Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-03-06

y marry marry yonsw wr which Claire has hidden.
S,ues live saks her 10 marry him and ~ ae-
ic"iss.d . crsnfs srip :: on !. htI; Il. siri.
worthless tsss:n 'shmit himself BY sivins rp drink;
md Veniza asrecs that |'a"o '"~'
AND HERE 1T CONTINUES
CHAPTER XI
Tho Rendezvous
0ArL vENIZA, pacing restlessly
I about the room. glanced snrrepss
.;,;ously at his watch, and tnen s'ahco"
.nsiously at John Bruce. ,.S
nJohn Bruce in turn stole ioEa AZ
rsir.. His lips frightened e niue:
S;nee she had been told notnine' sne
IA quite unconscious. OF course. tnSt
= msttered at all because, II was al-
,..dv long after 8 O'Clock; that Haw-
I'M IN particular. or any one eise IN
..nsrsI, was expected to join the littie
:,snins circle here. in what ne, Jonm
Nmre, had by now almost come NO can
NJ room. His forehead gathered IN
hovn. What was It that was keepins
Hawkins?
C.;re's face was full in the light,
,,S as she sat there at the table, busy
~;tb sone sewing. it seemed to John
r,nce that. due perhaps to the per-
.nsctive Of what he now knew, he de-
,ssted A weariness in her eyes and In
,A,rn lines around her mouth that he
Md. NOT noticed before. 1t was Crang.
a. course: but perhaps he too-what
- bsd said to her that afternoon-his
i.ve.-had not made It any easier for
her.
Paul vcniza continued his restless
pscing about the room.
"Fsther, do sit down ~ said Claire
suddenly. What makes you 50 nervous
tonight? Is anything the matter|"
."The matter? No! No, no of course
notw said Paul venisa hurfiedly.
"But I'm sure there is" said Claire,
With A positive little nod Of her head.
with both Of you. for that matter.
Mr.. Bruce has done nothing but fidget
With the tassel Of that dressing gown
for the last half hour
John Bruce let the tassel fall as
though It had suddenly burned his
fingers.
II? Not at all - he denied stoutly.
"Oh, dear!" sighed Claire, with mock
paintiveness. "Wbat borcs you two
men are, then! ] wish could send out
what do you call it?--a thought wave:
and inspire some one, and most of nll
Hawkins. to come. over here this eve.
ming. He. at least. is never deadly dull.'
Neither of the two men spoke.
You don't know Hawkins, do you.
Mr.. Bruce" Claire went on. She was
smiling now rs she looked at John
Bruce. 81 mean really know him. OF
course. He's dear. quaint. lovable
soul, and I'm so fond Of him. y
'l'm sure he is," said John Bruce
heartily. Even from the little I've seen
\ him I'd trust him with-well. you
know"-John Bruce coughed as his
words stumbled--'T mean, I'd take his
word for anything"
"Of course. you would asserted
Claire. "iou couldn't think OF doing
anything else-nobody could. He's just
~ honest as-as-well, as father there.
and don't know any one more honest. "
shs smiled at Paul Veniza, and then
her face grew very earnest. 'I'm going
10 tell you something about Hawkins.
and something that even YOU never
knew father. Ever since was old
enough to remember any one, I re.
member Hawkins. And when I got old
enough to understand at all, though I
could never get him to talk about It.,
knew his life wasn't very happy
one, and perhaps I loved him all the
more for that reason. Hawkins used
y drink a great deal. Everybody knew
IT. IL never felt had the right to
Teak to him about it, though IL made
ne feel terribly, until-until mother
Claire had dropped her sewing in her
w; and now she picked 1t up again
and fumbled with It nervously.
w voice. II told him how much you
needed him. father: and how glad and
happy 1t would make me. And-and I
'smsmber so well his words: 81
promise, Claire. I promise. so help me.
,iod, that | will never drink another
Nop.' y Claire looked up. her face
aslow. "And know. no matter what
anybody says, that from that day to
'ns, he never has
raul Veniza. motionless now in the
renter Of the room. was staring at her
"a sort OF numbcd fascination.
John Bruce was staring at the door.
1u ny mad heard, he thought, step in. the
outer room.
The door opened
i, hawkins stood there. He plucked at
"ls trayed black cravat. which was
.,wry. lie lurched against the jamb, nd
cropping unsteadily for support his
"st Iell from his other hand and rolled
across the floor.
hawkins rceled into the room.
H. Gcod--hic good cvenin'," said
Hawkins thickly
,..a,re Ma,re alone moved She rose to hcr
~ out as though her weight were
oSi,Vy @ neaVy for her limbs. Her lips
ua' Hawkins.' she cried pitifulIy
tbs a ra pufst into tears, and ran from
mom,ed Nam seemed to John Bruce that for a
hi, hiDsnt nn the room swirleg around before
nncoHs,s; ana then over him swept an
un"'roi'aplc unou nplc desire to get his hands
Rs.o 'IHs maudlin. lurching creature.
nsS ei l. disgust, bitter resentment, q
CIGr""ui" "u"ser for rcprisal possessed him ;
bur ,ulurc, her faith which she had
S,rs al, r',on'eht gone SO proudly vnuntcd,
hy thIn thi at'cred. swept to the winds,
icthsr'S sceuy. Gissolule wreck. Her
81. did m, No. her shame. Thank God
m.rr;.s,d anu drunken beast he gritted in
forward forwards FURY, and stepped suddenly
haltcS na'tway, across the room he
kins wasn,9 as ,,aongh turned TO stone. Ilaw =.
kins hSS" = lnrching any moro. Hnw
snd I"u, Iu inrhed and closed tho door
and drs~.n doWS'ns now, with his face white
lbst jmM, mjnv,c,a Il look in his old blue eyes
cssncss agony aud an utter hopr.
his face Ia"E INTO = chair and buried
HSsen, nnn "n, .enITa who moved nav.
Aly. ~ aha stood behind the old cab