Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-09-13

for the first time she began to feel
| that people in the mass might be cruel
too How many Of them. for instance
would some time during the day pass on.
behind their hands, the gossip Glare
had mentloned?,
She changed her position, and
glanced quickly over the church. The
Livingstone pew was fully occupied,
and we'll up toward the front. Wallie
.Sayre was steadfastly regarding her.
SShe looked away quickly.
Came the end OF the service. Came
down the aisle the Courtney boy, clean
and shining and carrying high his
glowing symbol Came the choir, two
by two, the women first, sopranos. altos
and Elizabeth. Came the men, bass and
tenor, neatly shaved for Sunday morn =
ing. Came the rector, Mr.. Oglethorpe,
trif1e wistful, because always he fell
so far below the mark he had set.
Came the benediction. Came the slow
rising from its knees of the congre :
CATION and its cheerful hustle Of dis
persal.
DR.. Dick Livingstone stood up and
helped DR.. David into his new spring
overcoat. He was very content. 1t
was May, and the sun was shining.
1t was Sunday, and he would have
an hour or two Of leisure. And he
had made resolution about a matter
that had been in his mind for some
time. He was very content.
He looked around the church with
what was almost q possessive eye. These
people were his friends. He knew them
all. and they knew him. They had.
N
the bronze tablet set In the wall on
the roll Of honor. Small as 1t was,
this was his world.
Half smiling, he glanced about. He
did not realize that behind their bows
and greetings there was something new
that day, something not SO much un-
kind as questioning.
Outside in the street he tucked his
aunt, Mrs. Crosby, against the spring
wind, and waited at the wheel of the
car while David entered with the delib-
Grafton of man accustomed to the
sagging of his old side bar buggy under
his weight. Long ago Dick had dropped
the titular uncle" and as David he
now addressed him.
You re going to play some golf this
afternoon, David he said firmly.
Mike had me out this morning to look
at your buggy springs
David chuckled. He still stuck to
his old horse. and to the ancient vehi-
Gle which had been the signal Of dis
tress before SO many doors for forty
years. II can trust old Nettie,' he
would say. ''She doesn't freeze her
radiator on cold nights, she doesn't
skid, and If l drop asleep she'll take me
home and into my own barn, which Is
more than any automobile would do
'lm going to sleep" he said COM
fortably. Get Wnllie Sayre-l see
he's back from some place again--or
ask a nice girl. Ask Elizabeth Wheeler.
l don think Lucy here expects to be
the only woman in your life
Dick stared into the windshield.
I've been wondering about that.
David" he said, 'just how much
''Balderdash :" David snorted.
Don't get any fool notion in your
head"
Following Il short silence with Dick
driving automatically and thinking.
Finally he drew long breath.
IAN right" he said, "how about
that golf--you need exercise. You're
putting on weight. and you know it.
And you smoke too much. It's either
less tobacco or more walking. and you
ought to know it.
David grunted, but he turned to
Lucy Crosby, in the rear seat:
"Lucy, d'you know where my clubs
ars?"
"You loaned them to Jim Wheeler
last fall II you get three of them
back you're lucky" Mrs. Crosby's
voice wis family tart. Long ago she
had learned that her brothers belong
ings were his only by right Of purchase,
and were by way Of being community
property. When, early In her widow
hood and her return to his home, she
had found that her protests resulted
only in a sort Of clandestine giving or
lending, she had exacted promise from
him. II ask only one thing, David y
she had said. Tell me where the
things 20. There wasn't blanket for
the gusstroom bed at the time of the
Diocesan Convention"
I'm run around to the Wheelers' ,
and get them" Dick observed. In n
carefully casual voice. I'm SEQ the
Carter baby, too, David, and that clears
the afternoon. Any message"
Lucy glanced at him, but David
moved toward the house.
"Giye Elizabeth kiss for me-" he
called over his shoulder, and went
chucklng up the path.
Mrs. Crosby stood on the pavement |
gazing after the car as 1t moved off.
She had not her brothers. simplicity |
nor his optimism. Her married years
had taken her away from the environ
ment which had enabled him to live
his busy, uncomplicated life; where,
I, h. Iu a
munity, he had learned 10 form his
own sturdy decisions and then to abide
by them.
Black and white, right and wrong,
the proper course and the improper
lived In sort OF two
ethical world. But to
Lucy Crosby, between black and white
there was q gray no-man's land of
doubt and indecisiOn a half way house
Of compromise, and sometimes David
frightened her. He was 70 sure. !