Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-12-14
By BERTA RUCK

| ,I ~ 20 eoiln man 8 income, and yet
SHOW affection for him.
,,,I.y nhey could ask him FOR money for
S, S.,ls, una KISS him aftcrward, by Jove.
C'o'sr hersclt would hnvo been in that
position, If EIphinstone had lived.
carmichael watched her every move.
ment. before he knew that he meant
10 10 so he said, nppealingly, "don't
Iun a"ay for minute. I've haven't
sa,d SUI word nbout tho Cox party and
az that and he pushed forward n
.she stay? "N0
Actually shc sat down in the cb,,r
he put for her. She wns not aoInr %
run away, then. Giving another child.
ish Eawn, she leaned her head against
tne cushioned back. In spite Of costly
morcst sleepy school girl.
ANA, simply as she might have spoken
to her cousins, she said, "ycs. mute
strenuous evening it's been, hasn't il L?
"hat with one thing and another-----"
Her friendly, almost absent little air
OF being after all "at home" With him
That completed tho spell, for Carmi.
chacl.
The words that almost shouted them.
selves in his mind were: "You darling.
and do you know what I'vo been wait.
ing for, the whole Of your blessed
strenuous evening? I've been longing for
, al those people TO stop jabbering and
their music noises, and for the lot ,f
them TO push off and leave you for me
to talk to all by myself like this!
Yes, just Ike this. Look at me.
Can't you seer love you, I want Won.
You're nll l caro- for; I Invent the
faintest usc for anybody else in the
world. What do you imagine I've cared
about the dinner party: The concert?
Cox! Old lIeryey? The appointment
We fixed un? The mast Itself? II
could ~ go 70 the devil, except ns
something 10 Offer to you. You're all I
think about. Nou-you-you. -
11e must tell her.
'Clovcr-----' be began, leaning
quickly toward her. At that moment he
was ready to blurt it all out.
Afterward. and for many weeks, Car.
michael could hardly decide whether or
not it was good thing that that hap
pened which did happen at that me.
ment.
1t was matter OF lighting.
The fro had dropped to the nerest
Slimmer and only that single table,
lamp, close to the telephone, was alight
in the book room. 1t showed the soft
richness of the bindings, tn. gleam Of
the white -pillared mantelpiece, the gilt
Of the softly ticking clock on bracket,
the dim thick folds of the curtains.
Also 1t showed Clover's face hall. lost
in the transparent gloom; and Car.
michacls own, intent, worked up to
this moment Of moments that had at
last arrived. il showed his cloar eyes
fixed upon her, his lips parted to speak.
1t showed, too. 4 tiny movement Of
Ciover's. for at that moment she
'caught' that tension; She Thought in
flash ''what is he going 10 say to
meF' Her beaded Sirdi" c!aehed
against her ankles as she sat up in the
chair; there was a swift gleam Of white
shoulders and golden shoulder strap In
tho light.
Quite suddenly, that light showed none
of these things. There was heard
tiny hiss. Tho lamp flamcnt, before
white hot, sank dull rcd. then went
out. Darkness swallowed up the room.
In the darkness Clovcr's voice cx.
claimed, "Oh.' and Carmichael's
That's fuse gone? Or Is it only this
lalnp!"
lIo strodo to the door. Another click
was heard, and another. All remained
In darkness.
This floor seems to have gone. Per.
haps tho whole house." ne nuttered.
Just stay. where you are, will you.
while I make sure"
Clover heard him 60 out. She sat
listening. In about three minutes he
was back again.
'I'vc cut everything Of at the main
lights for the night. though. We can't
risk fire"
1T doesn't matter. Everybody else
will be asleep by this time"
Yes. Have you any matrbcsI'
"Yesi here-have you got them"
Clover's hand passed him a box.
IN ths light of the match that he
struck he glanced at her, sitting hero.
Her shadow leapt immenre IN the glass
OF tho booE-cRse behind her. IIs NUT.
tered, "Now, If I'd got Il bit Of fuse.
wiro ] could FIX It. There's plenty at
NY place"
II am afraid haven't any" apel.
cgi1ed Clover. II done suppose there |
are any candles here, either. Some In
the kitchen perhaps. I'm afraid
don't know where they would be kept" |
"Nevcr mind. Wen have 10 keep on
striking matchCS----'
That match in his fingers burnt down. !
'By Jove," he exclaimed, There's
only one more in the box
Glover rose: moved.
llc said: "Can you lind your way |
to the door? Here And his voice
guided her.
IN the hail ho struck the second
match. Its feeble light fclicrcd on the .
parquet, and On tho stairs, shallow,
polished rs tn" lid Of an
old faS h!oned warming pan. \ few /.
short hours ago they had been be- .
clustered with women s frOckS, abuzz .
with laughter and talk
NuH--how dead silent everything
was. IT. seemed to Clover that shc had
never been in such still, deserted |
place. The STAFF, asleep on the top story,
might not have existed. She felt utterly ,
aiono in this dead house with this one |
man. Tho feeling was extraordinary, |
Perhaps that was what made her for |
get that it would be quicker to go |
upstairs in tho lift. Carmichael, too. |
had evidently forgotten that thcrn was !
such Il thing IN tho place. Quickly
no moved IN front Of her. lie went up |
a couple Of stairs. holding tho match !
iow so that shc might make euro |
Of her footing on the smooth wood.
cone ought In hnyC tnrcb ybua |