Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-23
.4line's Mistake

jAT FIRST Alne had been swept
IA away by the discovery that she was
ictually in love with Mason Long. The
Shcer emotion Of it had stunned L"r.
but gradually her pride asserted itself
and she realized thar she must No, Civ
Nay to this feeling for 4 man who she
kas not ut all sure cared for hcr.
I With this summoning OF h"r pride
10 her aid, she rcsained ali OF the o.!
felf- confidence and natural cGotism
That had been hers before Charley had
asked to be released from their bargain.
4: She knew that she was lovely. she
tnew that she had charm. and already
Mason Long had shown himself sus-
eeptible to that charm. Then if lie did
not already love her. She would make
Aim care. She would lay out n cam
Daign to win his love and she had no
doubt that she would be successful.
IL at Zines she was troubled by tho
4act that Mason Long had always
1aintnined a Quizz!cal attitude toward
Aer. khe rcsOlutely put it out Of her
mind. \ nan was no match for clever
Noman. and it had never been difficult
for Aline 10 bring men 70 hor feet.
EVEN when she did not care for them.
Then how much easier IL would be now
that she actually cared. only that Sic
must 0e careful lest he suspect the true
state OF her feelings.
: As for Mason Long he was absolutely
.uneonscious Of the fact that he har
aroused anything like feeling in Al!ne
To 1o1 81 III 10
Snent. il anything. the night he had
sArst seen her at the Rradleys'. n.
hadn't known anything about lIelen'S
Hance until Martin had run in Oh him
late In the afternoon.
. He thought OF Aline as a type. She
was beautiful, incredibly lovely 70 look
At. but she was selfish and spoiled. lie
,eow that much at n glance. and he had
glanced with her several times in order
TO discover more. From that time the
Thought Of putting her into n book had
sbsen irresistible. Here WAS his chance
TO observe the genus Hapr.r at first
shand, and his subsequent engagements
with her had all been made with that
:point in view.
: Her engagement 20 Char.sy Tyne
was. he thought, typical of the atti. 9.
sEllde OF the Set in which She moved
There was no question of honest emo.
st1on about it. These young people wcrs
.llying on the surface Of life. they thriv :
ed on excitement, they moved from one
thing to another with incredible rest :
.lessness In the search for somcthln.
that would amuse them. and an on.
5gAgement to Alinc Foster meant .on"-
sthing that was only temporary, for in
sMasOn's mind she was too callnus %
BE capable Of real feeling.
He thought her superb in her cgo-
st1am. entirely capable of taking rarc q.
:berselI and utterly selfish. His con-
.ecience did not trouble him wharc
SGharley WAS concerned. because he felt
Ithat Charley was probably drifting
sebout with other girls in the same way
.ehet Aline was seeing other mon Wher
sthe news Of the broken "ngaCsnnnt ha,
sNnAlly drif'ed 10 MaSOn's ears, n,
tomiled cynically and shrugged hi,
sah0ulders. Of course he had expecte,
sAothing else. They were tired of carl
sother already. But when he had see,
sAline in Julian Warwick's arms at til,
s0utherford dance some impulse thar h,
sonuld not account for bad impellcd hin
% cut in on them. Afterward he Ia,
deliberately fiirted with her. perhap
because he thought that Warwick wa
20 particularly detestablc young cub
and that 1t didn't make any real dif
leFence to Aline who it was, lust a
IDng AZ some male was dancing at
s6sndance on her.