Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-14
Dinner in TAcn

a LINE. as we'll as all the other girls
\ in her set. had plenty of liberty.
therefore !: "as simple cHous!: 20 slip
out the next evening. take the train
into town and meet Mason Long in the
lobby OF the Graymorc. Her thoughts
did not go beyond the evening itself.
and the thought that she might be DO =
ing an unfair thing to Charley did
not occur to her. Charley was n con.
v'ncnc". to be used when it was nee.
cSsary. but otherwise she was free.
And, Ia d" her credit. Aline would
not have cared had she met Charley
taking some other girl out 10 dinner.
which was rather significant il She had
stopped TO think things out.
Her heart lraprd in her breast when
she saw Mason Long coming across 10
heH, but her manner as she greeted him
was quite free from embarrassment,
and she had assumed her usual mask Of
Indifference.
Yet. as she followed him into the
dining room, she was somehow not so
sure Of herself as she wanted to he.
his man had way of making her
tr"l hbsurdiy young. and she didn' t
like IT,
Alirc waa clever at disgusting her
feelings. and she consulted the menu
with her usual sclf-assurunce, stating
her, nrcf"rcnc"S and then throwing il
aside with superb Indifference. While
he was consulting the waiter she had
a "hGn"" to study him. but she was on
IN" alert for him to look up and when
their eyes finally met. she showed not
trac" OF confusion.
We'll. what's the verdict" he asked
with smile.
Il suppose it wouldn't do any harm
to report 1t favorable she returned
quickly.
Il aIn fattcred." lie said still with
that smile tl!at seemed to tighten his
dark features and make his face almost
boy!Sh. A!inc judged that he was about
tLirty-foUr. perhaps n little older than
that, it was difficult to tell. but hi,
manner toward her was certainly very
different from the Difference that men
usually paid 70 her. She could not saem
TO impress him. md inasmurh as She
had nothing but her beauty and her
charm, and had never been forced TO
dig very deeply into her mentality in
order TO hold n mans interest, she was
at disadvantage although she did not
NilIll L!lIs 'pIlN'lDlISIN.
Aline had discovered that men like
to talk about themselves. and her next
move during dinner was 70 ask him
about his work. This attempt failed
utterly.
I'm nor" Interested In talking about
you he coun,cr"d rlcverly. Tel me
about, yourself, l want to hear about
its al about anyway"
AI!ne was ilattered and began to be
expansive. She gave him some Of her
!."ns about thH freedom Of tho indi
yidunl, and he let her talk, bringing
her up finally with remark tha, for
moment threatened 70 rob her Of her
assurance
AREN'T you engaged I seem to re =
call that some one told me 50 the other
evening""
Aline did not flush. Sh. me. his
quizzIcal gaze cutie frankly.
YES. / suppose you would call it nm
engagement, she said loftily. Char
ley Tyne ard | decided to try it out
ind see how it worked"
'And how docs It work. Do Won
find that it intcrfcrcs with any OF
your td"as of fr""dom:''
Not in tho least. We are both
fairly sensible. -
But what about love? Don't Won
find that being in low" makes n man
sivc:'
.\line shrugged her slim bare sboul.
ders.
20, love-" she said lightly "rbe
kind OF lov" you mean I don, know
anything about, Love leads a nerson
TO DO foolish things, and want al