Evening star., 1925-01-04
RAFT
Revealing the Limitations That Are Set Upon Vengeance.

Doctor VIII ran his hand up through
his hair with some perplexity,
1t was not the legal side OF the situ-
alton that troubled him: she had prob
ably been divorced from old Dahgren
before she married Mortie Greer. There
We're no heirs to the estate. and so far
as he could see, Mortie's widow was
making better use Of the money than
Mortie had ever done. What perpleXed
him was Ruby herself. She was on her
good behavior now she was trying
hard--but no amount OF trying could
obllterate those hard lines around her
mouth. that watchful expression OF her
black eyes.
on the other huad there was the
curious fact that she was likable.
There was something pathetic in her
eternal lavish giving. her eagernesS
to feed people. TO give them d good
time.
Doctor Will glanced back along
the lonely woods road toward Huckle
berry Ridge. In that desolate valley
she had been born, of a clan poverty
stricken, shiftless. half degenerate.
And she had fought her way out
somehow. by tooth and nail. through
some superb, resistless will to
survive
AS he passed the Greer place he
observed that a tea party was in full
swing on the Versnda. He thought:
BE funny il I'd step up and say:
Excuse me. ma am. but there's a dead
bark -peeler up in Laurel Mountain
camp belongs to you. What do you
Sant done with him.? "
Then he saw again the poverty
stricken room in Toland Hallow with
the twinkling new brass bed in one
corner and his face softened.
No. no; best wait a while and see
how she behaves" he decided
But / wonder unused he, Just
when and how the Toland in her
out"
He thought he was prepared for
anything, but he was as aston
ished as every one else when Ruby
finally made her unbelievable break
He had been out with a gun and his
old setter dog all one golden Autumn
Afternoon. When he reached home he
found a note from young Doctor
Willie, asking him to follow him to
the Jennnigses. The old docotr was
just fastening out when Doctor
Willie came in.
Too late. dad, but it's all right.
[ pumped her out"
Who"
Martha Jennings. She tried to
kill herself this afternoon"
Why"
Because Mrs. Ruby Greer said she
Isn't respecta BILE"
Said Martha isn't respectable?
But a girl doesn't try to kill herself
because some one says she-'
"Ah. but you see. dad, there was
more TO ii than that. 1t seems
Martha was dropped from the bridge
club when Mrs. Greer became presi-
dent and began to run things-at
least, so j gathered from Martha's
mother-so Martha said that If her
friends deserted her she wanted to
die. There happened to be a little
laudanum in the house, so she drank
it,
The old doctor looked wild with be-
wilderment. But how could any
body say that Martha Jennings isn't
respectable? Why, if anything, she's
too"
"Oh. some ones dug up that time
she fell in love with the sewing
machine man who turned out to have
a wife in an asylum. Anyhow, the
Greer woman seems to have it in for
Martha. She had laid down the man
date that no one ought to be in the
bridge club who has been talked
about. Can you beat it:
Il can not admitted his father
weakly.
DR. viii drove across the street
to the Greer place, walked up to the
porch and spoke. somewhat cere-
Mrs. Greer. / should be pleased.
ma'am, il you will take short drive
with me. There's something I'd like
to discuss with you"
The doctor Il ia NOT sneak DntiI tbay
had reached the river bridge and
up toward the Laurel
Mountain road. Then he said. This
afternoon, Martha Jennings tried to
kill herself"
Ruby Greer's eyes distended. No"
she exclaimed. hoarseness in her
suave voice.
deserted her, she had nothing TO live
for. l understand that you had her
put out of the bridge club
Ruby lifted her chin with an ef-
fort. We'll. what if I did? That
has happened to other people before,
and they didn't commit suicide"
But Martha Jennings is a peculiar
ly sensitive. rather morbid old maid.
She has very little to live for: they
are poor; her only love affair was
and TO her the bridge
club meant that her friends stood by
her"
The doctor turned off the main road
into the narrower one that led past
Ridge TO the lumber
camp. Almost the moment he turned |
Ruby started. She looked about her
quickly. Wait. You can't go this
way" she exclaimed The road is
terrible--you CART
"I know this road as well as you
do" he rejoined.
'Oh. we'll" she laughed uneasily,
this is your party"
When he turned into the rutted
road that ed over the ridge to Toland
Hollow. she half started up from her
seat and grasped the wheel. Where
are you going she cried sharply