Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-07

lOOkcu urOunu suddenly ana discovered
that Craig and Nancy had left the
room.
Craig and Nancy stood IN the upper
through which they could see the foggy
aura which hangs over New York on
winter nights. The fuint wail Of the
phonogrnph camo up to them. Craig
knew that he had but little time, 30
he put 1t to the touch. Win her or lose
her, It must be now.
Nancy Bowman. you ought to know
by this time that you nrc more to me
thnn anything else In the world. viii
you, marry me? Wait--don't speak !"
lie did not touch her some instinct,
too deep to annlyzc, warned him not to
seize her hands, the perfectly normal
action OF lover. to which no woman,
friendly In attitude, could reasonably
obJect. AS she made no movement sub
.1cct to intcrpretatiOn--the slight con.
traction of her shoulders might have
meant anything or n0thing-he went on.
Had he talked of love, a glimmer of
light might hnve penetrated the tragic
darkness in which she walked this hour.
hut he spoke Of material comforts, OF
her voice, of Frnncc and Italy, urged
by the devil to do so, no doubt. And
vet 1t was only logical that he should
oifcr his treasures first for she was
at the top Of youth and he was on the
way down to middle age.
1t seemed to Nancy that she had
heard every word Of this before. as in
rehearsal. She had visualizcd him
twenty times that day, in this very act ;
and twenty times her answer. For the
devil IN her wns this; to marry him,
II he offered. That she would be com.
mitting colossal cruelty to man who
had never harmed her. who honestly
loved her. was thought which could
not mako time with the passionate
pcrvcrseness rising constantly within
her. She turned, pale as alabaster,
no, no, no. She heard the three syl-
lables as clearly as though they had
actually been spoken in her ear. No.
no. no! With what effect! That the
tidnl wave rose to its crest and hung
there.
II will Marry You!"
II will marry you," she said Quickly
and brcathlessly---to have 1t over with
before the wave broke, to make ret,,u,
impossible. "But the engagement must
be kept secret until the end of the run
ana you must observe all the formnlities
as in the past" Thereby leaving thr
very retreat she was endcavoring to cut
off!
lie agreed eagerly enough. ANY con.
cession, SO that he won her in the end,
Tho longing to sweep her into his
arms and seal the bargain with kiss
was stcrnly held in check. Perhaps II
he had acted upon the desire, the con-
tact would have awakened her, the
wave would have crashed, and ali her
better instincts would have rushed up
70 ovcrwhelm the vague horror that
latcr was TO wait upon her substan.
psychology with which the girl was be.
mused--mcrely took her cold hands In
his and kissed them.
Theatre, theatre" called Jenny.
from tho foot Of the stairs.
on the return to the theatre Nancy
iauSncd at every comment Jenny Of.
fered; and not all these offerings were
comic; at least not to Jeremiah, who
this night determined to take his time
in passing alleys. What had Craig
said to her, upstairs there, that made
her, SO happy! He hoped, with all his
soul, that the seller Of adventures
would strike tonight, send tornado or
an avalanche out Of the first alley.
Nothing but extreme physical exertion
would serve to mitigate the poignant
HNSitAuk ulu MS
heart. So this was love!
"A dozen times he was on tho point
OF inventing some excuse to halt the
sedan and leave It; but he was shackled
not only by common politeness but by
the reluctance to leave Nancy virtually
alone with Craig. Somehow Jenny did
not count, somehow she would never
count again for pinning him so trickilj
to tho phonograph. Had Jenny some
understanding with Craig? The notion
filled him with bristling anger. He
had read Of such things-ths false
woman friend. Still, he had no au.
tilority for such a suspicion; and as he
grudgingly admitted this fact. shame
was bad, then there were no good
mischievous rather than prcmeditatcd;
1t was just his own cantankerous mood,
Seven millions! Supposing he flung
that at them, and proved It? Why,
he could probably buy and sell Craig,
ms they said in the street. But there
was one thing he never would do
and his spine stiNfencd at the thought
and that was. buy wife. As he
looked back he began to perceive the
real notion in his hiding under an a..
sumed name; he wanted to be loved for
HiWselt dioHe, not lot WHAT Nc could
bestow in worldly goods.
And hero she. sat at his elbow, by
the irony Of tho gods. had no but
known It. Poor Jenny who would
have followed him to mountain tops OF
down to dark abysses! He might, and
probably would, have felt extremely
sorry for her. but he would not have
offered her marriage because he was
sorry.
At the stage entrance he held Nancy's
hand for a moment. smiled, and let her
go. He wanted her alone. but that was
not possible, with the company fowins |
in through the stage door.
"We had a grand time, Mr.. Craig,"
Jenny declared with only half a lie, IA
real Thanksgivin' dinner r.
''Makes me happy to hear yop say
Co." Craig turned to Bancroft. "Any
particular place you'd like b b
dropped. Mr.. .Collinyswood?"
around a bis. I want to Thanh sou 70 {os
your Kindness" hs lied. Jeremiah VA
becoming accomplished In this conyon.
tion. Everybody lied: they had DO. Q,
not say to Craig: "Your turkey choiod
mo, your house smothsrsd me, and Be-
iifss &tstid to ''''" as he would s.7:
Craig lied, too. but carslsssay. ~
am eiad had the chance to o6er MI
He had no particular fear Oh this
boy; but somehow he was always
around. under foot; seemed TO- hsvs q