Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-02

The Vengeance of
Henry ,Jarroman
By ROY TICKERS

|
made away with 'imself.
well. was just wondering wot I
was going to do when gentleman Of
the name of Mr.. Theed, who said @ was
lawyer. fcomes to see me and takes
both the babies of my 'ands. n was
! smooth spoken gentleman, polite I
will say, 70 could ask i'm questions
without giving Of offense. e tells me
! that little Miss Camden was going to
a relative Of is, and little Miss Jar.
roman was going to the 'Ome for the
Daughters Of Convicks. Which 1t was
right In q way. For, me not being able
to bear to think Of that pore little mite
as 'ad been In my care going to one O.
them ONES and me not caring, about
1t, l used ter 60 and see 'er reS'lar for
matter Of years--take 'er little pres.
ents when she was old enough, and all
that. An made It my bisness to track
out where little Miss Camden 'ad gone,
too, for that Mr.. Theed g didn't look
the sort Id trust with my child; so I
found out about old Miss Quest and
that she was doin' 'er duty by the little
girl, which was you. mum, though q
bit strict from what I could ear.
We'll. when she was about seven,
Miss Jarroman took 'crself off and
amt never seen 'cr since. And after
Miss Quest died, you went off, mum,
and so I'd lost both Of you in manner
OF speaking. Then. the next thing is,
see ip the illustrated paper as Miss
Jarromannwith your photograph, mum
was gettin' married to the son Of
lord, which ! thort strange, and when I
looked at the photograph the more
looked the more I said to mcsclf, This
Is Miss Camden ns was brought up by
old'Aliss Quest surely, ,'-'avir' kept nm
eye on you. mum, SO to speak, of an
on for a number Of years, and KNOWN
you. by sight"
No one moved.
well, what did I do? What any.
body with any sense would ave done.
l went to the gentleman as 'ad come
to me in the first place. by name Mr..
Iheed,, which / got at is old address,
which 1t took me several days to find the
new one. and l asked what it all
MEANS"
What explanation did he eive?"
Wilfred's voice betrayed nothing At all
Ee didn't give none, sir" soid
Mrs. Jsrratt, with something of indig-
nation. "Leastways. c told me first of
az 1t was nothing to do with me and
ia get mesclf into trouble II l was
TO- meddle-which 1t isn't any good
talking to me like that, sir. Then
e gets out Of is chair and e seq, Mrs.
.,arratt., g scz, you're woman of
the world e scz. You're dead e
sez: DO you understand me. Mrs. Jar
ratt! c scz. No, SIR sez, to speak
plainly. I don't Whcreupon e takes
out a pocketbook and gives me a ten
pound note, which left on the table.
knowing as e wouldn't ave done it If
there adm been something wrong.
:. Well. l goes nck 'ome and thinks
will ave It a mistakes 1s been enc msSe m'ose
somewhere, so SEE to meself, 1t won't
Mrs. Stranack,' sez. tell 'er what
You know and see what she as TO ssy
about it. See # q mistake as been
Mrs. Jnrratt's smile was OF last OK.
tinguished. Her bright eyes went dis.
tressfully from husband to wife.
Nadia was still erect, but her long
lashcs hid her tortured eyes. Wilfred'
STRENGTHENING himself abruptly in his
chair, fung. a challenge at her that cut
IKE the lash Of a whip.
Wei. Nadia? / think Mrs, Jarrott
would like to know whether what she
mas mas told us is news to you or whether
Nadia and WiIretl Part
A quiver went through Nadia, She
made an odd, lost gesture.
Yes she said, II knew already. T
have known for some little time that
l am not Mr.. Jarroman's daughter"
oh. well, then, no arms been done
anywhere, by any one." cried Mrs,
her smile invincible, "WeII.
now, that's load off my mind. that is
So l think III be going now. after
wishin' you both all 'appiness and
.Gpin, 'aven't been takin' up Of your
LET me see you out. Mrs. Jarratt."
Ihank you, sir. Good night, mum.
90 'ope---" She stumbled and stop.
II am most grateful to you," said
Nadia. "Good.by."
Mrs; Jarratt clutched at the hand she
Omerea room ,.b preathed W, heavily. and left the
AS the door closed behind them Nadia
rose from her chair and moved close to
the fire. She noticed with detachment
that her movements might have been
those OF an old woman. That was not
surprising. She was old now, for she
had lost Wifred, and he was youtb
and nll the JOY OF life.
he was returning.
She turned her face toward the door.
and met his look fully as he re. entered
Iut she did not speak.
Wilfred, too, came up to the fire.
md they faced each other, standing on
opposite sides Of the hearth. Nadia
,oted, again without emotion, that from
aim, too, youth had gone.
i've always believed in individual
'reedom,' he began abruptly. you
snow that, Nadia; we've often talked
l6out it. ! didn't realize before to.
light hOw-thOr0ughly you must have
agreed with me-" His mouth twisted
vryly.
What I'm driving at is" he went
IN, as she seemed about to speak, 'that
hOugh your affairs arc entirely your
lhairs, there is an angle of them at
which they overlap and become mine as
veil. I'm referring, of course, to the
settlement MIR. JarrOman made on you
when We were married, and to this
louse. ] never liked the idea of lean
ng 80 heavily on his gifts, but I pre-
ended at the time-cOnceited buffoon
hat l was--that my services were SO
Indispensable to the country that l was
morally justified In allowing myself to
&c financed. As result. I'm in most
'bOminable position. I've been spend.
ng money that isn't even my wife's;
we spent more of it than I CO" pos
IDLY repay. How am | going to meet
|arroman againy'
Neither had tried to avoid the others
'aze. Wilfred's hot with an anger that
rembled In his voice despite his iron
will Nadia's ansuished, hunted.