Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-30
- By Katharine
NeUlin Burt
Mary or
Eloisef
Witch
Should Win
Unusual Hero?

"e % %.su y" "''""s'
"Oh. they can't do anything until
they've heard Sophie's story. But she
won't marry @; not n chance. She
name."
Silence followed, during which .
maid .delicately intruded to place Miss
Selda's mail In her hands and then
withdrew, her eyes betraying curiosity.
Heloise took advantage Of this inter-
ruption to escape: She was still white,
but bore herself daintily, as though she
were q creature aloof from sordid real
tiles.
Miss Sclda glanced abscntly down al
the letters in her hand and became at
once electrified. She rapidly tore open
a dense white envelope. When she
smile of Sir sydney Grinscoombe.
She caressed the letter with long
fingers; the stony self possession had
returned in force.
"You were quite right, william"
she said. II admit It. It was foolish
to imagine that the youns man had
to fancy that roush stone must neces-
Heloise has had quite a miraculous
escape from some unpleasant day of
reckoning. My fault entirelyl ! let
down the bars for a reason--which,
luckily, has now"--again she stroked
the ceased to exist" She
smiled slightly. HE was an amusing
creature. He might have been useful.
Perhaps he was." She dismissed him
with gesture and, rising, walked over
to her desk and put her letter very. care.
fully away. Then. turning. we can
He was always. for some reason I
couldn't quite fathom, a thorn In your
flesh. wish Fate could remove some
other thorns as easily"
"From my fesh?' William rather
uneasily replied, his hands at their
YES" Miss Selda hesitated, stand
ing. with a hand on her desk. She
looked cruel. II was going to send
for you this-morning in any case,
after church, which sec we have both
you were going to send for meT'
Yes, about an absurd, perhaps an
alarming incident. This paper I found
had been weighted with a stone and
tossed in through my window. 1t has
to do with you"
| SoieS He4d t1s0 L0Cpr
She took a crumpled sheet from her
dress and handed 1t to him. Sales
read and whitened.
We are going to get rid Of william
Sales The readj. If you don't chuck him
from the hospital staff and publish
reasons for doing 90 before next Monday
in our own hands. It will 90 hard with
Sales. He is, In the eyes Of God, his
own conscience. and our judgment, a
murderer.
This was signed, "Widower."
Sales read and stared at the bold round
signature. His indolent memory dimly
ghosts. "a widower?" Clinton's wife
who had died with lockjaw In the
ward-they could hardly get him foI
that. Nobody could knOw-least of all
the slovenly head nurse he had retained
In ofhce-that he hadn't properly ster-
ilized his set Of instruments, taking
a chance because it was late and be
was dining out. Perhaps it was the
big Blain woman. No, she had been d
creditably borne inspection from sus.
viving relatives. Stay! There had
been midnight call, on a stormy night
last spring. Some woman at the Gully
a bad heart! He remembered now
the voice Of the summoner. ''It
wouldn't do you no good to know, m,
name. doc; I'm a stranger in thcs,
parts. But the woman is took awfu
bad. Say, doc, you better come. .'
Why, that voice had been Q's. Sales
had never linked the dissociated in
cident-the voice. drawling, incredu.
lous, urgent, through the wet night
now startled him vividly: Sales
wondered why he hadn't tumbled out oi
his bed to obey that summons.
He remembered that he had been
half dead with sleep and he had said
something about rabbit warren,
something outrageous.
You're badly frightened. aren't you,
William"
Miss selda's tone had a poniard's
point.
"Of course not!' he exploded in =
stantly. what nonsense! The fools
that write such letters are the least
fearful beings in the world. Cowards
and liars" His big face was blotched !;
he began to move about. ponderously
Quivering. But you've got to do come :
thing, Selda. On my word, you have"
he was suddenly leering bully. He
rolled his head at her. You don't al :
hope" This was a threat.
"You have brought such letters upon
yourself, William" she returned with
a quivering courage. How can l
protect you forever from yourself,
criminal neglect?'
He swelled, his big face eoRpsr.
haven't you to fear? What can hurt
me as you can be hurt--by me?"
At this she walked rapidly aud stood
beneath Sir Sydney's portrait, her
trembling hands clenched on the edge
: Of the mantel. 1t seemed almost as II
she looked to that old contemptuous
symbol of Grinscoombery for help.
"Oh, don't" she cried out pitifully
don't dare to speak like that. IL
Of course I'll do all I can. You know
1t. All can. What else have done
with my life but use 1t for your ladder,
) your shield! It's been long--my life
Please 60 back to your own house now,
William. want to feel again that this
10 mine
He laughed all shakenly and dis
cordantly and fumbled his way through
, the gold -colorcd curtains to the from,
i. door. He was different figure from
, the one that had rolled in triumphantly
+ an hour before.
, Miss selda, beneath Sir Sydney
e sneering portrait, wept. She wep
{ proudly, her body shaken against sterr
t repression. Gradually the stiffness
t soothed her, the sound of church bells
G irregularly regular, shaking dim musi
drowsy August woods. She becam
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