Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-07-18

| VS. AnS Ht Wuu Wd0 KOv
at. ! believe the stewards will sus.
pend his license altogether. or course,
YOU saw It In the papers," .
II don't read the papers much--a,
least, not the sporting section"
Audrey faltered the admission, ant
the big restaurant seemed to be swirl
ing about her MS the words left her lips
She had made ghasuy mistake! Wha,
must Harkness have thought Of heI
when she was delivering her tiradt
against his methods on the turf? Anc
why hadn't he defended himself?
The shame of the last question made
her vince. 1t had implied a contempt
which scared her like a hot iron: He
had not considered the accusation
worthy Of refutation. Or did his
silence imply a reproach? Did 1t in.
dicate that he considered the thought
unworthy Of her?
Lois was eying her curiously.
What's the matter?" she asked.
Don't you feel well?"
Audrey recovered her swaying senses.
81 am all right" She fumbled for
words. i have made dreadful mis-
take, and I have just realized it"
There was all the honest simplicity of
her nature In the admission, and Lois g
face was very kind as she heard it.
rs 1t Harkness?" she asked.
Audrey nodded. She ventured a
question she had wanted to ask ever
since she had come to Lois dressing
room.
"iou care for him. don't you:"
It was one of the crises Of Lois life,
tli", ..ni,,.e query IN the crowded res
tnmrant: and she met It with smile.
Only afterward did she understand
| wn.l the strain Oh her courage had
been.
Hes a decent old top" she said
lightly. "a real good sport to those
who understand him. We've been like
brother and sister for years. I sup
pose he'll be my best man when l marry
an earl. What have you said to him?'
II have been a fool admitted
Audrey lamely. Her eyes were wist.
fully ingenious. II have been ever SC
cruel and mean. I don't know what
he must think of me-"
Her head dropped n little.
Jimmy doesn't think-much," de.
clared Lois, 'or he wouldn't do the
mad things he does. I shouldn't worry
about him. He's got hide like d
rhinoceros, and l expect nearly every
thing you said would prove to be true
If it was examined properly Cheer
up"
"I'm afraid you don't understand
answered Audrey.
Lois smiled at her. She understood
more than Audrey imagined. Sh'
understood that Audrey was n chile
cropping on the edge of experience, tast
ing the bitter things which SO to thu
milking of n worldly knowledge. Loi
knew that she herself would never bav'
confessed to Audrey what Audrey hat
just confessed to her. 1t Is only th'
child mind which cannot hide IT.
thoughts: only child-l like honest.
which acknowledges those thoughts.
"Shall we go?" asked Lois suddenly
"I've got rather a lot to do this after
noon."
They left the restaurant, and out
side Lois said good-by, after pressin!
on Audrey an invitation to lunch will
her again next time she was in town
Lamps Of Memory
After Lois had left her Audrey stoo'
for some moments undecided what t
do. She was filed with regret and al
indefinable sense of shame. Vaguely sh
realized that In going to Hardness. n
she had done, she had chcapened her
self, shown herself as an interfering
busybody, where she had merely in
tended to endeavor to right wrong.
| Once more she wondered what h
must have thought of her, and will
that she decided what she would do
She would 90 to him and apologize
1t was the only thing she could do
She felt she owed 1t both to hersel
and him.
She walked to Arlington Mansions. n
she wished to give herself time to franz
her sentences. Her apology, she re
solved, would be ample without beini
abject. She would confess the hastines
Of her judgment. its lack of considera
ton. and ask for his forgiveness. bu
she would do 1t In such a way tina
she would not be placed in the position
Of suppliant. Her pride still lived
despite what Lois had told her.
When she reached Arlington Man
sions great nervousness seized her
1t was not to be so easy after all. Sh'
felt the fabric of her well-turned apollo
Nv cTuluDIIHK III HVI
The lift carried her to Hnrkness' fat
and his man opened the door and al
mitted her.
"Mr. Hardness is out, madam
Out! When will he be back?"
'T don't know. He hns gone away
Audrey was silent for few moments
Hardness had gone away. 1t was lik
"Whcre has he gone? How lon:
will he be away?'
The mans face was inscrutable.
and ordered II taxi. Where he ha
gone I have no idea; nor do I know
when he will return"
"rhank you" Audrey steadied her
self and left the fiat
Hardness had gone! Perhaps sh,
had driven him away with her foolisl
accusations. She wondered ut the feet
ing of loneliness which fastened itsel
on her. Why should she feel alon
because Hardness had gone away? Sh'
might never have seen him again IL sh
had not made this journey to town
And yet to have met him now on tn,
pavement-whut would 1t have mean
to her?
She tried to fight down the knowl
edge which was shaping in her heart
tried to smother the thing she had hOpei
to kill from the night when Harknes
left her; but she knew the effort wa
a failure.
On the opposite side of the road
some distance ahead of her, she say
Preslow walking toward her. He ha
seen her, and she knew she could no
meet him at that moment when Hark
ness filed her thoughts. A taxi crawle