Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-18
The Breaking Point

DOB went out into the night. sud.
den hatred of Cleo burning in his
/ heart. He was convinced now that he
had been right. and that Cleo had de-
liberately encouraged him to make love
to her, and a sick disilusion enveloped
him. But unlike Dick. he was not
tempted to do anything rash. More than
anything else his pride had been hurt.
and because he had idealized Cleo and
/ she had proved unworthy. faith in all
women was dead in his heart.
A for Carey his heart had leared
exvltently. Ee had caught the siren
ps11icine her wles. This nice boy. as
well as Dick. had been sent away heart e
broken, and no doubt she had done this
because new victim had loomcd up on
the horizon. He. Carey Phelps. was
that victim. and if anything had been
needed to spur him in his intentions.
this was the necessary stimulus.
Almost noiselessly he entered the liv-
iug-room.
\ Cleo stood In the center OF the room Just
40 Bob had left her. and she wheeled
around as Carey entered. Bob's visit
had left her with every nerve stretched
( to the breaking point. and she was hor-
rtbly conscious of the fact that Carey
Phelps must see that something was
wrong.
II Cleo had been a real vampire. she
would have turned deightedly from one
victim to another. She would have been
nushed with success. bubbling over with
laughter and enthusiasm As it was.
she was only frightened girl, aghast
at the amount of heartachc she had
unwittingly caused.
She tried to smile. but for the first
time in her healthy young life her nerves
failed to respond. She had sudden
sensation of faintness as though a black
curtain had suddenly dropped between
herself and the light. and then a. she
essayed to take step forward. she
crumpled up in a heap in the middle of
the rug.
Carey Phelps was suddenly conscious
cS the stiffness of the place. They were
alone, and he hadn't doubt in the
4 world that Cleo had done this delib-
erately. He had contempt for
women who tainted. it was just one Of
their many tricks. and in Cleo's case
no was certain that she tried it whenever
she felt it would gain her something.
He hesitated for only minute. then
he strobe across the room and lifted her
up IN his arms.
How slight she was. He had not
noticed this so much when he had been
dancing with her as he did now that
her slim young body was limp in his
arms.
A slight >smile curved his lips as he
bent closer to scrutinize her face. In
moment. he was sure, her lashes would
hicker and she would open her eyes. She
might even call out in a terrified voice.
Where am I?' Although he imagined
that phrase too worn out for any one as
clever and up date as this modern
Gree.
But Cleo's lashes did not lift. and
her face was of n uniform deadly pallor
\ The faint seemed real enough. and Carey
y ~ not want to believe this. Hc did
h not want to Believe Cleo capable of
Anything real or genuine. Seen this
wg{. she seemed very young and fragile
ond not at all the worldly young thing
that he chose to believe her. His keen
4 gray eyes swept her face and fingered
4 % her mouth.
" Her lips were parted softly and il
4 hn sly seemed that she was breathing,
Auodenly as he looked at her he became
44o0ncious Of the fact that what so many
had desired he now held in his
49, Dick had been on the point of
teNtng his life because this privilege had
ben withheld from him, and that
I white faced boy he had met tonight in
the ball. He had been desperate enough
70 do anything, and all because this
Girl made a practice of playing ut love.
Was she so desirable? And if so
4 Wherein lay her power? He, Carey
Phelps. held her in his arms Graded
against his breast, and yet he had only
! contempt in his heart for her.