The Indianapolis times., 1928-12-08
CHAPTER II

TT was an amazing letter. In
Il Scribed on expensive stationery
Heavy with foreign scent. The giI
who wrote it had used green in
and stub pen. She wrote vic
lently. A round, childish hand
sparing neither endearments no
threats.
Dearest Holly" she demanded,
Why don't you phone me?
Where were you every night last
week?
I'm just crazy about you, Holly.
I can't read, I can't eat, I can't
sleep--oh God, how I suffer! You
don't know the way a loving girl
can suffer or you wouldn't leave
me alone with my thoughts and
misery.
get so desperate thinking
about you, and have you gone
back on me? I guess you think
you can break my heart and walk
all over me, after you made me
so crazy about you.
But I'm not one of the kind you
can cast off like an old shoe. I
guess you knew what the poet
said about hell doesn't know any
fury like a woman when you get,
through with her.
But you're not through with me,
are you, dear? I guess I'm sort of
crazy because love you, and you
don't come to see me any more.
Someone told me I got a good
case against you with the apart
ment all furnished and everything.
But God knows 1 don't want to
do anything like that.
Maybe you think am crazy,
raving on like this. But I thought
you didn't get my messages that
leave on the telephone. and you
would get mad if I went to see you
like you told me not to. So please
come back to your loving
MAE.
A SHTORETH handed the sur
L n priSing communication bacl
to her employer. Acutely uncom
Portable, she stood rigidly by hi
desk.
"I do not understand, she said
"why you wished me to read you
most personal correspondence"
Because, he explained, "I want
ed to get your reaction. I wanted tt
see the effect of letter like that OF
a girl like you. A whim, perhaps
'Mae de Mari worked in this OF
flee once. A filing clerk, I believe
I Wondered how many girls like he
there are out there. I thought per
haps, you could tell me-"
Ashtoreth raised her head.
at am afraid" she said. "that
cannot help you. I wonder VIII,
you thought could"
st hope I have not offended you,
he apologized. 81 assure you ther
was nothing at all personal in m
inquiry. I'm simply interested il
this modern girl proposition.
thought maybe you could help m
see the light"
He came then, and stood in from
of her.
please, Miss Ashe," he appeale
boyishly, tell me-what's it a.
about? They say modern girls ar
self-respecting. We hear so muc
about the modern girl and her in
dependence. It's just a lot Of non
sense, isn't it? Be a good spor
Miss AShe-hoW many Mae d
Mars have I out there?"
You mean," she asked evenl!
"how many girls would let you sc
them up in an apartment, and b
prepared, when you had tired c
them, to step out of the picture?
my gosh, Miss Ashe!"
Hart explored his pockets nerv
ously for cigarets.
Hold on a minute. You've &C
me quite wrong. / wasn't-if you
pardon the expression-keeping Mis-
De Mari. She came to me fe'
months ago with a hard luck Storl
"I was sorry for the girl. She
something of a moron, you see.
pretty little thing, with the men
tality, I should say, of 12-year
old. And the sex appeal of borl
courtesan. You know the type.
Her mother, she said, ha
thrown her out. There'd been a bi
of scandal and the old folks wer
pretty much upset. It may seem
bit Don Quixotic, but-well, to te
! the truth