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EVEfrlNGr PUBLIC) LEDaEKr-PHIIi'ADEXPHIA, THUKSDAY, DEOEMBEIt 9, 1920
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7.Jffi
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The Phantom Lever
By Ruby Ayres
V "M"
. -,
I. - i i -...---.... . . .
Tt WV W1 1Vf M0Yf1 J VI . m LU
iV
T1II8 STAJIT8 THE STOny
' Jflcfcy Wallows, matrimonial catch,
diverts the mind of a gir he finds
crying en the street from the thoughts
'of suicide with leMch she had
ierestled. Returning te his apartment
he finds his friend, Ashton, who tag
he is leaving town and hit sweetheart
at hi mother's req.net and asks Mai Mai
iewee te deliver a letter te the girl.
Micky discovers the girl, Esther 8hcp 8hcp
$tene, te be the one he had met crying
en the street. Instead of delivering
the letter Ashton gave him he writes
another, a kindlier one, and signs
Ashton's name te it. The letteV com
forts Esther. One dag when she re
turns te her room she finds June
Masen, another boarder in the ftu0
there. June expresses the wish that
then should be friends.
AND IIEHE IT CONTINUES
THEItE wan Bemethlwr se breeslly dis
arming about her that Esther h,eld
out her hand.
"Teu're very kind. I hardly knew
u what te "a-
FS? .. it-t II !.. IfmAn
"Den t say anyining-, iie ...
answered airily. "I'm going te like you :
I knew I should somehow when I first
heard your name. Oh, I hope you don't
think It's awful cheek," she broke out
Mlth a sort of embarrassment. "I've
get a. sitting room here, as well as a
bedroom, and I always make my own
tea. It's hotter than you can cot down
stairs. I've get a fire there, tee. and
If vou're ever cold I hope you It come up
and sit with me. I'm out a Reed deal,
but you can alwayB use my room when
I'm net there, If you care te. Take off
your hat and come and bee It new, or
ire you tee tired? I don't want te worry
you
"I'm net a bit tired." Esther said,
laughing; one felt a little bewildered by
this sudden offer of friendship, but June
Masen interested her, and after a mo me
ment she took off her hat obediently.
I "We'll bring the cat, tee," Miss Ma Ma
eon said : she swooped down with a
quick movement and caught the cat up
Sin her arms. "I leve cats," she said.
"What's his name?" ,
-' "Charlie," said Esther shyly. "He's
very thin, but they weren't kind te him
where he belonged before."
"What a shamel I simply loathe
peeple who are net kind te animals.
Never mind, he'll seen get all right New
come along Ml help you unpack your
boxes presently."
She led the way upstairs, and Esther
followed. . ,
She had been feeling a little Beared 1 of
this new bearding house. She felt
grateful for this girl's unaffected ever-
"Mine's the best room In the house,"
Miss Masen Informed her. She pushed
open the deer, of a room Immediately
above Esther's. "Sit down and make
yourself at home. I'll get the tea In
half a minute. I knew you'll have an
other cup. I shall, anyway. De you
smoke?"
"Xe." said Esther.
"Well, I de. I hope you're net unlocked.
I find It's se seething when you've get
nerves ; and I'm a frightfully nervy per
son. I am hardly ever still i I'm always
en the go."
She went back te the teapot, made the
tea, and poured out a cup for Esther.
"Is that chair comfy? yes, lean backl
What are you looking at? Oh, my pho
tographs! Yea. I have get a let,
haven't I?"
She turned with one of her rapid
mevements. caught up a photograph
irem me sncir anu nanaea u te r-stner.
'There I That's one of the nicest men
I ever met In my llfe," she said enthusi
astically. "Don't you think he's get a
ripping face?"
Esther took the portrait laughingly
she thought June Masen one of the
most amusing people she had ever met
then ahe caught her breath en a Uttle
smothered exclamation aa she found
nerseii loeKlng straight into the pic'
tured eves of Mlckv Mellewen.
June Masen was tee occupied with a
iresn cignretie te nouce ine Blank leek
that filled Esther's eves.
She gat there en the big chair, staring
at Micky's portrait with a sense of
foreboding. Surely It was something
bigger than Just chance that hed Intro
duced him Inte her life for the second
lime.
"My peeple wanted me te marry him
at one time." June wnt rm nlHlw "t
might have done se. only I liked him tee
well. He didn't care for mc, except as a
friend, and It seemed a shame te spoil
It, se I put my feet down."
"Yeu mean that you refused him?"
Esther wm tntnrl,l hn . ,.
memberlng hew Micky had told her that
no had never really cared for any worn-
"i in an nis lite.
'He never asked me, my dear," Miss
Masen answered candidly. "I let him
Vim .-i V.weum2l D8 nny Kd he
iiL,: S"1 -,knew he was 'rightfully re
i i.i.We were never se nearly In
i2 1 wllh ene al'her as we were when
SftLuC a Sh ;h,uekled remlnlscently.
hi Jfli5hSa me wl,h, my people, though."
here " cleared out and came
,ln7"MiSkJ?7" Esther asked. "I I
mean Mr. Mellewcs.
i'Ta. Masen looked faintly surprised.
asked 'y?U. kinew h,18 ,"ame'"
Sm Xi, ?'? I,.tel.' yeuT l suppose I
.l 0h' h?8 aU rlTht: he's the kind of
man who always will be all right Hb's
get another, gfrl en the tapis new. I
Ji?,,t..ikney lf u wl "rat te anything'
fe? hiirL" Anyway' h'fl net f cnSvigh
al'dTU Mm Very fend at hlm'" Esther
seem h.1! deaL' J heuI1 've te
a, heart nflWJS t0 a Klrt with
R-;,1?!0' 5eld "k" hl own. I think I
IT. Ti,h.lm bet,r ,ha t Pep e. and
Smnl'iV'S8!: of ,he werid would be
JSJlS'A'A thing about
nreachfiillv ArT i.V reralnad her re re
preacntuuy. "And It's net fair that I
should de all the talking. I knew your
name, and thnf nhnm .n Tr..Y.y""r
fremry PCPl87 Wh"a d' y coTe
Esther flushed a little.
,,.:i?..re lsnt i71" te tell you. I
haven t any people. I was born In India.
w my .m.ether dled there. I 3en'
knew anvthlnir nhnm m,. r., ,.":
RfIi1Btr,'me.ii,i nn tunt and sh looked
after me till about three yeara nan.
inn f5.S . T l cams t0 L"iden then
and they took me en at Elilred'sde
you knew Eldred's?"
v.nRS Lnetr .Pal1 M's Masen fer
hnlii,rfcr,impt ou? lhln8S they make j
but what prices I I can't nfferd thorn
Xy Tfte,n' butJ P ln there a great
aeei. I knew the manuirnr. nnrt hiu
going te de some business for me at
least I hope he Is. If I can get my
. i,.,' A."t Londen shops thcre, you
knew ; all Londen with uny money, that
Esther looked mystified.
Your stuff I" she echeed. "What de
you mean7"
June Masen laughed merrily, She
had a very Infeotleus laugh and a trick
0..,cevrln her face with her hands
while she was laughing.
'I forget that you didn't knew I" she
said. "I seem te knew you se well, I
cant remember that we never saw one
another before today. My dear. I make
race cream. Walt a moment."
She BDrnniF lln nnd fUnnnnaap ha.
hind a mauve eurtaln Inte an adjoining
room. Esther heard her moving about,
opening and shutting boxes and singing
a snatch of song all the time. Presently
she came back with a tray crowded
with little pets and phials of all sices
and descriptions. She plumped down en
her knees beside Esther's chair.
"Thsre you are I" she said lightly,
tbeugh there waH en odd dash of prldn
In her voice "Face cream, night and
day cream, eyelash tonic, and all the
rest of It Of course, I'm only Just start.
Ing I'm net like these people who ad
vertise In all the papers and charge
nbeut a guinea for a shilling Jar; but
ny stuff- la an geed as theirs uny day.
end better, beenuce It's pure. Loek!"
She took a lid off a little white pet with
a mauve label and held It te Esther.
"Isn't that a glorious perfume?" she
demanded. She sniffed It herself with
a relish. "And It's nil my Invention,
and I'm as proud of It uh a cat would
be of nine tails When I've get things
a little mere shipshape, Micky's going
te put It en the market for me. It wants
a man behind all this sort of thlnuti.
you knew. I can de all the donkey
work,' but I've no head for business. I
never knew the difference between a less
and a profit. It was partly ever this
that '! quarreled with my peeple tifiy
'V5! work," but I've no head for business. I , "began te think you were net com- yjfy2 4zZ2zsm. C&aft . l?yi flfyO'WA I J4Z&x&&J'' fl A 'ffV' I JjW03V-5 flm, ' jM 'I sWW
fj never knew the difference between a less 'ng," she said. I S S ' rn ?TCZ luOxsSr j ! W V' '''S&yS lK VjAOSK ? I 'yZVer' IV T5ft4 I H
I and a prertt. It was purtly ever this . (CONTINUED TOMOIUIOW) ' K jSiHli2(rSf lr 'yJfVr nLz&&C2sa-" I WyWC&lfSsT I Mrmej.R&0X LWW
I .If Hat iharreled with my peeple tb5y (Cmvrtaht, UH, bv HtU Bvnitvet,, iM.) I v- ' rrr S .tf y"r. , . II "VO" ftaea&a.' y'WCK " "" fs2x!r3fe4w $'! siH
'i! I m ' i I i K i ' i ' mlWW
said It was tow-down te make face cream
and sell It they're awful snobs I Se I
just cleared ere and changed my sur
y s
ilte
name and came here.
. I'm
qu
happy, and It I haven't get as much
money as I had, I don't mind I've get
my liberty, and
liberty, and that's worth evarv
Hung.
"I think you're Just wenderful,"
Either said. She picked up a lid from
ene of the little pets and looked at the
mauve and white label.
"June Masen's natural bcautlfler."
"Hut you're net married?" asked June
suddenly,
"Ne" Esther wns looking away Inte
the fire. "Ne, I'm net marrled." she
said In a stifled voice, "He my (lance
has had te go away en business
abroad and I don't knew when I shall
see him again."
Her voice sounded sad and dispirited.
"Yeu peer llttle thing " said June'
Masen. She leaned ever and laid her
hand en Esther's. "Never mind I The
time will Boen pass, and then he'll come
back and you'll llve happily ever
after "
Esther smiled.
"I knew. I keep telling myself It's
foolish te worry I felt qulte happy
this morning. I had a letter from him,
und somehow whnn I read It things
dldVt seem half be bad; but "
"And you'll have another tomorrow,
I expect," Mlis Masen Insisted. "And
another the next day, and ene every
day while he's away. Thcre I That's
better," uhe added cheerily as Esther
laughed.
"I don't llke te soe you leek se ind.
I m going te cheer you up. I shan't
allow you te be miserable. And, any
way," she added, with a sudden soft seft
enlng, "yeu've get seme one who loves
you, and that's worth everything else
In the world."
"Yes." said Esther. Her oyce ihene
and she thought of the letter, which
was even then lying against her tirsrt.
Somehow she had never realised hew
much he really cared for her till today.
"And what are you going te de till
he comes home?" Miss Masen asked In
terestedly, "If you had something te
de you'd find tlme pass ever se much
mere quickly."
"It's a question of having te Ae some
thing, rather than hew te pass the
time," Esther said. "I haven't any
money except what I can make. My
aunt left me a little when she died, hut
It was only a very llttle, and I spent
most of it at first while I was looking
for work. Se I'm going back te Eldred's
If they will-have me, and I think they
will."
Miss Masen said "Humnhl"
.i.,
"There are heaps of ether berths go
ing besides Eldred's, you knew," she
said earnestly. "However, veu must de
as you llke, of course." She threw af.iy
another unfinished clgarette. "De jeu
think we ero going te be friends?" she
asked.
'I am sure wp arc," Esther Bald. She
really did thlnlf se; sha had never met
any ene In the least llke June Masen
before. She began te feel glad she had
ceme te this house.
"It must be wonderful te be rich,"
Esther said. There was a llttle Hush In
her cheeks; she was really enjoying
herself. "It's the dream of my life te
have enough money te be able te de
anything I like," she added earnestly,
"Just for a month. If I could be really
rich Just for ene month I wouldn't mind
going back te being peer again."
Miss Masen said "Rubbish!" briskly.
"Meney can't buy happiness, ray dear,
and don't you forget It. My peeple think
It can, and lets of ether people think
Uis same. It only shows what
feels
they are.
It was the money my people
couldn't get ever when
x aeciinea te
marry Micky Mollewea " Sha made
a little wry face. "I remember my
mother coming Inte my room ene nlgnt
in ner aressing gown peer seui wnen
she heard I'd told Micky there was
nothing doing, und saying tragically,
'June, you must be mad stark, staring
mad I Why, the man's as rich as Cree-
BUST"
"Rich!" Esther waa coneolous of en
odd little sinking at her heart "Is Mr.
Mellows rich, then?" she asked con
strainedly. "Rich? I should think he 1st He's
ene of the richctjt men In Londen."
"One of the richest men In Londen I
but he' Esther had been going te
add, 'But he told me that he was peer,"
she only ehecked the worde In time.
June nodded.
"He's the despair of all the match
making mamma" she said lightly.
"Over thirty, he Is, and still a bache
lor I I'm net sure lf he Isn't en the
verge of being caught new, but you never
can tell! With a llttle luck he may
escape she Isn't geed enough for him,
anyway,"
Esther thought of Micky Mellewes,
and wondering if he ever ceme te the
bearding house, and lf te, why he had
net told her that ha knew somebody
living here. After all. if he had deceived
her In ene Instance he would de be In
many ethors she' felt a curious aense
of hurt pride: why had he gene out of
his way te tell her he was a peer man,
when all the time?
"Te tell you the truth," June said
frankly, "none of my friends knew where
I am living. Call It false pride If you
like; but there you are. I have all my
letters, except business ones, sent te
my club I belong te an unpretentious
club I'll take you there wme day und
net even Micky knows that I live here
Yeu see, when I flew In the fuce of provl prevl provl
denee, otherwise my neble family, they
stepped my allowance, se, aa I'm en
tirely self-supporting, t had te be care
ful and live Inexpensively. I cams here.
And I'm very comfortable. If I want
te meet any of my friends we meet out
Bomewhero. I think it's better; It leaves
me quite froe.
Esther walked ever te the fireplace,
and found hersclf looking at Micky's
photograph.
After all, he was Just like all the
ether men she had ever known; appar
ently none of them could be simple and
stneere; she supposed it had been his
way or oenaoscenuing te nor, te pre
tend that he was peer and In similar
circumstances te herself: nerhutia he
had guessed that she would never have
allowed him te pay for her supper or
tea, or havu talked te her as he had
done, lf she had known him te be a rich
man.
Sha need never see him strain.' that
was ene thing; her heart hardened ae
she met the frankness of his pictured
eyes ; no wr.s net sv nonesi aa no loexoa,
She had mistaken condescension for
kindness. She bit her Up with mortifi
cation an she recalled the oenfldenco she
had made te him only that afternoon.
He was probably laughing at It new,
and no doubt would repeat all she had
said te hln friends as u geed Jeke.
She went te her own room shortly.
She made the excune that she was tired,
but when she went downstairs she sat
down en the slde of the bed and made
no effort te undress. A sort of shadow
seemed te have fallen en her spirits She
felt mortified that Micky should se de
liberately have .lied te her ; her eheekn
bumed as she thought of the despair she
had been In last night when she met
him. She hoped she would never see
him again.
CHAMER V
Micky passed three days before he
made any attempt te see Esther Shop Shep Shop
nteno again ; days that seemed like a
month at least, and during which he
lest his appetite and forget te smoke.
That she did net particularly care If
she taw htm again or net, he was mis
erably sure. Hhfi had no thoughts for
anv one but Ashton. He felt as lf tie
could net settle te anything.
Driver came Inte the room.
"If you plenBe, sir, Miss Masen has
ben en the phone. She said would I
ask you te meet her for tea."
Micky did net leek enthusiastic! he
liked June awfully, but today every one
and everything Boomed a bore,
'Teal Where ?" he asked vaguely.
"MIbs Masen said that you would
knew, sir: the seme plaoe as usual."
"Oh. all right!"
Micky looked at the clock and sighed.
After all, June was always amusing;
he went oft almost cheerfully te the un
nrnirntlnuH nlub of which Bhe had sneken
te Esther. He had te wait In the lobby
uhl1n a hev In Iiuttens retched June te
him She came downstairs looking very
much at home ,iva smoking tne inevi.
table cigarette. It was ene of June Ma Ma
reii'h charms that she always managed
te leek at home wherver she was.
Khn hnd taken off her coat, but she
wero n green hat with a geld ornament
that suited her te perfection, set en her
dark head at a rnkisn angle.
"I began te think you were net com
ng," she said.
(CONTINUED TOMORROW)
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