The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-01-12
When fl Girl
 Murries
By ANN LIsIIE
CHAPTER 45S,

&AsFVy at the entrance to Virginia lH2partment felt great many quaIms ebout the way I'd rejected all their noyal offers to help me. I hadn't told them of Neal's accident and the ev1- of silence. D A' my
 II wonder if Evvy will feel that ] mad any personal motive in keeping aeWs of Meals accident from her.. i SFnought as I travelled up to Virginia 6 apartment in the elevator. But in the 1ext moment l dismissed the thought IS unworthy. The new Evvy was |fready to trust her friends and to inn pute to them the same quality of lUy- elty she offered.
 Except for the hail light the apart Ement was in darkness when I entered. 1f1is meant either that no one had Escome home from Meals or that the nanily had retired. I was glad there \ of the evening. I tiptoed to my room W1cn sense of relief. When E switched on the lights I started back i E with an exclamation of astonishrnent Phoebe.
 She struggled up sleepi1y, blinking eL rhe lights With the rose-colored 4iken pun drawn about her and her nuffy hair framing her face end hang Ing about in sunny disarray, she looked like a child wakened out of It's first sleep. But when she spoke It was sternly-lil1e the woman Meals troubles seems to be making of her. Jeanie said you were dining with E Hwy Mason" she said reproachfully. She seemed to think it perfectly ali right for you to be friends with Evvy Mason. But think it's indencate, to say the least.''
 Why, Phoebe" returned help lessly. Surely you've seen Evvy re- gently in black. She's mourning Shel- don Blake with all her heart. Lou can't be cherishing any a:nimosity to-
 couldn't come right out and say: i
 surely you aren't jealous of the girl Wno was once engaged to Nea1?"
 anoeDe, however. % has no @ Tetieence up on the bed and kneeling there with her bright hair flying about her, she tossed back her head defiantly.
 Evvy Mason was once engaged to J1n, as you seem to have forgotten. l, And she f1irted with him right under your nose. Then she entangled Neal 3 haven't any sense of personal dig nity, I think it's my place to remind you that you owe. something to my brother and yours"
 Phoebe, dear" I protested, sitting on the edge of the bed and taking one of her hands in mine, "do you think as da1 haIr before to 5qdee Eyy by changed girl. She sent for me when was down at Dreamwold that time yop % were on 9a,v with hoaTaS, CaTlotta Eyyy and
  the end of it I had nothing but ad- mirartton for her. She'd analyzed her self mercilessly. She was ready to assume blame for other peoples blum ders and to start out with the deter imitation to make no more of her own. Our friendship dates from that time"
 Phoebe snatched her hand from mine and slid to the floor, where she turned on me with an air of cold, aloof dignity. entirely plotting out her youthful sweetness. sfYOYIr fr3endSbirlD ha cyies5 ingly Are you calling that woman a friend of y'ours?'' l
 ~Bless you, darling, don't call Evvy Mason that woman in such a tragic | tone," I returned lightly, confident | mat Phoebe's sense Of humor would l some to the rescue even if her sense |
 Phoebe took a step forward. grop- 5 ing for the footboard of the bed with | hand which trembled before it | pressed down so heavily on the wood that the knuclles on her little hand | showed white. .sT5aven't you any sense of the fitness | of things? Neal lies in his apartment | shot down by the man I was driven I to when Evvy stole my boy from me. And you go out to dinner with Evvy! | tell you 1t isn't decent!'
 Her syes flashed, her voice shook | and her whole body seemed devas- for her wrong and ungenerous atti- tude that didn't stop to reflect that she was being imperttnent and even insulting to me.
 ''You don't understand, dear" I l said gently. Virginia was won over by the sweetness of the new Evvy. | just as you will be if you'll come along tomorrow when I go to lunch with 1 her.
 ''Ycu think you're going to drag son," interrupted Phoebe furiously.
 You haven't any sense. Anne. I'm tempted to say you haven't any sense of dcency When I tell Neaa this. I you can get away with this high handed stuff.'
 "You won't bother Neal now" l said firmly.
 ''I'1l tell him just as soon as he's in condition to listen And fin the meantime, I'll give you choice. If with this Mason woman, you needn't speak to me"
 My patience thoroughly exhausted, and my emotions spent, bowed to Phoebe with icy courtesy and said
 ssWhen you're ready to act like a sensible woman instead of a stubborn child I'll talk to you, Phoebe"
 "Oh-indeedi" stormed Phoebe
 Tn another seccnd the door slammed behind her. Sadly I turned and be gan my preparations for the night.
 But in the midst of them I realized that I couldn't quarrel with Phoebe now In fact, didn't how I'd ever permitted the overwrought child fa involve me in @ misunderstanding l So flung on kimono and ran down fhe a1aH to Phoebe's room. There was no answer to my knock so I opened the door and went in. Going over to the bed, knelt down and whispered
 sePhoebe.' dear. wake up and listen | xtafIe Anne tels you she Is sorry"
 Sv1et're sorry?'' the works clipped l mt at me. ''You'n give up this Mason | woman %
 .sPihoebe. dear. can't do that" replied "But we mustn't quarrel over | such questions"
 Phoebe's voice had a curt fnality | which reminded me of Jim's on sad l rvrcasN sN,ns when I crossed the Harri- | er,T, rrfde and the Harrison will.
 aYou needn's have disturbed me for l