Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-31
Mary or
Heioise2
Which
Should Win
Unusual Herop
ance Of defeat7 He had sworn to 81

ance Of defeat7 He had sworn to Sir
sydney Grinscoombe that he would win
that girl. All her beauty swan before
his senses as he sat bowed on the edge
OF his iron cot. The room was darken-
Ing, for 1t was late evening, and against
the dimness Q's weary eyes painted the
pictures Of his desire. Presently he
closed them and fell back across the
bed, throwing up an arm over his face.
He was down. but he was fighting, only
"oh, Mr.. Kinwydden," a child's
nasal voice. whined at his door. "Oh.
say, looka here, Mr.. Kinwydden, now,
you're wanted at the telephone"
He came to his feet, startled, and
felt his way to the door. The room was
very dark; the cloudy August night
seemed to clog all his senses.
Where did you say. Kitty"
'Downstairs in the hall, mister,
right elost near the door. The sas-jet's
lighted--you'll see."
Sure. I .avvy. The telephone"
q descended two narrow flights Of
uncarpeted stairway and put a greasy
receiver. to his ear. The voice sent a
shock along his limbs. It was q quiet,
even voice, choosing its syllables pre-.
cisely, but It was the voice of panic.
is this you, Mr.. Kinwydden? This
Is Miss Selda Grinscoombe speaking.
/ found out from the Mills foreman
where you were. Mr.. Kinwydden. you
once made me a PROMISE"
Yes. ma am" said Q. His voice
was the counterpart In sound Of chilled
iron. Even across stretched wires, the
voice must have given warning, for Miss
Seida's tones hurried unevenly.
Now you have a grievance against
me, perhaps a just one"
No, ma am, / knowed you weren't
responsible he said, and caused
short silence.
Then the ,hurrying voice began again {;
1t was frankly pleading.
20, l need your help, desperately.
NY NY, child. my, little Heloise. Is in tor
He waited: the sas.jet showed his
unrelenting mask,
She has gone off with Fadden-oh.
l hoped 1t was just for an evening spin
but it's worse. He has dared her n
risk herself. They-tbey were bound
TOR an inn in the mountains" abe
gasped heavily, audlbly. TITS called
roly Inn. 1t Is not a respectable
1T is absolutely secluded, remote, in.
accessible. Out there he will have her
IN MS power, and I happen to know
tnat ne is angry with her. I have
.eiephoned the inn, but they don't an
swer. -, are you listening to me?"
she walled; he could hear her strike
hand. Aeu
th,nS ,nSes. s,u ma'am, n.' I'm hearing every.
ITS now half-past twelve, and
they're not back"
Miss Selda Was Weeping
= did not move an eyelash. Miss
Selda, when sne next spoke, was
weeping. ~
"Heloise would be here, II she could.
.! feel her terror. l feel her CRYING
Tor help-for your help. y, whatever
grievance you may have against me, she
mas no part in. Heloise believes in
you:"
"I'll be at the inn In about forty
minutes said =. Il know where it
lays. can get a car here pretty quick
oy means of q friend who has the run
ming OF his own machine. I'll leave
him here and speed the animal myself.
! learned how to stick it, more or less.
Quiet, lady, quiet! Good might to
He hung up.
A road, once Travelled By O, was
mapped indelibly in his memory. He
was very trailwise. He could have fol-
lowed the wandering lanes to Folly Inn
with a blindfold over his face. This
was nearly what he had to do that
night, for it was a night Of solid dark
ness. through which the Ford seemed to
be jerking passage for itself. The
owner OF the car had given it to him
with reluctance; damages must be as
sured; he expected the complete de-
struction Of his means Of livelihood. In
fact, more desperate venture than
Q's that night could hardly be
imagined. He knew far less about the
car than the average modern small boy.
He did erratic things. His course was
alternately n crawl and bound. and
it was almost invariably serpentine. At
regular intervals he stalled his engine.
He struggled up hills with his brake
on and plunged down them with 1t off.
At last, by dint of giving the animal
Its head and going at q shaken, un-
diminished, breakneck speed, he solved
most Of his problems, and went leaping
like a madman through the night.
When Heloisc, witch-like and swift,
had left = to face his punishment at
the hands Of Sales and Miss Grins.
coombe, she had meant to run back
to her dangerous game with Ferdy in
the garden. This intention had taken
her rapidly down the steps, more de-
liberately along the path between the
high hedges, and had faltered suddenly
at sight Of Ferdinand himself. She had
paused just where he was visible around
the corner OF her shelter. He was lean.
ing meditatively forward. fishing for a
cherry at the bottom Of his tall, mar
row glass, and his teeth showed be-
tween his smiling lips. 1t was this
smile that gave her heart wrathful
twist and sent her presently tiptoeing
back between the hedges to the house.
Let him sit there and smile until his
tonished bankness. Why was he, after
all, so sure of her? He must fancy
that, because she trembled, she loved
him No, that was not the name for
the excitement he proffered her. She
had learned to recognize, at least, what
it was not. In her room upstairs she
watched at her window. saw him fdget
In his chair. look up at the house. saw
him move about. The sunlight faded
from the gay canvas umbrella !; he was
n white and solid figure in the dimness.
She fancied she heard the short oath
with which he presently jerked his big
angry body away and flung 1t into his
limousine. He did not look up at the
house. His broad young shoulders were
sullenly squared under his thin coat.
Heloise laughed between her fingers like
naughty child. Lesson the first for
Ferdinand! And their next meeting
would be, after this setback, thrilling