| Show the AM DIM LANTERN A am rw V W insel A I 1 by TEMPLE BA BAILEY am ILEY 0 PENN publishing COMPANY SERVICE THE STORY THUS FAR young pretty jane barnes who lived with her brother baldwin in sherwood park near washington was not particularly impressed Impi essed when she read that rich attractive edith towne had been left at the altar by delafield si simms amans MS wealthy new yorker however she still mused over it when she met evans follette a young neighbor whom the war had left completely discouraged and despondent r evans ns tied had always loved jane that morning baldwin barnes on his way to work orna in n washington offered assistance to a tall lovely girl n distress later he found a bag she had left in the car containing a diamond ring on which was inscribed del to edith forever he knew then that his passenger had been edith towne already he was halt half in love with her that night he discussed the matter with jane and they called her uncle worldly sophisticated frederick towne he visited them at their home delighted with janes simplicity city he told them editha story because her uncle desired it edith towne had accepted delafield simms whom born she liked but did not love she disappeared immediately after the wedding was to have taken place the next day jane received a basket of fruit from towne and a note asking if he might call again mrs follette widowed mother of evans was a woman of indomitable courage impoverished she nevertheless managed to keep evans and herself in comparative comfort by running a dairy farm evans mentally depressed and disillusioned had little self reliance and looked to his mother and jane tor for guidance edith towne phones baldy in answer to an ad she asked him to bring her pocketbook jane calls on frederick towne in his elaborate office he gives lucy his stenographer a letter to delafield simms in which he severely criticizes him unknown io to him lucy and simms are in love with each other towne takes jane home in his limousine she introduces him to evans who Is jealous of towne tone baldy goes to meet edith towne at her hiding place CHAPTER VI continued I 1 9 they laughed together baldy was great fun edith decided different you are wondering I 1 fancy how I 1 happened to come here she said leaning back in her chair her burnished hair against its faded cushions well an old cook of mothers martha burns is the wife of the landlord she will do anything for me I 1 have had all my meals upstairs I 1 might be a thousand miles away for all my world knows of me 1 I was worried to death when I 1 thought of you out in the storm and all the while I 1 was sitting with my feet on the fender reading 9 about myself in the evening papers and what you read was a plen ty said baldy some of those reporters deserve to be shot oh they had to do it indifferently and what they have said is nothing to what my friends are saying its a choice morsel every girl who ever wanted dels millions is crowing over the way he treated 11 me the look in his eyes disconcerted her do you really think that of course were a greedy lunch bunch 1 I dont like to hear you say such things why not because you arent greedy you know it it his millions you were after what was I 1 after I 1 wish tell me I 1 dont know well I 1 think you just followed the flock other girls got married so you would marry you know anything about love or you have done it how do you know ive never been in love it true 1 I suppose it is I 1 dont know really know some day and you mu ever think of yourself as mercenary youre too wonderful for that too too fine she realized in that moment that the boy was in earnest that he was not saying pretty things to her for the sake of saying them he was saying them all in sin sincerity cerit y it is nice of you to believe in me but you dont know me I 1 am like the little girl with the curl I 1 can be very very good but sometimes I 1 am horrid you cant make me think it he handed her a packet of letters letter S your uncle sent these theres one from simms on top 1 I think I 1 wont read it I 1 won wont t read any of them it has been heavenly to be away from things I 1 feel like a disembodied spirit looking on but having nothing to do with the world I 1 have left they were smiling now 1 I can believe that baldy said but I 1 think you ought to read simms letter you teu tell me you any curiosity well I 1 have she broke the envelope more than that I 1 am madly curious I 1 confess it though to anyone but you they can cut me up in little pieces before I 1 break my silence again they laughed together then she broke the sea seal of the letter read it through to herself then read it a second time aloud now that it is all over edith I 1 want to tell you how it happened I 1 know you think it is a rotten thing 1 I did but it would have been worse it if I 1 had married you I 1 am in love with another woman roman and I 1 did not find it out until the day of our wedding she in the least to blame and somehow I 1 cant feel that I 1 am quite the cad that everybody is calling me things are bigger sometimes than ourselves fate just took me that morning and swept me away from you it her fault she go away with me although I 1 begged her to do it and she was right of course she is poor but she marrying me for my money the world will say she is but the world recognize the real thing it has come to me and if it ever comes to you youre going to thank me for this but now hate me and im sorry youre a beautiful wonderful woman and I 1 find no excuse for myself except the one that it would have been a crime under the circumstances to tie us to each other in spite of everything faithfully del Is there was a moments silence as she finished then edith said so that and tore the letter into little shreds her blue eyes were like bits of steel hes right said baldy id like to kill him for making you unhappy but the thing was bigger than himself she shrugged her shoulders of course if you are going to condone dishonor he was leaning forward hugging his knees 1 I am not condoning anything but I 1 know this that p 1 vv y A r ilk he was a whimsical youngster she decided some day if you ever fall in love forgive 1 I am not likely to fall in love coldly im too sensible oh I 1 know youve had strings of lovers youre too tremendously lovely not to have but all been afraid of you no caveman stuff or anything like that that the truth 1 I should hate a caveman of course but you be indifferent and end by caring 1 I dislike brutal types intensely 11 he sat with his chin in his hand his shoulders hunched up like a faun or pan at his pipes AU all cavemen arent brutal types some day im going to paint a picture of a man carrying off a woman and im going to make him a slender young god and she shall be a rather substantial goddess but shell go with him his spirit shall conquer her she looked at him in surprise then you paint ill say I 1 do terrible things magazine covers but in the back of my mind there are masterpieces he was a whimsical youngster she decided but no end interesting 1 I dont believe your things are terrible and I 1 shall want to see them you are going to see them I 1 have a studio in our garage I 1 sometimes wonder what happens at night when my little flivver is left alone with my fantasies it must feel that it is fighting devils he broke off to say im as garrulous as jane please dont let me talk any more about myself Is jane your sister yes and now lets get down to realities your uncle wants you to come home im not going I 1 know uncle fred hell make me feel like a returned prodigal hell kill the fatted batted calf but ill always know that there were husks 4 and hogs baldy supplemented dr dreamily some people are like that look here he said suddenly if I 1 were you id go back 1 I will not 1 I think you ought face things out let your uncle under understand stand that there are to be no postmortems it Is is the only thing to do you cant stay here forever did uncle fred make you his ambassador coldly he did not when I 1 came 1 fet felt that I 1 would do anything to keep you away from home as long as you liked but I 1 dont feel that way now just sit here and grow bitter about it instead of thanking god on your knees he flung it at her unexpectedly there was a moments intense silence then he said oh I 1 hope ya you U dont think I 1 am preaching no ino no and suddenly her head went down on her arm that beautiful burnished head she was crying im sorry he told her huskily and again there was silence she hunted for her handkerchief and he handed her his you be sorry she said it seems rather refreshing to have someone say things like that oh I 1 wonder if you know how hard we are and c cynical the people of my set and I 1 dont believe any of us ever thank god they talked for an hour after that there is no reason why you should hurry back baldy said but id let your uncle tell people where you are then the papers will drop it dont you see 1 I see of course ive been silly but you cant think how I 1 suffered she would not have admitted it to anyone else but she met his sincerity with her own 1 I was going to have our lunch served up here she said but I 1 think I 1 wont tile the dining room downstairs down stairs is charming and if anyone comes in that I 1 know I 1 shant care as long as im going back the food was delicious and having settled her problems edith showed herself delightfully gay and girlish there was heliotrope in in a sheffield bowl on their table martha grows old fashioned flowers in pots edith said she picked out a spray for him and he put ut it in his coat its my favorite she told him about Dela fields orchids think of all those months she said and he never knew the flowers I 1 liked there were other people in the room but it was not until the end of the meal that anyone came wh whom om edith recognized eloise harper and she sees me was her sudden remark 1 now watch trie me carry it of she stood up and waved to a party of four people two men and two women who stood in the door they saw her at once and the effect of their corning coming was a stampede blessed child said the girl who was in the lead have you eloped and is this the man this is mr barnes said edith I 1 who comes from my uncle I 1 am to go back but B t I 1 have had a corking adventure eloise red haired and vivid in a cloak and turban of wood brown seemed to stand mentally on tiptoe 1 I miss the talk I 1 am going to have with the reporters tonight one of the men of the party protested dont be an idiot eloise well I 1 owe edith something dont I 1 darling you do there was a flame in back of editha eyes she liked delafield before 1 I did 03 cat said eloise lightly 1 I liked his yacht but bennys bennas is bigger it benny she turned to the younger man of the party who had not spoken ill say it is benny agreed cheerfully and it just my yacht that ashes after she has a real little case on me the second woman older than eloise oise tall and fair haired in smoke gray with a sweep of dull blue wing across her hat said edith you bad child your uncle has been frightfully worried of course know adelaide and it does him good to be worried I 1 am an antidote for the rest of you everybody laughed except baldy he ran his fingers with a nervous gesture through his hair he was like a young eagle with a ruffled crest martha came up to arrange for a table bring your coffee over and sit with us eloise said we want to hear all about it edith shook her head 1 I dont belong to your world yet and ive had a heavenly time without you they went on laughing silence settled on the two they left behind and out of that silence edith asked you like the things we said hateful do you always show what you feel like that jane says I 1 do well if it had been anybody but eloise harper and adelaide laramore adelaide is is uncle freds latest she rose lets go upstairs if I 1 stay here I 1 shall want to throw things at their heads and I 1 dont care to break marthas dishes they stopped at the other table however for a light word or two then went up to editha sitting room on the second floor when they were once more by the fire she said and now what do you th think ink of me mea nice temper 1 I think he said promptly that they probably deserved it she laid her hand for a fleeting moment on his arm you are rather a darling to say that I 1 was really horrid when he was ready at last to go she decided tell uncle frederick to send briggs out for me in the morning I 1 might as well have it over now that eloise is is going to spread the ne news WS 11 I 1 1 I wish go in with me tonight oh but I 1 why not she weighed it and surprise uncle fred 1 I think wed better telephone so he can kill the fatted batted calf yes he like things sprung on him hurts his dignity but lies hes rather an old dear and I 1 love him do you ever quarrel with the people you love jane and I 1 fight great t times imes 11 1 I have a feeling I 1 shall like jane you will ashes the best ever not a beamut beauty Y but growing better looking every day bobbed h her er hair and I 1 nearly took her head off but ashes rather a peach ill have you both down for di dinner some day I 1 think we are goi going na to be friends a gain again that light i touch on his arm he caught her hand in his 1 I shall only ask that you let the page twang his lyre then with a deeper note miss towne I 1 cant tell m you au how 11 much your friendship would mean ea n would it oh I 1 am going to have some good times time S with wit h you and your little sister jane I 1 I 1 am so tired of people like eloise and adelaide and benny and d del it TO ife BE CONTINUED |
