Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-07

thing for a young man to amusc HIM
self with girl in the glen or in
dancing hall but to become responsible
IF he felt like that and found me in
Ramsey what would he Think"
Afraid and ashamed she was slowing
| down with the thought of returning to
! the Ginger Hall when she heard the
train whistle behind her. and looking
| back. saw its fiery head forging through
| the darkenss. That sent the hot blood
bounding to her heart again. and with
/ in few minutes she was walking
slowly down the main street of the
town, which was all shut up and silent.
She knew where Mr. Stowell's rooms
were-in Old PostoffiCe Place--and that
! he would have to come this way t. get
to them. She heard the train drawing
up in the station. the passengers troop
! Ing out. parting in the square and
! shouting their good nights as they went
| off by the streets to the north and
south. One group was coming behind.
on the other side of the way. laughing
over something they had seen at place
! of entertainment They passed and
turned down a side street and the echo
of their voices died away at the back
of the houses.
Then came n few moments of sicken-
ing silence. Bessie. as she walked on.
could hear nothing more. and another
chilling thought came to her What if
Mr.. Stowell had not returned by the
train and were sleeping the night in
Douglas!
All her courage and defiance ebbcd
away. and she saw herself for the first
time as she was--a miserable girl, cast
out Of her stepfather's house, in which
she had worked so hard. but in which
nothing belonged to her. homeless.
pcnnless (for she had spent her half
years wages on her clotheS) without a
shelter. in the middle of the night
alone.
1t was beginning to rain and BESSIE
was crying. All at once she heard a
firm step behind her. 1t was he; She
was sure of it. Her heart again beat
high and all her nerves began to tingle.
He was overtaking her. She turned her
head aside and wiped her eyes. lie
was walking beside her. She could hear
his breathing.
"Bpssie"'
"Mr Stowcll ~
Good gracious, girl. what are you
doing here
And then she told him.
III
The brute. The beast. Did you
tell him your train was late:
NO. He ought to have known that
for himself
$50 h" ought. You are, quite right
there, Bessie But didn't your
Mother is afraid Of her life of the
man. She daren't say anything.
WAS there any other house h" might
have thought you would 60 to--any
neighbor's, any rclation's:'
Il have no relations, sir.
"Ah! Then he deliberately
shut you out of his house in the middle
of the night. knowing you had nowhere
else TO go to-
"Tcs.'
The damned scoundrel.'
Bessie. who had been crying again,
vas looking up at him with WEI but
shining eyes.
We'll. what are you going to do
now DO you know anybody in town
who can take you in for ton!ght:'
"Then I must knock up one of the
Inns for you. Here's the old Plough
what do you say to the Plough:'
Dan BaldrOmma goes there-Mrs.
Beatty would get into trouble.
The Saddle then
Il go there myself every market
day, with butter and egss-pcople
, would be talking
There was only the Mitre Hotel left,
and Stowell himself shrank from that.
70 go to the Mitrc with girl 1T this
time Of night would be like shouting into
the mouth of negaphon" Within
twenty four hours the Who'll" town
would hear the story, with every eX.
plunation except the right one.
Put, good heavens. girl, | can't &c
home and 90 70 bed and leave you &c
walk about in the streets,
"Ill do whatever you think best
sir" said Bessie, crying again anC
atammcring
: They were at the corner Of Cd Post
, Office Place by This time, and. after
n moments : hesitation, he took the girl 5
+ hand and drew it through his arm and
then turned quickly in the opposite di-
|; reCtiOn. saying
p "Colne, then; let us think.
1t was still raining, but Stowell was
? scarcely aware Of thar. With the cir
' walking cose by his side he was only
a conscious Of O return of the faint dizzi
0 ness he hnd felt in the garden a,
Douglas. To conquer this and to kecr
e up hls Indignation about Dan Bal
l dromma, while they walked round thu
i square OF streets, he asked what thu
j man had said when he finally shut dowr
- tho window.
e "He said was to find my bed where
I had found my compsny,' said Bessie
!! stammering again and with her heac
~ down.
:. Meaning that you had been in bac
| company
!, Yes
- "The foul minded ruffian !"
p His nerves were quiyering, and h
Il knew that the hot lid" Of his indigna
Z ton was ebbing rapidly. Suddenly al
t idea came to him and he felt an i'm
n mense relief-Mrs. Quayle She wa
;. a good, religious woman, who had seer
o sorrow herself. and that was tho bss