Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-18
CHAPTER xxx
Illith Intrudes

'It's too positively sweet Of you,"
said Mrs. Fernald. She lay back in n
corner of the couch by the fire and
looked at Molly with melancholy eyes.
She had been at Manor Dyke two
days. and already Molly was wondering
II 1t were possible to hate any one az
much as she hated her guest.
Lilith was looking beautiful IN her
Widows dress. with its demurc white
collar and cuffs. and nobody was more
acutely aware of the fact than she. :.
Its too positively sweet Of you"
:ns said again, raising. pensive eyes:
asking INC to stay with you when you re
Just so newly married, and of course
must want Mr.. Harden to yourself all
the time"
She knew as we'll as anybody that
Molly,s marriage was not a success ;
even II she had heard nothing of the
village gossip she would have guessed
before she had been in the house half
an hour.
There was an indefnable something
that made itself felt. though Harden
vas courtesy itself to his wife, and
Molly went out of her way to talk to
him whenever. Lilith was present.
As soon as Mrs. Fernald came, Molly
regretted the impulse that had led her
70 ask her; she hated to see her talking
% John; she hated her pensive face and
tne sigh that seemed to permeate her
words whenever she spoke she hated her
because she looked so beautiful.
Even Wharton had hardly taken his
Eyes from her that first night at dinner,
the cold. "
Men were all the same, size supnosed
bitterly; a pretty face meant more to
them than the warmest heart in the
world: she found herself wondering
how Harden had made love when he
Ta Vas a young man; il he had kissed
iihlith many times; she caught her
9reath on that thought. clenchinr her
hands. Oh, she hated her!
ehe was thinking some such thins
now az she and Lilith sat in the lonE !,
beautiful drawing room and tried to be
polite to each other,
she laughed at tho elder wdman's
"0h, we're not a bit Of a lovin,
couple she declared. II hate senti
meht' and nll that silly nonsense
..hank goodness we got over it all be
ma ,oae We came back from the honey
It. sounded almost as II she were lie.
rnlhg to the sentiments Of another
woman, she thought dcsolately; sh,
wondered II 1ilith had the sma Hest ides
S|nat Snat sort Of honeymoon hers hat
Liith dabbed her eyes with a hand,
Aerchlef trimmed with real lace.
MY marriage was always q honey
moon,' she said with touch Of emo
ton that was for once genuine. Their
was no doubt that she had loved he
nGsoand--nG doubt that when he died
ne hal lost something for her whicl
II would never be able to regain, bu
an the same she was d woman will
sn % eye to the main chance, and sh
peiieYed she had 1t here.
a, nhe had seen Wharton's devotion Il
Mo,ly, and she believed that Harde,
nad never loved his wife. Fate wa
paying into her hands, and though sh
nad Just suggested to Molly that sh
brought her visit to a close with tn
Weekend, she had no idea Of leayin
sGanor Dyke for some time to come
She rightly guessed that Molly woul,
answer as she did, "Stay as long a
you like; it's quite nice to have som
que que else IN this old barn besides JUS
our two selves"
softly. ~ ""u'
Mr., "Ess," Ws".,Msto Molly agreed readily, IAN
,.,I. "saeh 2 nice boy" Lilitb said sym
Molly fell into the trap.
fes,' she said, II used to hat