Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-06

struck Ned with a awful sense Of
!oss that no would never again bc able
to answer back" or have bis ears
bosSd b the irats, paregtal head.
Mother wants you, Molly ~ he sGid
abruntly. Jane - with her. but Shes
40 uee, he aAded with . sort Of con.
tempt tor the good tempered. CHEEKY
Ieid OF. OIL. work who had stuck to the
DAneefhslds In spite Of small and r.
Molly went upstairs Without answer.
Ing; al her life and .buoyancy seemed
TO have gone and Harden looked after
her with comnaeslonate eyes.
| II vas irritating TO- feel - helpless |;
he wiehed tkers were something he
| could do to b Of real u0e he gave q
quick .siSh a. Molly turned the sharp
bend in the staircase and disppeared.
She went on across the landing to
her; mother's room the door was wide
open, and Mrs. Danserheld lay face
downward on the couch where she
passed most Of her useless life, sobbihs
Jane, with cotton sleeves rolled u, to
her. elbows, was standing beside her
with tears in her eyes, and q cup Of
tea Ia her hand.
''Don't take on 90 now" she said
over and over again. Hes better Oh
where he is, poor dsar-,.;it's not him
we've got to cry for--"
Molly went forward she was always
Z little constrained. with her mother,
but she knelt down beside her, and put
her arms round her with unwonted ten.
-. ,".oh, s don't cry.;d!cn'.,don't!r 4, sh.
M f:ad ,:ta with ...s sob :, ~ I'm look after you-
Mrs Osnes.anid ~. h.,,sk h., S.vsbx.,
aside; she raised flushed. disHgured
face. :.
Look after me !" she said shrilly.
How can you look after me? We're
ruined We haven't got q penny-any-
thing your father had dies with him.
There's nothing for any Of us. Oh, my
poor boys" and she began to sob
again.
Molly sat back on her heels; the warn,
sympathy in her face seemed frozen /;
she stared at her mother with blank
eyes.
As yet she could not realize that this
noisy sobeing was not for the loss Of
q husband, but because there was no
money. She had believed that her
mother and father had always been fond
Of one another now. for the hrst time,
she wondered. ~.
Was there no such thing a. real
love IN all the world; no such thing as
love that can live without being con.
tinually fed BY the things which money
:an buy? She rose to her feet, shiver.
ing.
Jane, set the cup Of tea down on a
table with vicious bang.
such carfyinss, on! she said In an
undertone; she cast q sympathetic look
at Molly and went out Of the room.
Mrs. Danger6eld dried her eyes, and
:moothed out q tumblsd pink ribbon
pink ribbon seemed to touch a fresh
fountain Of grief.
And I hate black Co." she walled.
II look sight in black! Your father
always said 30 himself"
Molly turned away.
Il shouldn't wear It them she said
shortly. II shouldn't make yourself
look q sight just because-because
father-father is dead" She bit her
lip hard to keep back the sobs that
Mr.. Danserheid flushed. u
| You're q rude, undutiful girl" she
said sharply. II your father were her. ,.'
Tf!Sn your asss .Dss. S1o.e ss Into ks
fresh wall Of grief. and now there wal
some sharp pang of realisation in It
something in the sound Of her own
words that brought home her loss with
:" she S would would never ... ber husband
\ again never submit to hi0 rough at.
fection and alternate bullying any more
she rocked herself to and fro helplessly
Molly went out Of the room; she
knew It was useless to try to offer
comfort; she knew that her mother
cared less for Her than for any Of tho
Others; she went downstairs again 10
where the boys were standing silent,
and q little afraid, grouped round John
Harden.
He came to meet Molly when he saw
her.
II wish I could help you," he said
earnestly.
She shook her head.
you're very kind, but there isn't
anything to be done, thank you."
She followed him through the opeu
front door into the garden she wanted
him to stay, but was afraid to say 50
she dreaded finding herself alone in the
house with all the responsibility on her
At the gate Harden looked down at
II don't Ike leaving you here alone;
II you would rather that I stayed"
His eyes wandered over her flushed,
quivering face.
Molly pushed tho gate to between
them with a little jerky click.
mo, no; you're very kind, but-but
there isn't anything you can do"
But still he hesitated.
IF You want me, you know where
to send. I will come at any time.'
She nodded; she could not trust her
v0ice--she fed back to tho house to
hide her tears.
CHAPTER X
The Spell Of the Enchantress
Harden had only gone a few steps
down the road when he heard some one
calling him; lie wheeled sharply.
For q moment he thought II might be
Molly; he could not quite distinguish
the figure coming toward him In the
gray evening light then he caught his
breath, for It was Mrs. Fernald.
She came up to him flushed and
breathlcss.
II saw you leaving Molly's. Oh, poor
child Ia 1t really true that her father
IL dead? I've heard all manner Of wild
stories. Do tell me-
cts quite true"
She gave Z little CRY Of pity.
"Oh. what will they do, those dear
boys--and MolIy7"
He made no answer; something Ia
the soft tone Of her voice was treach-
erously waking that old pain In his
heart, leading him back down the al
-