Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-03-22
The Homecoming!

1UDY'S dinner that night was, As
q usual, excellent. :,
It was ready at the usual time. but
Rand did not appear.
At first Judy thought that he was
merely late, but when she glanced at
the clock and saw that the hands
pointed to twenty minutes Of z. anger
surged over her.
from q meal in his life and she had
gone to such infinite pains to have
everything just right! .
She waited until Z o'clock, and then
she sat down at the table and tried
to force herself to eat. Everything
seemed fiat and tasteless and 1t was
almost impossible TO force the food
down her dry throat. but she persisted,
hoping that Hand would come in at
any moment.
Half past seven and still he did not
come.
Judy cleared away the meal and
washed the dishes. BY this time her
anger had passed, and fear that some
thing had happened to him had taken
Its place. ...
When Rand finally appeared at e:3o;
feet as he entered. and rushing over
to him. grasped him by the arm.
Rand, l thought something had
happened to you. I've been 50 wor.
ried!"
Rand had nerved himself for an out.
burst from Judy. He had expected
tears and rcproaches. and her attitude
surprised him and made him feel more
than ever guilty.
"I'm sorry, Judy. l went out to
dinner with a party Of friends" The
reproaches were coming now, he might
have known.
"Yes. admit it was thoushtless.
but Judy, / felt that I couldn't stay
home tonight. ! wanted to 60 out and
celebrate. You remember that asked
you to 90 with me and you refused: |"
"Oh!" she exclaimed, and she
"Why you haven't even a decent ex-
cuse. You stayed out simply because
you preferred to eat with strangers. /
suppose there was some woman in the
party, some one who was more COM
panionable than l."
4 sudden impulse to hurt her swept
over Rand, but he fought it. He had
never felt like this before, and he must
not give in to 1t. But he had never
wanted anything SO much rs he wante'l
to throw Carlotta Young in Judy's face.
lie wanted to make the comparison
ruthless, he wanted to show Judy what
Carlotta Young, a stranger until that
night, had been willing to do for him.
I But he did none Of those things.
"Im sorry you weren't with US"
b. said simply. "You could have been
you know, and ! think you would
have eniOyed Il ALL"
Then he turned away from her and
went over to his easel. He switched
on the high powered bulb, and sitting
down. began to sort out his brushes,
but his hands were trembling and be
knew quite well that 1t would be i'm
possible for him to work.
It was against his will that he had
returned to the apartment. The others
had wanted him to stay, and tonight OF
all nights he needed relaxation
amusement. But he had been sorry for
Judy; he had regretted his thoughtless-
ness in leaving her at all. aud 20 he had
returned--to this
Judy had gone into the bedroom and
had closed the door. He supposed shc
was crying, and he had a feeling that
he ought to be sorry. but he wasn't
Judy always took refuge In tears, and
It always left Rand helpless. He had
a hatred Of weeping women. He couldn't
imagine Carlotta Young giving way tc
any thing 20 undignitied. Tears some-
how robbed a woman OF all her mystery
Tomorrow-Suspicion