Show EJR CAS f 1 v r 5 MARGARET p JACKSON r rp by f THE STORY Renewing a n childhood attach attach- attachment mont ment Ernestino Briceland of oC a wealthy family Is attracted d by Will Todd paper newt artist Her fils tor Lillian urges her to break ort off the affair hut but Ernestine re- re refuses re refuses fuses A runaway marriage fu- fu fol follows lows Loring Hamilton wins Lil Lillian's lians lian's consent to become his wife wire CHAPTER III Continued III-Continued Continued 4 I hope you didn't get up on our account mother she said gently but Im I'm glad you OU are rc Letter better The woman looked up at Ernestine her faded eyes under the droop drooping In brows regarding this tills strange bird that had slipped so easily Into lier nest How old she slie looked thought She was a generation be beyond be- be beyond yond ond mamma for she was old with a gentle humility and meekness th that t Ernestine had never met before There was not In her even enn the stub stub- stubbornness stubbornness h that sometimes the mek ek can use so effectively Wills Will's father Ernestine could under under- understand stand A carpenter with a gift for woodcutting he lie was a skilled and anti ibie hie workman and had a great reat pride In his trade lie was WI a u tall thin man with a shaved clean heavily ily furrowed face and brightly Ine black eyes which rc regarded Intestine with a kind of or grim humor lie made malle malleIer her Ier realize without saying so that he disapproved of ot their marriage as much muchas muchas muchas as her people did dill but that he was not the man to cr cry otter 0 er spilled mil milk k The They could count on his kindness At breakfast In time the bright kitchen lItchen Ernestine and Will made plans Y You Too n are re wel welcome ome to stay here ns as lon long as you OU like said Ieter Peter Todd lodd hut but the two shook their heads They had already decided to he IndepEndent nt at once We ml might ht just as well vell go 0 today and find a place to board until we can get et an apartment said ah Ern looking nr very young oung and earnest Ill get et my trunk from mammas mamma's as a soon as we ve have found a residence Its It's awfully good of you OU to want us here but the house houe Is small and mother Is really not will well w enough to have us Sirs Mrs Todd said nothing and Ernes Ernes- Irnestine Ernestine Ernestine tine felt tl that at she had never seen so a creature If It we get et near town morn mom VIII said ald we can save Ye money on carfare I know a n place on Erie street streel one of the fellows told me about where you ou an get et a Ii room and and two meals at nt a reasonable price and Its It's in distance of time the office Anyhow I think we ou ought ht to live alone right said Wills Will's father Its the only wa way for young oung married people If It you need any money when you OU go o to fixing up a n nat Hat I can lend you ou a little I always have e a few hundred dollars tucked away for emer emer- emergencies emergencies he explained to Ernestine I can let Will borrow without In Interest terest It Ir he lie needs It I 1 own a house on Troy street that you OU could have ha If if It wasn't I leased ased But the location is Is not good for you rou Well manage said Will conn- conn confidently confidently dently and Ernestine admired him The They exchanged bright looks and Mr Ir Todd said heartily heartily- f Well come and visit visit us sometimes anyhow It was soon time for for them them to go Erne Ernestine lIne In her squirrel 1 coat oat and scarlet carlet lint hat bade her new new new- relatives by good good-by She felt that th there re were tears In n the air realized a little little that these these people were losing Will 1111 more definitely than she slie would ever eyer be lost to her family lie was their only only son but they said good good-by to him hint with quiet dignity Ernestine admired t tf ir restraint and was grateful for their taste The They offered neither ad- ad adIce adice ad advice vice Ice ice nor Mr counsel but allowed the young ones to go forth about their own affairs The house on Erie street brought to Ernestine her first shock shok of reality It was vas an un ancient smoke smoke- blackened smoke blackened dwelling place not tar far from tire the lake Across the street from the louse a story five machine shop r re- re reverberated re reverberated with wilh activity A secret secret- looking secret looking stone brown house with wilh drawn blinds stood on the cower corner r Ernes Ernes- Ernestine tine felt that the apartment nt they spoke of oC so glibly was not 51 so ne near r A sense of the Irrevocable nature of the step she had taken swept oleo oser over her her She Iwas now Wills Will's and Sis Ls lie said Ito her father his Ills roof root wits s her root tHis ouie was w-as hers and this tills was It it She h had had d definitely her old way of life life- and set her her feet feet in a astran n i stran strang country country The was yas as I remote tr from m the past as ns thought though she sin i were were following follen him to a great tance tance 7 y Hand land In hi It h hand f they ran up the stone ston stairs and meta melba a small plump woman called Mrs Bennett with with wilh whom Will rooms and prices while Ernestine blood blood- to one side burningly v coll conscious clous of the tile gold Ill band on I he third third finger Ernestine was waa too loo good a sport to t moan monn their theft conspicuous lack of oC o mone money Fresh resh from trum the rigors of a ahue adue hue school It ns as not hard for her herto to 10 accustom herself to simplicity discovered that she had a most oaI nature The rhe forces which had driven her lier Into marriage had not nol nil all been romantic In adjusting her herself self to t living on Wills Hills pay she was ohle t to to exercise some of her native Ingenuity and shrewdness and In that capacity she slie found a certain pleasure It was fun to put herself hersel f on a basis of having no money lo to spend and then discovering how much she slie had grown rown accustomed to spending In the months since she had left school Her Iler trunk was full of pretty clothes It was an element she did not at first appreciate elate I i CHAPTER IVA IV IVA A Party at Mr Ir Poole was tt-as having a party for Ernestine and Will and according to prearrangement ement Ernestine slipped downstairs ahead of time to show her her- herself herself self to Mrs I Bennett She could not help but be proud of the evening dress mamma had given her for Christ Christ- Christmas Christmas Christmas mas and which she had not worn be- be before be before fore The yellow ellow chiffon chilTon lay about tier her slender delicately subtly She appreciated the III illusive ush-e ush cobwebby hose that lint had com comp come with wilh the dress and the old gold cloth slippers The string of small real pearls which had come to her from her lier Grandmother Langley Langley's estate the pearl ring which daddy had given ghen her to match her lier necklace were the last touches of ot a 11 perfect toilet had appreciated her lier this eve ere evening evening ning his fine eyes glowing with ad- ad admiration ad admiration ml ration You Yon are lorel lovely he protested as though she had denied dented It and she swung herself about In the narrow room and gave ave him a languishing mocking look But Hut she went down the carpeted stairs In a glow her leer squirrel coat oat over her arm Sirs Mrs Irs Bennett got ot up with an ad admiring ad- ad admiring miring exclamation when Ernestine closed the door behind her The latter advanced f to the center of the room and pirouetted on her toes A little round weary body with tired eyes Jes beneath a fringe e of gray hair Mrs Irs Bennett had Ion long outworn personal l egotism and was generous with praise and sympathy Youth Is the time to live lI darling she said to Ernestine My Iy life lite Is an anold anold old oid story but hut you are youn young and glow glow- glowing glow Ing In ing and things are ure happening to you youIt ou It is better for you ou to have ha your hard hardtimes hardtimes hardtimes times now and grow row old rich and stron strong thin to have hu the hardships In old old age as I have hare had them But tell me arent aren't you ou excited to be having havinga a birthday party given Inn In your honor b by a great l ca cartoonist t Ernestine laughed lOne lie only wants to be nice to lIe thinks It will twill please Will IJ and und of course It does docs Mrs II's Bennett maintained a n discreet silence and Ernestine turned to the mirror over a chest or of of drawers and looked at her reflection running her hands over her sleet sleek soft sort hair She was a 11 little thinner than she slie had been when she slie was married and her here e eyes es were bl big and dark In the delicate whiteness of her tier face She Slie was lovely lorely with a taking breath quality her lier face shin shining In with an inner spiritual excite excite- excitement excitement excitement ment It seemed to her lier as she slie stared that she looked too happy too thrilled for every day use She must learn to dissemble Som Sometimes darling Mrs Irs Bennett chided Ernestine gently I think you ou fall fail to realize what an effect you ou have on the people here on here on the men You lOU are so different from the other girls these boys hos know You bloom loom You wear the face of love lore Its It's hard on them 1 I want you OU to be beery ery tery er wise with Mr Ir Poole It would be an cas easy thing for tor you to disrupt his bis friendship with Will Will 11 admires him and und his patronage e means so much mUth just now Will IJ wont won't be bu jealous of any atten atten- attention attention tion I 1 pay 13 to Mr Ir Poole or that he hepa's pays pas to me l Ernestine said Indifferently if that's what whal you ou mean It wont won't hurt Mr Ir Poole to admire me lIes lIe's a nice old man and he loves to admire women and men meu too as far faras bigheart as that gees Ies Its It's part of his big heart healt Will sa says s 's Anyhow Will wouldn't be jealous of now rue me now IIer small face was so shining that Mrs Irs Bennett threw her advising Instinct away with a gesture and came and kl kissed sell her tier young oun friend Have a n lovely lorely time time darling Pas taros tanos has hus the distinction of being the very toughest place Jace In all nil Chicago l It Is beautiful and not o f-o dangerous Mr Ir as likes people to think lie He Is rea really 11 er very careful about the police Anil A till then too you OU will be with Mr lr role ole who Is a close friend of Hub Ruby Will was at lit the door grinning at th them m his Ills mobile mouth twisted Into a kind of sardonic look that lie he wor mt wore at limes s mid mend Plat hint made him like his father He lie lid a n great deal of poise Iloise II i op his Ills youth and scanty scantS advantages e Mar Mar- Marriage Marriage I r had changed him very little lIe Ile was perhaps somewhat more Inflammable inflammable Inflammable mable but he lie took Ernestine and the thelIe life lIe with her most naturally and with with- without without out self-consciousness self They went on to entered an unmarked doorway and climbed broad wooden steps with double doors at the top which opened upon lIht music heat and the sound of happ happy voices The hi big room was airy its excellent ventilation a n surprise e to and an nn Important factor In every ones one's pleasure and good appetite Mr Ir Poole came to meet them and Ernes Ernes- Ernestine Ernestine Ernestine tine gave Ia him her hand liand and her nicest schoolgirl smile She wished Mrs Its Bennett hall had not said anything to her about this man She did not have e to heed any warnings s except those her husband gave c a her hers heri I Following Mr Ir Poole amon among the tables Ernestine thou thought ht about the theman man many things thins Will hind told her IlIr of this man until she slie felt that she slie knew him perfectly Ills remarkable gIfts his value alue to his hili paper his Ills careless careless- carelessness carelessness ness of himself his Ills small vanities and preJudices his indolence and drunken drunken- drunkenness drunkenness drunkenness ness and his great reaf charm she knew lie was as natural and straightforward ward with er e every one as a child with other children Yet lie he possessed also the authority an nod and autocratic manner of the man of established reputation lIe drew Ernestine's hand liand within the curve cune of ot his Ills arm and led her lier to a table reserved od i for their party All the places were filled tilled except theirs and the men rose to greet Ernestine There was only one other woman Mrs Irs Wiston the wife of the syndicate editor of the Sun a small beautiful woman with the face of a kt ti d df f N bid r if- if You You Are Lovely He Protested as Though She Had Denied It siren who can never forget her role She had bad been married twice before t she had met Wiston and Ernestine knew that back in New ew England were the wife and child Wiston RIston had set aside for her Ernestine was conscious of oC the Indignation common to married women against n such nn Impostor Wiston himself a tall academic man with a ribbon to hIs Ills glasses Ernestine hind had met at the office and John Tucker called Tommy Tummy by e ery e ery one who was Wills Will's rival rhal for honors In the art room The third man who was pre lire presented presented to her lier Ernestine did not know and she slie failed to catch his name lie was a small powerful looking Indi indi- Individual vidual with a dark darl mustache brig bright lt gray ces eyes and a n vain aln and elaborate manner The other two men Und Under Under- Underwood Underwood r- r wood and Harrison were from time the Sun staff and happy to be at an any party an any time un any place Ilace They all nil sat down Mr 11 Poole with one oue of the women on either side sille and Tommy Tucker next to Ernestine the pompous little man next to Mrs Irs Wis Ris Wiston ton villa the others grouped about the bl big table tallie Ernestine IJ by now ha had 1 forgotten her self consciousness and bt h radiantly happ happy She wished Will were beside her She Slie was only n a half and Will was the other half and he ought always 8 to be beside her breathing as she breathed turning as she turned fhe Idea dell delighted her and she laughed at herself but felt still a n deep jo joy In their unity Mr 11 Poole turned to Ernestine and told her lur soW softly that lint her youth and beauty were sweeter than sweet night itself lie took his glass in his lifs hand liand And nd more Intoxicating he said sahl than lhnn this for tor which I have wasted half my life and most of tn my talents Ernestine looking UI up in his kind face knew Instantly that In spite o or his Ills flowery words and in spite of Bennetts Bennett's conventional fea fears rs this great gleat man roan had no predatory impulses toward her lier He lie knew that she slie was deeply In love with Will Hut But to watch her to speak to her to listen to her VOl voice l gave gate him pleasure It w was s sall all he lie would over ever want of her Tier Her Instinct in this matter proved true durin during the years ears of or Wills Will's association with Mr Ir Poole And nd what have you OU two young oung pieces of Impudence been dolo doing since last I saw you OU 1 We e have dined In n state at mamma's mam mam- mamma's mamma's mas ma's said Ernestine smiling mis mischievously Will missed the calico cance of It entirely Papa has lias under duress forgiven him He lIe offered Willa 1 a Job In his office And Ind what does Will sa say lIe He didn't even pay an any attention to it lIe He Just said that he lie was satis fled fied with the Job he hall had thanks just the same and went on talking to mamma Mr Ir Poole laughed l with delight lie he II know what papa wants I dont don't know whether ther lie he does ur or urn n |