Show I 1 A GIRL OF T TODAY 0 DAY by SUSAN E CLAGETT it is a sordid story the girl is the redeeming feature and how slie happens to bo be what slie she is 19 is beyond my understanding she la Is the happiest creature I 1 have ever kuon known and has a way with tier her that wins everyone r I 1 the mother I 1 the mother inot lier she left jack shortly after the child was vas born jack had been slowly going to pieces even dur ing that first year you yon reine niber lie married tier her within a month of their introduction jutt just a plain case of letting himself go from the moment lie he met tier her but tor for the alie matter of that I 1 we were all fascinated radcliffe was the only one who had sefile eli enough ough not to singe his wings 1 I saw tier her in cairo one winter she was known there as How howlanda lands wife I 1 received several notes asking nae me to call but I 1 had too recently helped to bury the boy a boy who had every attribute that goes toward the making of a man mail except the nerve the courage to withstand disgrace for ten years his life was a sore trouble to the few friends lie he clung to he was devoted to the child and we hoped through her lie he would accomplish com ills his salvation perhaps ho hd would have won out but ills system was too weakened for him to rally from the attack of pneumonia had took the girl home with him and formally adopted tier her but what passed for eight years ago Is now giving rise to talk he Is still too young a man to have an year old girl in his home with no other woman than ills his housekeeper as chaperon at least so says gossip I 1 would like to strangle the woman who started the ball rolling chandler took ills his pipe from his pocket and viciously packed tobacco into the bowl As lie he did so he caught sight t of a car moving slowly down the avenue there they go now lie he said the other man leaned forward in time to catch a glimpse of EL a smiling upturned face why dont he marry herale her Jle Jie asked that would solve the alty hes forty she eighteen imay may and december dont you think according to fashioned ideas yes but the girl of today Is much older than the same girl of thirty years ago 1 I doubt lf if he be would ask her chandler answered as he moved away the car that had attracted the two friends moved slowly until it reached the open country when lt it turned into the state road the girl gave a little laugh of delight as a whiff of honeysuckle reached her from the roadside but the face of thu the man was troubled lied there was a frown on tier lier face as she looked at him thoughtfully and she spoke quickly interrupted bilm you have heard it the talk I 1 mean why do you mind I 1 dont 11 you are too young to understand all that it means mary I 1 hoped the gossip would miss you I 1 have been wondering what it ts is best to do you might go to europe with mrs merrick or to canada for the suni hummer by the winter some plan can be evolved for your comfort and pleasure or you might marry how silly you are arc mr air rod rad just disabuse your sour mind of that thought I 1 will go to neither place without you As for the other plan it sounds alluring whom am I 1 to lead like a lamb 14 to the altar do you ou need ask I 1 received a manly only letter from wycoff this morning ile he is very much in earnest last week harding and addison called upon me both upon the same errand eirand what did you say to them she asked curiously referred them to you you seen them yes I 1 well 1 I told them I 1 would be a sister to them she replied demurely mary have love you no heart oh yes my heart is all right only it happen to belong to anyone of the three the car suddenly then came to a standstill radclyffe warren turned a grave face to the girl beside him 1 I thought I 1 knew all the men interested te in you evidently I 1 am m mistaken is will you tell me something about him and where you met blin mary williams paused some minutes before answering then she asked irrelevantly r mr rad had what do you think of girls and women who vile to do unusual things likings that depends he began lamely of course but to particularize for a woman to ask a man to warry many her that is an odd question mary alary 1 I am thinking of doing it why 11 because I 1 caro care for him I 1 do not know that lie he has ever given me it thought in that way other men inen have found me attractive so why I 1 lie he it if he wont discover it for himself Is it wrong for me to suggest that 1 I can make him happ yand she turned tier her flushing face toward the man beside tier her not wrong lie he answered looking 9 into the shining eyes that told a story of their own but I 1 think dear ill the man will say eay the words for himself that ile he lias has not done so Is because he felt himself too old but if caret carel alit ah I 1 mary if you really care carea carel care 1 why mr rod rad anyone hut but you would have known it long ago ago copyright 1916 by the mcclure newspaper syndicate |