Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-07
Mary or
Eloise?
Which
Should Win
Unusual Hero?

tnat MISS Selda GrinscOmbe-indeed,
yes, y, he She was just sensitive,
warm hearted boy and he lost his
heart and his head over a pretty little
Irish maid servant. really think she
was the first creature that ever showed
human interest and understanding
toward him. She was very young her
self then and-and rash and generous.
Q-when he found the wrong his
passion had done her" Mary fultered,
DO you understand"
Il savvy, ma am; twas because OF
some such wrong -doin's somewhere that
my mother left me with the folks that
treated me so bad-and that l growed
up without name.''
YES" cried Mary eagerly. land It's
just what my father wouldn't do. He
married the little Irish servant girl and
his family turned him out. Old Mr..
Grinscoombe never spoke to him again.
lie showered everything on Francis, his
other son, and when Francis died, after
a very creditable marriage and the birth
OF very credtable daughter, then he
gave everything to my Aunt Sclda-
though I've never called her that to her
face, mind you; and in his will he left
her everything, the money and the
mills and the old home my father loved
so. l don't know why Papa never went
away from here. He just stayed and
worked little and wrote his wonderful
book" Here Mary Strengthened and
felt her excited grip tighten on his
hand. ''No one will ever read his Won
derful book she said. 1--WE sent it
to lots of publishers. I typed it all.
myself--pages and pages Of 1t, and I've
made fresh copies, but they won't read
it. l know, because I put hair be.
tween the pages and it always comes
back not bit disturbed. think it
must be because Of the first two chapters
which are rather vague and wandering.
they don't catch your attention, though
l never dared to tell him so. But
later on--it's full of wit and numor--
and quaint--and It's very wise. Oar
ling Papa DO you know what his
when he was n little boy, and doesn't
she ground out the hated name as though
it had not been her own-"must have
treated him! The Earthworm, -
that's what he called himself. And he
called his book-"The Philosophy OF
an Earthworm.' When you get your
education, you must read it.
Yes, ma 'am,' said y gently.
She was sitting up straight and the
! tears had stopped. Now she dropped
again.
1T was after my mothers death
and, the passion was love, the very
best and most patient love, and 1t was
when he was so poor and my brother
was sick and we couldn't pay DIR.
! Sales bill. that Papa began to-to
drink" She had never said this OF
him before and it made her tremble to
say 1t. 'I--we tried so hard to keep
him away. And then we'd take turns
bringing him home until Harry wouldn't
let me do it any more. But Harry
went to New York to work and, after
ward, he came home very. very Ill.
And died"
That was Mary's story. @ listened
| to it. Except for the two answers
she had called for. he made 10 COM
ments. After the story was told. he
pushed beautiful clean white linen
handkerchief marked Q. 7. X. by a
very expensive linen merchant on Fifth
avenue into Mary's lap and she laughed
and blew her nose.
No other man she had ever known
or ever would know. perhaps. could
have comforted her so sanely and so
surely as did this queer pupil of hers.
Say" he murmurcd reasonably.
"lots of felers takes their drink and
goes home on crooked trail and none
the worse for it. He's sure Il real gen.
tleman. But it amt lady's business
rightly. You let me see to 1t. I sure
know the inside ways of bar. Lady.
likely. II your Pa had friend who
would drink with him. he'd be hittin'
the home trail when that friend kissed
his glass good night. / amt averse to
| a drink nights, seems more home like
to me. sort Of Will you let me take
up this claim. lady?'
She could only thank him; it was
hope, CLEAN under the old bridge of
her care. All the little shadowed rip
pies Frightened.
After he had left her, she kissed the
handkerchief marked q. II. X. Also,
she kept it. And she has 1t yet.
Stars in Their Courses
No step in Qs education was to prove
itself SO forwarding rs the association
which his promise to Mary brought
about between him and her father.
From two extremes of loneliness the
minds of scholar and cowboy drew
quickly to meeting point. And the
friendship was fostered truly-as many
more historic one--by the releasing
influence of wine. 1t was key to un-
lock the beauty of Mr.. Grinscoombe's
wisdom and gcntleness of Q's chivalry.
lie had guessed right; friend was Mr..
Griscoombe's need rather than an in
toxicant. In fact, the sympathetic
listener was the more heady potion.
q anticipated n difficulty in subtract
ing the little tremulOus, vague eyed
figure from its familiar corner of the
bar
I'm agoin' now, SIR" he said that
first night. standing above the older
man with so gentle an air of Difference
that to the Outcast Grinscoombc, un-
used to any show of reverence. he had
an incalcuable force for the restoration
of self-rcspect, "I'm agoin' home, and
was tigurin' that the tral'd be less
lonesome If you was ready to quit too.
Or are you plannin' to linger?"
Half-automatically Henry Grins-
coombe got to his feet, buttonng his
carefully worn and threadbare coat
with nervous fingers. There was
touch on his arm. He looked down at his
glass. The touch fOrbore to urge but
it seemed to tingle with need. He
found himself moving past row of
uninquring bncks out into the purple
splendor Of the June night
Say q murmured, feeling sort
of reactionary quiver in his companion.
as though he felt an unbearable re-
proach In the aspect Of the night, look
at them stars! What about getting into
| the meadows. oh, for sniff of the hay?
Or would you be ready for home?"
"You are proposing n walk. with me,
Mr.. Kinwydden?"
"If you'd be carn' to-" It was
half wistful. wholly honest, that def