Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-17

into Fcnella's lap and made no an
! swer.
! ''ls he?" said Fcnella. and in her
, gathering terror. getting no reply. she
lifted Bcssie's head and looked search
! ingly into her face. Ms IL to probe her
! soul.
At the next moment the dreadful
truth had fallen on her. The girls fe-
low sinner. the man she had been hunt.
! ing down 10 punish him. to shame him.
to expose him TO public obloQuy. was
| Victor Stowell himself.
At the first shock of the revelation
the woman in Fcnella asserted itself
ragged woman. This girl had gone be.
fore her. This common, uneducatcd
creature Of the fields and the farmyard.
For one cruel moment she had vision
Of Bessie in Stowell's arms. This was
the face he had loved. These We're the
lips he had kissed! And she had thought
he had loved her oply--ncver' having
loved anybody else.
4 feeling Of disgust came over hcr.
The girl had not even had the excuse
Of caring for Stowell. She had hcca
thinking merely Of way of escape from
the tyrannics Of her stcpfather. Or
perhaps an admixtura Of sheer anima
instinct had impclcd her. How de-
grading i, all was!
Bessie. who had begun 10 realize what
she had done. tried TO take her hand
but Fcnella drew back and cried:
Don't touch me-
All the thoughts Of years about woman
as the victim seemed to he burnt up in
an instant in the furnace of her out =
ragged feelings. An almost unconaucr-
able impulse came to leave Bessie to her
fate. Let her pay the penalty of her
crime. Why shouldn't she?
But after while a great pity for the
girl came over her. If she had sinned.
she had also suffered. II she was there.
in prison. it was only because she had
been trying in her ignorant way to wipe
out her fault
But she herself her hopes
gone. her love wasted
Fenella burst into a food Of tears.
And then Bessie thc two women had
changed places now began to comfort
her.
"I'm sorry. didn't think what
was doing. Don't cry
At the next moment they were in each
others arms, crying like childrcn-two
poor ship broken women on thr ever
lasting ocean Of mans changeless lust.
Bessie was the first to recover. She
was full Of hope and expectation. and
visions Of the future. Now that she had
confessed everything the Deemster would
tell the jury to let her off, and then
Alck would forgive her also.
= He will forgive nc. will he not:'
She was like child again. and
Frnella found cruel relief in humor :
ing her. ,
when ! leave this place I'm going
to be so good" said Bessie. II will
make him such happy life. Wen be
!, married Immediately - by bishop
license. YOU know-and then leave the
Isle of Man and 90 to America. nc
ften spoke Of that. and it will be best
After all this trouble it will
b. hest. don't you think so:'
"NO doubt no doubt said Fcnclla
\, length she remembered that Gel
+ would be waiting for her. She must
60 to him. When Shh reached the cor
ridor she paused. wondering what she
was to say and how she was to say i,
, While she stood there she heard sounds
p from the coll behind her. Bessie was
I singing.
own battle. The black though, whicI
: had come hurting down on him at Derby
Haven. when he first read tn" letter
which Bessie had left behind her. wn'
:. torturing him again. II was abou'
. Stowell. and to crush 1t he had to cal
!. m the memory Of the long line Of goo'
. and generous things that Stowcll hat
!. . done for him all the way up since h'
was boy.
When ut last he saw Frnclln np
preaching he searched her fnrr Tor
ray of hope. but his heart sank At 'h'
sight Of It.
"Well?'
"She has confessed. .
. She had ch'ld:
o "It was born dend?'
" NO. she killed It.
II God in heaven" said Cell and !
Il seemed to Fenella that at that momch
o the mans heart had broken
{ She knew she ought TO say more, M
she could not do so-nothng being o
q consequence except inc one 'errip'e '"'
T. OF the mans betrayal
5 God in heaven said Gcll again
and he turned to leave her.
n "What are you going to do IN TN
% morning." ;,
n II don't know yet:,
n Where are you going to now:'
u. "ro Ballamoar.
Il Again she knew that she ought 70 sa
more. but again she could not
tell was mnklnS IoT NV k"'' -,
's Fenella. bankrupt in heart herself
wanted to comfort him.
s "Mr. Cell" she said. II lave be-"
> doing you a great injustice. ask yo
- to forgive me.
With his hand on the holt he turne
1. his broken face to her. :,
IN "rhat's nothing-nOthing now. h
ie said. =,
$, And again she heard, God i
heaven" as the gate closed behind him
" "Ah, here you are. dear
Pr IL was Janet who had heard the hun
!, of StOwell's car on the drive anu nat
X come hurrying out 10 meet him.
y You've had a firing day can So
that" she said. as she poured out
* cup of tea for him. "Ah. these hig
II positions. There's nothing 10 be 90
, without being paid for as your f"the
'" used to say.
10 escape from Jane's soliritud" an
TO tire himself ont so that he nigh
y have n chance of sleeping that night
he walked down to the shore.
4 storm was rising. The gulls wer
nyine inland and their white wing
y were mingling with the black ones .
the rocks. The fierce sky 10 the south
70 the cold gray Of the sen to the north
the bleak churclk tower e. ~ star
" headlands lockinfslike blinded Iisnt