ could not help asking
that age-old question, "why2" Ant
then the terrible truth came to me
that we had to pay as well fol
our mistakes as for our sins.
Sheila had paid for her mistake
innocent though it was, of allowing
her love for luxury to fit up those
rooms at Walter Jones suggestion
Walter and Susanne had paid and
we're paying for the sin of their
father against an innocent young
girl.
know it was wicked, but I real
Iy hoped that Walter Jones was
dead. 1t would simplify matters if
his return was not always hanging
like the sword of Damocles over
Sheila's head. OF course, 1 knew
that Susanne understood all that
her father had told her and she was
perfectly honest in her idea that
Sheila was a designing person, but
that could not keep her from suf-
fering the torments of the damned
She loved Phil with all her arrogant
and self-centered soul, and her pride
was trailed in the dust because he
chose this girl whom she consider
ed not only her inferior, but also
a criminal.
drove from the Jones' home di-
rect to the detectives office, and
was told that the pictures 1 had re-
ferred to had in some unaccount-
able way, disappeared. A thorough
search had been made for them but
it was fruitless.
Il do not think that you need
worry about then any more, Mrs.
Wilmington" said the detective.
Perhaps not" / answered, "but
honestly l would feel better if had
destroyed them myself"
pardon me, madame, I did not
say they had been destroyed. No
one has right to destroy them.
You must have misunderstood me.
said that they could not be found"
"Then you think that I need not
worry any more about it,
81 am quite sure you need not"
80 that is the way men do busi-
ness" I said to myself as I drove
away. "They are perfectly willing
to let well-enough alone, but wo-
man is never quite satisfied unless
she sees the thing done she wants
done or has been done.
l came-to the conclusion that the
pictures must have been there when
Susanne asked about them for she
could not have taken them out. 1t
was for her interest to leave them
there where she could call for them
if necessary. There was but one
reasonable decision for me to come
to and that was that my friend, the
detective, believing Shepa innocent,
had leaned more to mercy than to
the law and had destroyed the pic
lures.
told Sheila when she and Phil
returned from their weekend that
the pictures had been destroyed.
With this information could see
she determined to put it all behind |
her and in the next few months the
natter was never referred to be-
ween us.
Susanne and her mother went to
1alifornia for the winter and their
kit was duly ehronicled in the So
iety columns.
l opened the town house with a
,all to which invited the entire
nner circle of society, some of
whom / was sure would remember
omething about Sheila's trial. BY
hese invitations / meant that the
natter Of Sheila's entrance within
he very close social clique to which
belonged should be decided for
n time.
The party was great success.
hose who did not come through
friendship came through curiosity, 4
nd Sheila completely disarmed
hem with her sweetness and per-
Onality.
The papers the next day said in