Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-10

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curious. It was like having the front Of
their house taken off the way curtain
rolls up at the theatre and shows you
one of those sordid Russian plays, for
instance.
"There was the whole sickening actual
life of that dreadful family laid bare
before me: the continual petty bicker-
| ings that every hour or so grow into
bitter quarrels, with blows and epithets
and then, when other people are there
as we were last night, the assumption of
suavity, the false, too sweet sweetness
! and absurd pomposities-oh, what an
ugly revelation it is, Will! It's so ugly
it makes me almost sorry you were
wrong about them-as you're rather
likely to be in your flash judgments, you
poor dear!"
DELLA (who was literary" some
- times) delivered herself of this
speech with admirable dramatic quality,
especially when she made her terse little
realistic picture Of the daily life of the
Sulenders, but there was just a shade
of happy hypocrisy and covert triumph
in the final sentence, and she even
| d
point, "How strange it is to think that
only last night we were arguing about
It'll" she exclaimed, "and that I said we'd
not need to wait month to prove that
was right! Here it is only the next
day and it's proved was thousand
times Fighter than said I was!"
"Well. perhaps you'll enlighten me"
he began, but she complied so willingly
that she didn't let him finish his request.
She gave him Georgie's revelation in
detail, emphasizing and coloring it some
what with her own interpretations of many
things necessarily only suggested by the
child's meager vocabulary: and she was
naturally little indignant when. at first,
her husband declined to admit his defeat.
why. it's simply not belevable" he
said. Those people couldn't seem what
they seemed to be last night. and be so de :.
, PRAYED. They were genuinely affectionate
in the tone they used with each other and
, they"
> GOOD gracious.' Bella cried "Do you
think I'm making this up?"
mo. of course not he returned hastily.
l But the child may have made it up
t About his own father and mother?"
'Oh. I know. but some children are the
most wonderful little story tellers they tell
:, absolutely inexplicabe lies and hardly know
' why themselves
; But at this Bella looked at him pityingly
t Listen moment: There was all tn,
e sordid daily life of these people laid ou
y before me in the poor little child's prattle
a whole realistic novel, complete and con
|, sistent, and I'd like to know how you ac.
=. count for child of seven or eight being
e able to compose such a thng-and on the
spur of the moment, too. When children
make up stories they make 'em up about
extraordinary and absurd things not about
n the sordid tragedies of everyday domestic
: life. Do you actually think this child made
r up what he told me!'
We'll It certainly does seem peculiar. -
t 'Peculiar?' Why, it's terrible. and
S it's true
t 'Well If it is" he said gloomily, I'VE
. certainly don't want to get mixed up in
=, it.. We don't want to come into a new
l neighborhood and get involved in scandal
or even as gossiping about one. We must
. be careful not to say anything about this
Bella"
e She looked away from him, thoughtfully
i suppose so. tnOugn, Oh course, THESE
, people aren't friends of ours-hardy az.
e quaintances.'
n "No. but that's all the more reason for
Il our not appearing TO be interested in theil
troubles Well certainly be careful not tc
z say anything about this, won't we, Bella?
r "Oh. l suppose, so. she returned
' absently. "Since the people are really
= nothing to US. though, don't suppose il
matters whether we say anything or not.
"Oh, but it does he insisted, and then
:. something in her tone having raugh hi'
y attention, he inquired "YOu haven't sale
d anything to any one about it, have YOU
BellaT'
WHAT
You haven't repeated to any one wha
the child told you. have you?'
oh no. she said lightly. Not to any
one that would have any personal intercs
I in it,
=, "Oh, my" William exclaimed. dismayed
e Nobody that has the slightest interes
in the Sullenders, Bella replied with cole
I. dignity, Nobody. that cares the sligh,cs
thing about them
p "Well, then, what in the world did yor
tell 'em for:"
Y why, to pass the time, suppose
n Bella said a little offended Cousin EthC
e dropped in for a while this afternoon anC
e the whole thing was so extraordinary jus
;, such fuss about?'
IS I'm not" he protested feebly. Blu
even If the things true, we don't want tC
Is get the name Of people that gossip abou
. "Oh, my" she sighed impaticntly. "I'v'
told you Cousin Ethel hasn't the slightes
e personal interest in these people and besides
e she ii never repeat what ! told her.
e Well, If she doesn't it'll be the frs
s 'Wtl, please