Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-12-05
4 Cloud on the Horizon

IA LINE was of the type OF girl VINO
"A never stops to think where the
money came from that paid for her
shoes and hats and dresses. She mere
ly accepted the fact that her father
made plenty. that he was successful
financially. just as the fathers Of other
GIRLS in her own set were successful
financially. She spent money without
q thought of the value Of it, trusting to
her father to replenish her bank account
and to pay her bills, and consequently
vhen one morning just US she was about
! leave for the city on a shopping
Pip her mother stopped her with rather
q worried look on her face. Aline was.
to soy the least. amazed.
"Aline, come into my room Tor
moment. will you? want to talk to
you" Mrs. Foster said hurriedly. and
Aline, smartly dressed for day in
town, Was forced TO comply.
She flung herself into Il low rocker
Ind pushed up her veil that she had
drawn 200 tightly across her face. =,
"Hprry: VII YOU %otbstn sn,n. she 81 miss Sf.s
that II o'clock train if I'm not care
"Alne. what were you planning to
buy in town." her mother asked, still
with that worried look; and the ques..
tion was so unusual that Aline stared
at her mother In amazemcnt:
"Why, I need a lot Of things, she
said carelessly; "a couple of new eve.
ming dresses. and l do need another
dinner gown. Why do you ask, moth
hnfo
Mrs. Foster was sitting before her
dressing table. playing nervously with
\ silver. handled nail file. and as she
looked up suddenly and met her daugh-
ter's eyes Aline was struck by the ex.
pression on her face.
"Aiother, why do you look like that
b anything wrong?"
Mrs. Foster drew a long breath:
"Your father has lost some money,
che said evenly. ~ don't know just
how important 1t Is, because ! don't
understand business affairs very well
but he told me last night TO he careful
about running up any more bills unit
he knew how things were going to come
out"
For a moment cold fear settleC
around Aline's heart. but almost imme'
niately she was laughing It away.
"Oh. mother, you're making a noun
tain out Of a mole mill. You dom
really think it's s,rious. do YOU!
II don't know your father Is very
much worried. He's going 10 try tc
borrow some money from the bank tc
SEQ him through, but some investment:
Of hts have turned our badly
"And in the meantime mustn't buy
any more clothes?'
mo. Aline, your father asked MI
particularly TO speak to you. Adele
hasn't been paid for three months, anC
Il costs n great deal to run this hous'
and pay the servants. Perhaps IL wG'r
careful We may pull through. I
not" Mrs. Foster hesitated. an
there was an omlnous silence betweel
them.
"If not: the words echoed and re
echoed in Aline's mind. OF course
mother was taking this too seriously
She couldn't mean that there was an
real danger that they might be poor
Why, it was unthinkable Such thing
didn't happen except in books. But
spite of the fact that she tried to mai
iisht Of it. Aline's thoughts kept r.
,vefting to Phyllis and the ugly iitt
house In Nutley. II anything haI
,Dsued. would they be like that: Wou
key have a maid like Lottie, who shu
6ed around in slovenly slippers, al
would she, Aline. have to clean her ou
room and help get the meals on 4
maids day out! She shuddered Mt q
thought, but somehow she couldn't 8
away from 1t. and her mother SEEM
hetermined to believe the worst.
Tnr,nrrov-Tha Rlov Ealls