The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-09-14

the company of his friends" cor. rected Dr. Milton, in a voice which made Clavering understand that Mil ton would never forgive Glendenins even if Margaret Earle did.
 After arranging to accompany Mil ton to the funeral of his wife, Clav- ering went to Glendening's room where he found Harry in a very fe- verish state.
 T am glad you came, Jim." he said T have something, of great impor tarce to say to you. was afraid you wouldn't get here in time" Then after he had sent the nurse from the room, he whispered as though he were afraid the walls would hear.
 Keep Doris away from me for a few days longer. will you, old man?
 Whats on your mind now. Harry? l thought you were anxious to see Doris and get her forgiveness.
 Instead of making any comment Glendening thrust an early edition of an afternoon paper Into his hands with small item on the first page marked
 Clavering read:
 -- Mrs Margaret Earle Is returning home unexpectedly She is on the Aquitania which left Liverpool yes terday. This will be a surprise to Mrs. Earle's many friends who were under the impression when she went abroad a few weeks ago that it was for prolonged stay.
 When asked, as she boarded the ship, if she could give for publication the reason for her change of plans, she smiled.
 ''It. is a woman's reason-it is just because
 Clavering read the paragraph through twice and frowned. He saw, even before Glendening spoke, that Harry thought Margaret had seen some news items about his being shot and was hurrying home to him.
 At first Jim thought that he would disabuse Harry's mind by telling him of the cablegram that Davis had re ceived from Margaret. Then he de- cided he could not do so without be- traying both Margaret and Dr. Mill ton. So he said:
 Tt would be hard work. Harry, to keep Doris away. She feels that in way she is somewhat to blame for the whole thing. She told Davis that if she had forgiven you when you went to her the other day, this would probably never have happened. She wants you to forgive her quite as much as she wants you to be assured that she has forgiven you"
 Harry groaned.
 Jim, I wonder if you think I am utterly graceless if I tell you that at the present moment I do not want to be forgiven. I only want to look upon the face of Margaret Earle. Oh. Jim, if I had not been such a fool; if had just been able to have been true to Margaret for two weeks we would now be on our way to Quito"
 T expect you have seen, Harry, in the papers that Claire Adams wrote you letter in which she said she thought she was going to Quito with you"
 Yes. I saw it--I saw It." I must have been insane to have told her that would go anywhere with her. She was very beautiful, but after l got tired of looking at her she bored me to death-poor thing. And yet l could not leave her alone. This cursed conceit of mine made me want to be flattered. Margaret had hurt my pride.
 "Oh. you cannot despise me more the day before all this happened, l really did come to the conclusion that would try to turn over new leaf. I went to Doris and asked her if 1t were not the best for both of us to begin all over.
 "Of course at that time I did not realize that we could never do this. Fate had to give me this hard bump to make me understand that one can no more go back and live over ones past in a cleaner and better way than one can stay the calendar and turn back time whose rushing course is always onward to eternity"
 E(Copyright. John F. Dille Co.)
 Tomorrow-The Unredee ihable.