Evening star., 1922-11-26
Mary Elizabeth explained that.

I Mary Elizabeth explained that.
so" he sad-and ghost of smile
crossed his bandaged and beplastered
face-"so you didn't have any busi-
ness to be there
No" said Mary Elizabeth.
Il didn't have any business to be
where l was" the young man admit
! ted Il was with-well. perhaps I'd
better not say who she was; she is
somebody else's wife"
You drove very recklessly." Mary
Elizabeth said quickly.
Il wasn't driving"
You mean she was"
Yes" said the young man
And then when she wrecked the
car and almost killed you she ran
+ off and left you?'
Well" said the young man. you
can hardly blame her: it wouldn',
this morning"
Mary Elizabeth said nothing. She
just felt there were some things you
couldn't do-even to escape a scandal
Perhaps she went to get help. we
don't know"
"She went the wrong way Mary
Elizabeth said.
What ] want to know is. are you
| likely to be found out?"
NO" said Mary Elizabeth. "But
you are People will be looking for
| YOU
| Il hardly think So" said the young
man sravely. I'm on a vacation. SC
my Office won't be expecting me. And
| / can send word to the hotel wa:
staying over at the Briarcliff Arms
| And so, if the lady can manage tc
conceal the fact that her car i:
smashed. or explain it-why. nobod,
need ever know"
"Oughtn't to get word to her tina,
you're all right?" Mary Elizabeth
asked.
NO" said the young man. "l
think well let her worry about
that
Mary Elizabeth looked at him
gravely.
Then" she said. you aren't very
| much in love with her. are you?"
NO" said the Young man, I'm not
any more"
The nurse came back into the room
and there was nothing more to say
and Mary Elizabeth rose to go.
II do hope you'll come again." the
young man said.
81 think 1 SHALL" said Mary Eliz.
abeth.
81 shall be very lonesome" the
young man suggested.
Mary Elizabeth smiled.
"It may be good for you-to bs
lonesome" she suggested.
Mary Elizabeth did come back the
next day. and the next. She slipped
| away every day for ten days, excep,
Sunday. She just couldn't manage
Sunday. She got to know the young
man very well and to like him very
much. He hadn't led quite the kind
of life her father and mother ap.
proved of. He had been a member
of the Country Club crowd-or one
just like it over in Briarcliff. Blu,
she felt he was really an extraordi.
narily nice young man-at heart
Just knowing him had made hel
somehow happier than she had ever
been. Or was it having this tre.
mendous secret from all the world:
She came in to dinner every night
as coolly as If she hadn't been visit.
ing him. She read every night after
dinner until 10 o'clock. and then She
put her book down and kissed hel
mother goodnight and kissed hel
father goodnight exactly as she al.
ways had. And all the time. in the
back of her mind. was the secret
they didn't suspect and couldn't sus.
pect and mustn't suspect.
And she wasn't ashamed Of it-not
really. She was proud of it.
THERE came a day when the
l. young man announced that he
was well enough to leave the hos.
pital.
I'm almost sorry" said Mary
! Elizabeth. Il shan't see you again
That's. where you're mistaken
the young man said.
But, you SEE" Mary Elizabeth
began.
''Come here and sit on the edge q
nay bed" the young man ordered.