Show S acir ea ra aay N mi vas sil fi ta ibi arf y MARGARET 1 to JACKSON co COPY ry AN RIGHTS H T 4 MERMILL ca 1 T CS aig cju SERVICE THE STORY stony s childhood attach merit I 1 fIrlo cland ot of A wealthy family li Is at attracted by W will III todd newspaper her a star ister lillian it n urges her to break ote off tr ills affair but 11 refuses refine A runaway marr marriage Jage follow loring hamilton wins ml lil fians concentto consent to become his hl wife CHAPTER III HI continued 4 1 I hope you get up on our our account mother she said eald gently 11 ll but it im glad you are better the woman looked up at ernestine tier her faded eyes ayea under tile droope drooping n brows regarding tills this strange bird that had slipped so BO easily into lir nest how old sho she looked thought ernestine she was a generation beyond mamma for or site alia was old with a gentle humility and meekness out ernestine imd find nover met before there wn was not tn in tier her oven the stubbornness born ness that sometimes the alie niek mek can use so effectively wills father ernestine could stano stand A carpenter with a gift for woodcutting lie he was a skilled anti and sit cililo to workman woi kronn and had a great pride in its his trade lie was as a tall thin steeped man with it a clean belI liwally vIly furrowed face rind and brigt brightly itly black eyes which regarded regan led 14 ralstine rac stIne with a kind of 0 grim humor ile ho made lier her realize without baying sayin gad so that tie ho disapproved of their marriage as much as her people did but that lie wax was not the roan man to cry over spilled milk they could count on ills his kInd kindness nesa at breakfast in the bright blight kitchen urnestine ernestine find and will ninde plans you are welcome to stay here as long ns As you yon like said peter ieter todd hut but the two shook their heads they lind already decided to be dependent at XIT once wo we might jost as an well RO go toony today and flit fand ft a place to board until we ma dnn cnn get an apartment paid fald looking very yo earnest ril ill get my trunk front from mammas at a soon boon as we havo have found a residence its awfully good of you to want us its here lut but tho house Is small anti and mother la in real really linot not well ivell enough to have us mrs todd said nothing and ernea tine felt that oho had never seen so dispirited a creature it we 14 get near town mom will said eald we can gm aae d money on carfare I 1 know a n place on urle street one of the follows fellows told tile me about where you cun get EL a room and two menla meals tit at a reasonable price and its tn in hulking distance ot of the ollace anyhow Any liow I 1 think wo we ought to the live alone right said wills fall father or its tile the only way for young married people it if you sou need any money when you sou go to using tit up a flat dat I 1 can I 1 lend end you a little I 1 always alonis have it few 1 hundred undred dollars tucked linked away any foremer for emergencies gen cies cles he explained to 11 1 I can let all will borrow without in terest it if lie he needs it I 1 own oa a houa ort on troy that you ou could have it if it leased but the location Is not inot good for you well manage suld will bonn dently and ernestine admired him film they exchanged bright br lelit looks and mr todd mild heartt heartily ly well come and visit us sometimes anyhow it was soon time for them to go ernestine in her squirrel cont coat and scarlet carlet lint bat bado bade tier now relatives good tood goodby by she felt that there were era tears 1 e a a in the air realized a little that t these h e people were wera loolu will more definitely than site sho would ever eer bo be lost to her family lie ile was their only son but they said rood good by to hint him with quiet dignity admired their restraint Fe restraint and was grateful for their bod taste aliey offered neither nd alce ice nor counsel but allo altonen weal tho the oung ones to go forth about their down own affairs the bouso on li arla rie street brought to ernestine her first shock of reality it was an ancient smoke blackened dwelling place not far from the lake across the street from tile house ouse a hie ve story atory machine shop re er berated with activity A secret looking bokin brownstone brown stone house with withdrawn drawn blinds stood on the cornor corner urnestine U e felt that the apartment they spoke of so glibly was not so near A sense ot of the irrevocable nature of tile the stop step che he had find taken swept over oer tier her she awas was now wills and ns its lie ie had find said tto to tier her father ather jf his root roof was tier her roof dills home was hers and this was it she bhe hail had abandoned tier her Z old way of life and vet her feet la in a strange country the future was as remote from the past via as though she were following hint him to a grout great dis tance iland iu in hand they ran up tip the stone sontra and met a small plump woman called mrs bennett Hen nelt with alth whom will duesch dues cd rooms and li prices flees ji fille ernestine stood to one side burning Iv conscious of the anil blind band on a tier her third finger 4 ernestine rn estina waa wa loo good a sport to bemoan thelt conspicuous luck lack of i money fresh irysh from tile rigors of a title due achrol it was na not hard for or tier taj to herself to simpli elty will ills cove covered red that sliu she hall hail a 11 most practical nature the forces which lind driven tier her into marriage had not hotl all been romantic in adjusting her telf to 0 o lang iving on wills pay she alie was able to exercise nottie of her lalive arii ingenuity and shrewd shrewdness nea and in n that en capacity she tib found a certain pleasure it was waa fun to put lier herself self on it a basis of having no money to spend and then dige how flow much she had grown accustomed to spending in the months since she had left school tier her trunk waa full of pretty clothes it was an element hiie did not at first appreciate CHAPTER IV A party at kastanos Pa atanos stanos air poole was having a party tor for ernestine and will tit and according to prearrangement ernestine slipped downstairs ahe ahead adof of time to show allow her self to mrs airs bennett ennett li she could n not 0 t help but ile he proud of the event evening a g dress dresa mamma had find given tier her for christmas and which site sho lint had not worn before tho the yellow chiffon clil fron lay about tier her slender limits limbs delicately subtly she appreciated the illusive cobwebby liose hose that hint lind had come with the dress find and the gold cloth slippers the string of small real pearls which had come coma to tier lier from tier lier grandmother langlays Lang leya leys estate the pearl ring which daddy had given her to match tier her necklace were tile the last to itches of a perfect toilet will had appreciated tier her this evening tits hla alne eyes glowing with admiration mi ration you are lovely tie he protested an aa though site alio had denied it and she swung herself about in the narrow room and gave him film a languishing mocking took look but she went down the carpeted stairs in a glow hr her squirrel coat over tier her ami mra airs bennett rot got up tip with an ad miring reclamation exclamation when ernestine closed the alie door behind mr her the latter advanced to the center of tile the room find pirouetted on tier toes A little round weary body with tired eyes beneath a fringo of gray hair mrs mra hennett bennett had long outworn personal persona 1 egotism and was generous with lind and sympathy 1 ym pathy Y la Is the time to live darling site she said eald to ernestine my life la Is an old story but you are young youn gand and glowing n and tid things are happening to you it Is better for you to have your tiara hard times now and grow old rich and strong titan than to have the hardships in III old age as I 1 have had them out but tel tell 1 tile me arent you excited to be ba linvin having a bIrt bOny party given in your honor better by a grefig cartoonist ernestine ariit stane laughed tou glied lie ile only wants to be nice to will ilo ile thinks thinka it will please will find and oi of course it does mrs bennett maintained a discreet silence Blk nce rind Erli estine turned to thu the mirror over a chest of drawers drainers dra ivers and I 1 looked tit at tier lier rel lection running tier her lienda over tier her sleek soft hair sit she was it little thinner than site had been when slie she was married anti and tier her eyes were till big and dark in the delicate whiteness toness of tier lier face she was lovely w with ith A n arenth talani quality tier her bacq shining with an inner spiritual excitement it seemed to tier her as site aho stared that shet she louled looked too happy too thrilled for everyday every day adny use she must learn to dIss dissemble enible sometimes darling daril ng mrs airs uennett bennett Ernest ernestene lne gently 1 I think you fall to what nn an effect you have on the people here hereon on the men you fire so different from the other girls cheso boys know knew you bloom you wear the face of 0 love its hurd hard on thew I 1 want you OU tu to be very ery wise ulso with sir mr poole it would be ba an easy thing filing for you to disrupt tits his friendship alth wll will will admired him and tits his patronage patrona a means so BO much just now will wont bo be jealous of any attention I 1 pay to mr poole or that lie pays to me hie ernestine said Ind indifferently Iffet if what you mean it wont hurt mr poole to admire me itea a nice old man and lie loves to ut imire women and men too as far na as that goos goes its ita part of his big heart will says anyhow Any liow will bo be jealous of me now tier her small email face was so shining that mrs mra Be uennett linett threw tier her advis hig instinct away with a gesture and cattle and kissed kissea tier her youns young friend have hae a lovely jime darling pas tanos has the distinction of being tile the ery toughest place in of all chicago Clil cago it Is beautiful lul and not so dung dangerous crous us its mr air likes people to think lie ile la Is really very cry careful nhoun tile police ard API then too you iu will b hi alth mr pole P ole who Is a close friend of ruby will wits was ct at the dir grinning nt at them it bit im mit twisted into li lloid of lie 1 id 11 t lit ln he wore air A at t allius I 1 1 ill 1 i 1 tin an like lili ills imil brid ll 11 r i i t iw iipp of f i 1 ail I alna hits bin youth and scanty canty advantages marriage had changed him very little lie ile was wag perhaps somewhat more inflammable but ho he took ernestine and the life with tier her roost naturally and without eel belt f consciousness T they ley went on to alastanos In Ila stanos entered an unmarked doorway aad limbed climbed broad wooden steps with double doors at the top which opened upon light music heat and the sound cound of happy happi tho the big room was airy its excellent ventilation a surprise to Ernest ernestine lue and on an important factor in every ones pleasure and good appetite sir mr poole came to meet them anil and ernestine gave him her liand and her nicest schoolgirl smile brolle she he wished mrs bennett had not aad anything ail thing to tier her about this man inan site did not have to lie heed e d any warnings except those tier her husband gave hert herl following mr poole among the tables ernestine thought about the many things will had told hr of this roan man until she felt that site she knew film perfectly ills ilia remarkable gifts his value to tits his paper his fils carelessness of himself ills his small vanities arid and prejudices his indolence and drunkenness and tits ills great charm she knew lie he was as natural and straightforward with every one as a child with other children yet lie he possessed also the authority and autocratic manner of tile the roan man of established reputation lie he drew Erne stines land hand within the curve cune of hla his arni arm anil and led tier her to a table reserved for their party all the places were filled except theirs theara and the men rose to greet ernestine there was only one vt her woman mrs wiston the wife 0 of f the alie syndicate editor of the sun bun a small beau beautiful woman with tile the face of a 1 z t you are lovely he protested as a though she had denied it r siren iren who can never forget tier her role icle she had been married twice before slie site had met wiston alston ls ton and ernestine knew ta eliat 11 at back in new england were tho the wife and child wiston had set aside for her ernestine was conscious of the indignation common to married women against such nn an impostor wiston himself a tall tail academic man with a ribbon to ills glasses ernestine had met at the office and john tucker called tommy by every one who was wills attal for donars in the lie art room tho the third roan man who mho was pro pie dented to tier her ernestine did not know and she failed to catch lihi hh name lie he was a small powerful looking andt individual with d dark daik bright gray eyes and a vain and elaborate wanner manner the other two ruen underwood and lson were froin tho sun staff and happy to he be at any party any time tiny liny place they all sat down mr poole boole with one of the women on either side land dominy tucker next to U ernestine rn estine the poin pompous little titan man next nest to mrs via ton tell with iho itlie grouped about tin bis big table urnestine ernestine by now had forgotten tier her self consciousness find and became radiantly happy she bishea will were beside her she was only a half tint and will was the other uglier hair and lie he ought always to lin bo beslic tier her breathing its as she breathed turning as she turned the idea delighted tier her anti and sho bho laughed ut at it herself but olt felt still it a deep joy lit in their 1111 unity ity mr air poole turned to ernestine ernesti nd and told tier her softly that tier her youth louth anti and beauty were sweeter Be etor than sweet night itself lie he took his glass in ills his liand hand and more intoxicating lie he sad lhnn tills this for which I 1 hie have wasted half sit my m life and most of rny mk talents ernestine up lit in ills his kind face knew instantly talat in III spite 0 tits lila flowery low cry words and in spite of mrs mra Ilen conventional fears tills this great man inid tie no predatory impulses toward tier her ile he knew that site she was deeply in love loe with ft ath will vill hut but to watch her to speak to ti tier her to listen to her voice gave him pleasure it was ia all lie he would ever cr vant of tier her tier her instinct in this mintter proved ened true during the ears of wills association with 2 mr poole and what have you sou two young auni pieces of been doing since last I 1 saw boll ou we have lined dined in state nt at mim mant mas sald Um amestine estine st rillIng III luls Is will missed the sign it cance of it entirely papa ins has under duress dures ft lin ile ho offered cl will n job in his oillie avid and what dors does will sni say ne ile even tiny tiny attention to tt it ile he just sald that he be was satisfied with tile job he be had thanks just the same saine and went ant on oil talking to ul anima mr bir poole laug laugheed hied with delight lie he know what papa 1 I dont know he be does or not bat anyhow papa knows that now luciw lo ito 10 lins decided to forgive V 11 dot mot littena atif nd to let pt it make any au difference papa really would ifould like to lot let us struggle along ile iio feels eels pretty in me inc but mamma cant can t bear it site la Is determined to take care of us whether we will or no hut bu t how can she if will does docs not change tits his employment Erne stines face grew firm she cant I 1 wont let tier lier ive io made up my mind to have hae nothing but what will |