Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-24
CHAPTER I
O.ll Of Youth

kD OH Of Youth
=, ,.,d on the Upper Terrace was
-, Ii. "Blus Danube walts.''
q. tss: haunting tune hoatsd aeros. the
q =. S,ns. cosmopolitan crowd which
Frss, y. Lower Terrace and out to
-, Brent, leaning on the baius'
Ase. ~. abelter Of q clump OF wills.
~ \. y ,slms. ssssd round her apprs.
,, Behind. a fairy place built
-. ssa's,. S,,,,cisn, lowered the Casino
T.' n Tho sunshine. inviting. Be-
a.S ...S,.,chsd the terrace. a vivid ka:
n 800 . Of color and movement filled
n srollins, well.dressed men and
~ m. hum Of their talk made q
v ~, 'a,d.rurrent to the lit Of the
y. . monotone Of dull insistence.
w. s..,t III. white marble the shadows
.u s,..t and clear-cut as silhouettes'
~. .himmerins haze obscured the
xkance. - -.,s A,d-.v
d. darkness smiled down at her.
81 II h,y. been here many times" he
~ quietly. "But I have never en-
Ia ~ :, visit so much as I have this one.
4, ,ood fairy must have been guiding
= vbeu I went to the hotel at Lu-
.,,,Lvhere you and your aunt were
,nsins."
audrey gazed reAcctively at the prom
.,,dlus crowd through the trunks Of the
,.lm trees. She and Hardness offered
. a,snse contrast. Audrey was slight,
$500. fragile, with a girls freshness
n about her and a girls innocent can.
4, IN the level glance Of her brown
M, Hardness lowered over her.
sanding between her and the sun
Int, 50 that his shadow darkened her
uoturued face and dulled the light in
NJ, .yes. He was well-built man,
s,cns with the easy strength Of the
rnther, Of indeterminate age, perhaps
thirty or more, his face bronzed per-
u,nently by a life spent much in the
oc,u, his sleek black hair brushed back
and innocent Of parting, his eyes star
dInsly gray against his swarthness and
eoH despite the smile which lurked
h them as they regarded Audrey.
He had met the girl at Lucerne In
ne first place, where she had been
saying with her Aunt Ella. and a
hiendshIp had sprung up between them
which was rapidly promising to become
something stronger. When Audrey and
her aunt had announced that they were
having for Monte Carlo, before pro
essding to England and home, Hark
lsx made the discovery that he was
NEEDED In England-the reasons he gave
were extremely vague-and he hat
travelled with them.
Il suppose you will be glad to b.
home and see your mother again." oh
ered Harkness after a lengthy 81.
kncs. despite the fact that you hav,
enjoyed your holiday
Yes." Audrey looked up at him
Ny mother Is wonderful woman
you know, at least think so. Sh
ever 90 beautiful and clever, an,
iood to me. My father died when I wa,
NY tny-1 don't remember anythinI
q him-and so my mother has beer
Just everything to me all my life"
darkness caught his breath. Her las
sofds echoed in his brain like thun
def, and he felt his cold senses sway
ing lt the repetition. Everything L
ny il my life! The folly of the thin:
which In the days since their meetini
aad gradually taken hold of him-th,
probable wickedness of twas hardl,
considered. He only realized the cir
and her setting. The blazing sunshine
me hard, black shadows. the dream,
Salta tune, languorous, subtly stirring
!he gay crowd. and the murmur O.
'ne surf on tine distant foreshore, toss
ms the spindrift like Jewels into tn,
sht. He felt the call Of youth to tIt
ne inevitable miracle Of its life, and al
@s years o. his experience were strip
~ from him. the dark ways through
,..sa un,ea ne had travelled during those
his powerful brown hand close
yNr Audrey's slim white fingers al
"X rested on the balustrade,
!, audrey Hardness almost won.
NJ az the sincerity which vibrated ir
The girl faced him. She did not at
Sup. to withdraw her hand, and IN
~ ~ yes was light which Harkness
fore. A :" woman 8 eyes be-
~, lou were saying your mother ha,
n. H. everything to you all your life. u
Hi,t ~ tt'emoled as he spoke. "Do you
tS.t aA tLat anybody else could ever b.
io,sd " you! DO you think that II
,u ts.,oa you and cared for you and pro
S..a n. you you would ever one day say
'ns same Of me?'
ne meant 1t. He told himself tbat hr
do~n lt,,,every word. And vet, deer
NV. swrm inside him, he was conscious OF
'%%gI'nins %I laughing-ironically,
v,r. nave only known YOU n Iittl,
Sra %ae, Audrey's voice was yerv low
/ b,isi iiSuy. lie. her eyes held his. and TO,
ihou.s.. . second of shame he almost
~, S,usni ,an he could read an accusation Il,
n II a%k. aiUSk. But i" Audrey faiter.
p.htoaa 10Y 40 love me, Jim?"
tbsi, i.na the palms, in the shadow OF
r.,. @ gently swaying tops. these two
n NM ~ ~ much alone as people can b,
|r,s we Oackwater of a vast self inter.
|St ~ ,d crowd, as alone as though they
TSapt TSSpart i,. on a silent hill top.
|u.., d'at little cry, that plaintive an.
ii isss,i,u carrying, as 1t did, a full con .
SR iSnSS,. Of all Audrey's innermos1 mos
n Mtb", tba sr'rred Hardness and crush .
20, 'ae s,,at last remnants Of his self. con
|si,S,I III, Is'tiencing the voice which ieered
I'g md H. n'm. His arms went about her
n, NJ hs. sne lay plant against him. with
~ i4aIr brushing his cheek.
|kb. , love you" Harkness whlspered
tnnS words rus tiercely. All the man's
i TS iay. nature An,l was in the utterance
k,ctr H"d you will come and see mo di
STy ! get back?"
tor ~ ,b,, tnree days, dearest. I shall live
"WiaI!I mex next meeting.''
H."." you kiss me, Jim?"
9.S ups were offnrad H., ..I