Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-13
Must
the
Woman
always
Pay?

her down he struck also at. others
why. lie would regret 1t. but que vou,-
.vous! When the lightning sears
the tree floes It spare the ivy tendrils
that havd crept and clung; Lady Dou.
cester knew that in Jarroman's place
less Of a whole worlds cries. No. she
could not completely loathe Jarroman.
though, by fair means or foul, she must
defeat him.
She must defeat him. She straight
cned herself and her penciled eyebrows
drew together. How n,crciful the fates
had htcn to give her this respite while
.Jarroman lay speeches.! The pawns
and pieces Of this dread game he had
played stood in position on the board
his hand oHf'treshed tS wc ceckn"s N" ,a hna
should be resumed. A game now no,
Of hate. but of safety safety for her
son. hcr husband, herself, the cirl M.
dia, the dignity Of her house, the tradi.
tions Of her class.
She sat up straight still and scru..
tinized her travelling companion. Theed
where did he come in! What did he
want? Gain? Whatever his goal might
be she could be sure he had prepared
for himself a safe vetrcat. She would
not nlienatc him IL she could help It.
in this first move. at least. he was with
hcr-thcre must be no publicity.
Tho train sped on.
In London the morning had shroudcd
itself in mist. through which glared
the rcd bali Of sun. scorchingly malig..
nant. In Swallowsbath the day had
come crowned with dew and birds song.
and the pay Of green leaves on mossy
paths. The gables Of the Manor House
glowed like burnt amber.
Tomorrow morning ! sha' get mp
and see the sun rise. said Nadia.
Look how glorious it Is. 1t must have
been like that for hours. and all those
hours ! was still asleep. Wasn't 1t
amazingly kind Of the Claveridges to
lend us such Il lovely old place:'
Stranack's gaze followed hers. The
French windows Of the oak panelcd
morning room were open to the sun.
shine: outside. the lawn stretched to
the frlnges Of wood. The wood GOV.
, cred the downward slope Of valley: 1t
! touched the other side and rose again
with the rising ground in crest oh crest
of green;
at 1O.' he said matter. OF -fnctly. II
thought we might lunch at
He broke of. The butler had entered
Win Telegram.
Stranack read it. read it again, and
passed IL to Nadin. II was from kord
| Gloucester. and the message was
! lengthy one.
1t appeared that a parsonage of great
importance was to be Lord Douccs.
! trr's guest al luncheon that day. The
ucrsonagc had expressed n wish TO meet
Lord Doticestcrs son. and Lord Dou.
| ccstcr. viii @ fully rOmprchcnding. ct
rrtcra. still urged the adviSabi|ity in
view oi the future---of running up to
town for the briefest Of visits. and so
I on.
Tho Interrupted Honeymoon
"Of course you mus, GO" said Nadia
MS hriskly as she could with TINT Won
dcrful day waiting for them outside
and every bird no,h calling them into
the woods. There's a 1890 express.
isn't there? And you can be back again
by dinner time"
The butler departed to pass the nrccs-
snry orders on 10 the garage. Stranack
read the telegram once more and sup
posed there was no help for it.
What will you do with yourself
while I'm away" lie caught Nadia
10 him.
Those few hours" She slipped from
his arms and Knocked him drliciouS'y.
There are scores Of things ] want tC
do. | haven't thoroughly explored the
ground yet
She sObered suddenly. Somehow sht
. wished that he need not leave her to.
day.
Twenty minutes later Nadia. standing
in the long window, flung up hand In
gay salute. Stranack answered it from
the road. which wound at this point &c
the fringe Of the grounds. Then his
car gathered speed and disappeared.
Nadia turned back into the house.
found rug. book and a sunshade
and made for the woods.
She loved the trees for their aloof-
ness and their air of elegant discretion.
As she came among them now they
swayed and breathed their secrets
presently, lying in dappled hollow
where mosscups flung a hundred Grim .
son challenges. she let her thoughts
drift out and up--confidence for conf .
dence.
She closed her eyes and her happiness
surged up in her. 1t seemed to lift her
up from the moss carpet to the tree
tops, and up again. up to the clouds
and beyond them. She felt ecstatically
light. In a dim golden world she
drifted alone with her visions. Success
and laughter and color, and under all
deep cOntent--thcse things floated
round her like bubbles, bleamed, danced
and were gone.
, Far. far below her, in q dull worlt
} she had once known, girls worked ant
hoped as she had done; saved anG
planned and altered last years frocks
Nadia. poised featherlight above them
held her breath to remember how like
them she had been. And now
Strange that no word had reached
her from her father. He had promised
to write.
How warm IT. was, even in the shade
, and how divinely still.
: Nadia turned a little and slipped s
. hand beneath her cheek. The trce'
h guarded her rest like sentinels. Th'
!. sun climbed sky from which the las
i thread Of cloud had vanished.
$ A motor horn honked brutally int
. the golden silence.
r Nadia sat upright, suddenly and com
plete'y awake. The wood listened ronn'
: her. and again there came that striden
4 note.
: Only another car flashing past o.
{ the Southampton road. Nothing out o
e the ordinary in that surely scores o
cars went past the gates Of the Mano
u daily. Yet Nadia was intensely con
e scious of disturbance. She gathered II
! her belongings and retraccd her step
i to the gardens. As she went she locke
y at the tiny oblong watch on her wris
that had been a wedding present. Mid
&c day--past!
She emerged into the rose garden
a brushing past the blossoms heavy wit