Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-22
e.. .A,e NV FIRST Chance"

stnei. I Him. Hc would rather. die than
bas ~ sh,lline Of yours--or mine. You
IKE s,,h; him ms I do. Oh. Neil---if
dcnt Snom me-" She felt as II she
you s'hting for her life: -
vM ns, seemcd full Of unknown ter.
Inc ..hon she saw faint relentlng
rHs r Ssce she broke out again desper-
itsHp me, please believe me, Iii
p.h,ng--anything--if only you Will
6c. 6can!,e NO - And then the tears came
khsye, beInlessly down her face.
funnins r owes softened. and for a
istmsnt The silence wns unbroken
bns 1,U sor her pitiful sobbing; then he
-, an arm around her anu leu u''
sst to the chair. ,,,u,,.., - .o
"IDon't cry like that, Elianbetn' ne
IA hoarsely. "1t-hurts me 70 a nta.
60 ,ry r I've been rough I'm brute
Ttii hate that fellow-it,s he VINO mas
w. w between us. I know,
'""syo-no." '"sy said Elizabeth passion,
..,r."i gave that money to End. l
neg,,1 did. Mr.. Royston knows moth
y" about; he would never forgive US
Mrd that other two hundred!
r,mer M asked slowly, .,..,a
'ast' Her sobbing ceased, and she closed
kTvS k.TTSot-that was given to him she
:, t";ntlv. "But he does not know !;
I. ,hink--hc thinks it was paid back
e Kim BIZ man who owed MIN TWO
hundred pounds. Tia, ,r,,,,or;n,,v
rsr que .-"o' NO. she said. ~ will tell you
" sho sv to,d him everything. She even
A..hed Tho first dcspairing letter she
",a ~ receiycd from Meta and showed II
10 him. t., hor IN tho
IL ~ the room; he was man VINO
sss tound It easy hitherto to get ms
~n @ way with women, and often ne
'.n;sod himself because he had tailed
s.'p 'pisna,lv with Elizabeth. And yet
!. tossd her better than he had loved
~, - %o wonen in his life, and 1t was Bit
i.t,st w jealousy that had driven MIN 10
n cruel. l., .s osI
Was it worth the game. he was ASK
IN, himself, to marry this girl KNOWING
thst she cared nothing for him! w oula
there be any happiness for either ol
@sm II they were irrevocably tied To-
s,ther for the rest of their lives!
/, would be so easy to oe mas,
,,nimous, to destroy that check anu
y. hcr that the debt was Cancelled,
"a IL; her 60. and turn elsewhere 10Y
Ts harniness. end yet. lie went
rrittly back to where she sa; and
hid a hand on her shoulder.
"Elizabetl-thesc people - Royston
anil Tho girl who wrote that letter.
that are they to YOU that you should
kave been so anxious to heip them :"
Her heart seemed to contract WITH
,,onizing pain until she spoke, quite
steadily and without emotion.
'SThey were kind to me; they gave
me my first chance when l had no one
else to help me-
"And what about me?" he asked,
with uncomfortable pain. II have done
ny best for you. too. Elizabeth. but
YOU care nothing for me-" Her hands
were clasped in her lap so hard that
her knuckles stood out white. and for
an instant she felt as If she could MOI
breathe. 40 -,
Then she said mechanically: II will
pay my debt to you in any way you
wish. ! will marry you--if that is
the only way
It was no longer of herself that she
thought, but Of Royston. In her ignn-
rance she imagined that the negotiat- =
Ing Of that check might bring terrible
trouble upon him. although she knew
is surely as If she had been a witness
that Enid Sanger had herself forged
her husbands signature and taken the
money.
In that moment she would have suf-
Tered anything to protect the man
she loved.
She looked up at Neil Farmer and
I poor little smile curved her lips.
u will marry you--if you wish it, y
che said again.
Elizabeth He fell to his knees
besde her. and his arms went around
NJ 6ercely, Il love you. ! adore you.
III make you so happy" lie kissed
her hands in an abandon of joy.
"iou will be my wife you will marry
ne-soon?'
Yes"
But when he would have drawn her
eloN to kiss her lips she gave a little
sS,ooins sigh, and slipped fainting from
Nine. Senestis gave luncheon party
ne following day in honor of the eli :
nSenent. She told Elizabeth that she
lia quite forgiven her. and hoped that
1uey ~ would always be friends.
Ehzabeth's luncheon party, she
oled 1t; but the only guests were a
motley collection of her own friends,
VINO mad all heard Of Elizabeth's fail.
.e at the Duchess. and stared at her
eumriously and not very kindly.
lhere was n great deal of wine con =
sumed and many absurd speeches
made, and Elizabcth's head ached. and
I N. ley more wretched than ever in her
~ ,,re' Gelore' And yet there was a sort
nnu,.apn ,anlpn IN her heart, and II feeling OF
i"u'!crable ~" thankfuness, for that morn :
rS,L s LNeil Farmer had given her tho
rS. srS .,,h winch bore Ruyston's signature,
-4u w., allowed her to destroy it.
,,,i tne debt is paid - Handsomely
ss.o;.. a ne told her, land ! hold th,
vs,atpt he added, his arm around her
IL FARMER had got a special license
q. isu tnelr marriage was to take placc
M m, .our days time. Nine. Scnestis
~H.sssed TO squeeze out Il few tears
"lsn M!, she heard. "
n.,saa mIeh the luncheon party had dis
SusSsaa ana Farmer had gone, little
EliIu Eli,'hu.w with excitement and champagne
vro,o va'tth y. went up to her own room and
nots NJ. y" hoyston. 1t was only a short
uut every word was written will
~. hearts blood. ~ "''
I v,r,aa a gong to marry Neil Farmer,
notbins a, TO tell YOU myself. There Is
Elizabeth" " ''' 10 ao' 'ood'py--
sAs ~ S.d cared not read through wha,
pos,.a aaa written; she slipped out nm,
%S.nnt 1t Immediately.
keepsse en n, she got back the old house
s .M, met her at the door.
aouncsaf refe Is some one come she an.
for ea ~o, mysteriously. "A gentleman
DO, ~ mademoiselle. lie is in the
Elizabeth wo,,.,