"V rj ; t v j 7 y1 4 BACHELOR HUSBAND By RUBY M. AYRES Auther of "Richard CovvrteM. Itlt. IV H E DID net open Marie's letter till j i.. -f tidrlr linmp. and he rend it in a. ,i.Mrted drawing room where she and Miss Chester had be often sat nrither. The heuse felt like n tomb bow, he thought wretchedly. He wished tjjrer te sec It ngnln. Marie's letter wan very shert: ''Plcme ile net try te sec me. T rnn't benr It. I want tlme te think things ei or and deride what te dn. I will send for you If ever I want you. "hat wni nil ; but It was llke a death warrant te him. If ever she wanted him I Ills heart told him that she would never want him grain I He had bad his chance nnd thrown It awny. During the dayn that followed. In his distress and lencllncis, Chris fell back treat deal upon young Atkins. After Miss Chester's funeral and the dosing of the house It was Chris' sug gestion that he and Atkins should go into rooms together. Chris hated the Idea of hli own company, nnd be knew that as long an be lived he would never find another friend te take Feathers' He had suffered acutely ever his friend's tragic death : he could net bear te speak of him. He even put away hli golf sticks because they were such n vivid reminder of the happy days they bad spent together. "I never want te play the beastly mme again!" he told a man who qucs qucs tlened blm about It In the club one He' wni at n terribly loeso end In theie days nnd young Atkins was just the right sort of companion for h Ira always cheery and bright and full of the optimism of veuth. He had qtinrreled badly with bis father and had been cut off with the proverbial shilling. "Net that it matters," he said phllo phlle phllo rephlcally. "I've get about two hun dred a year the mater left me, and I reckon I can always knock up another two hundred." .. , He had decided te go te America, but for Chris sake he put It off In definitely. He felt that It was doing lemethlng for Marie If he helped her husband through the dark days before him. Though he did net knew any thing Hke the whole of the story, he was ehrewd enough te plccn together the few llttle bits which Chris sometimes let drop. He was intensely sorry for them both and would have given n great deal te have helped put things right. Once, unknown te Chris, he hired n motor metor moter blko and went down te see Marie and bis lister. He found them In the garden, pacing together up nnd down the little lawn. It was autumn then, and the besom of the rlter una covered with brown and yellow leuves from the trees en its banks. There was an acrid smell In the air, tee, which nlwnys comes with the end of sunyner. He thought Marie wns pleased te sc blm certainly the color deepened n lit- tie In her pale face wncn sue ursi saw Vim But ehe had changed: Oh. hew she had (.hanged, he thought sadly. There was net much left of the little girl who had first of fjll attracted his boyish ,anc5'- ' , , .i He talked of everything under the mn, rattling en In his usual haphazard manner, and bhe listened gravely, some times smiling, but hardly hpenking. He did net mention Chris or tell her that they were sharing looms mue mere expenshe rooms than he could pesslbh have afforded nlenc: but Chris had Indicted en paying the difference. It wns just as he was going, and Mlllicent had left them together for a little while, that Marie said suddenly: "Temm de you knew thnt it's a month today since Mr. Dnkcrs died?" lie started nnd flushed in confusion. "Is it? A month! Hevj the time flics, doesn't It?" "Tes." She was looking out across the open reuntry at the beck of the little house, and he thought he had never seen such sadness In anyone's face. He laid a hand en hern In clumsy tomfert. "It was n fine sort of death, any-wa-," he said In desperation. "Just the sort of death n man like Feathers would have chosen Marie he saved your life twice." He realized tee lnte thnt he had spoken tactlessly, but te his surprise she only smiled a wise llttl smile which he could net fathom. "Yes," she said softly, almost happily It seemed. There was a little tllence. then he broke out again. "It seems n lifetime since we all met for the first time down at that ballv old hotel, doesn't It? Teu and I, and Chris, and peer old Feathers." "It's only n little mere than three months." she told him. "Is it?" he cleared his threat nerv ously. "Jove! hew time Hies," be (aid again, icmlnlscently. They hat silent for some minutes, then he rose te his feet, nnd ald thnt be must be going. "I told ChrlH I would he In nt seven," he said unthinkingly, then stepped, furious v. 1th bin. self for hav ing mentioned the name he hnd swein te nveid. She looked up quickly, her brown ye dilating. "CIimh! Arc you living wit') lint t'ifn'-" "Yes." He twisted his cap with ngl- titer! finirpria "Tfn uwnf hHpW in Mr DKnightsbridge rooms after well, after MIsr rhnhtprH hmiftfl unh knlrt. vnu knew, but of course you de knew." 8he shook her head. "I hne net heen him for a month." Yeung Atkins looked wretched. He knew from the little Chris had told him that this bepnratien hud been her own wish, and therefore he could net understand her attitude- new. He did net knew that she had writ ten that last note te her husband mere ss u test than for any ether leasen. !tl. her old childish way ofieuson efieuson ofieusen Inn, sh hud nrgucd te herself that If li really cared for her nothing en cnilh would keep him away ; and once again one hnd been disappointed. He had ap parently agreed without a word of de mur he md. never attempted te ap proach her. "I knew he's jelly miserable, any y." jeung Atkins broke out explo exple ivi' hfter a moment. "He never gees jinjwheie he just sits nnd smokes nnd "inks. IIp'h rhnnged se! It's rotten! -nu he used te be such a cheery soul." mi1 seemed ufraid all nt eiicl that he 1 tulii tee much, for he nuuie an other attempt te escape. Marie went with him te the gate. jour sister has been se geed te , she said suddenly. "I don't knew ujt I should have done without her. 1 wall miss her dreadfully when 1 go Hay. He looked up in swift distress. ,,, ,"ut jeu're net going! Yeu mustn't! gees eer se pleased te have you with "Jr. Where are you going?" one looked itwuy from him down the ky read, nnd there was n llttle clo cle Vnt j)(u,gC Mevg Bhe Ra(1 siewly: I m going back te ChrlH." , Te Chris l" de could hardly bellow fc He grlpped both her bands. "Hoe- Chattcrten," Etc. TV. J. Watt 4 Ce. Can Leve Survive Middle Age? Charles Shirley, mere than half way through life, thought maybe it couldn't. He was frankly bored with life, with himself and with bin wife Dertha. Bertha Shirley, n coy forty that tried subtraction by cosmetics nnd girlish ways, added te her husband's disbelief In the permanency of leve by alternate archness and nagging. If it hadn't been for Margery, thirty In years, fifteen in spirits, ro mance might net have stirred anew In Charles. The suburban commu nity called her a "husband snatchcr." But was she? "THE MAN WHO WAS TIRED OF HIS WIFE" answers the ques tion, beginning TOMORROW ON THIS PAGE ray! hew perfectly splendid! Oh, forty thousand hoernya!" She disengaged herself from his bear like grip. "Oh. Temmy nlensa!" She sounded mere like her old self new, he thought with seme emotion. There was a suff suff picieui molsture In his eyes as he loosed down at her. "When?" he naked eagerly. "When? Oh. I don't knew yet." There was n note of nervous shrinking in iier voice. it s nis birthday tomorrow, young mxins saia. "I knew. I've heen flrlnttW nf thnt nil day." He caught her round the wnlit. "ou darling! Tomorrow then 1 I'll make myself scarce. Wc were going te have an extra dinner by way of celebration he wasn't keen, but It was my iden! I'll pretend te let blm down, and you come Instead." She fell into his mood, and they made their plans llke eager children. It wns only when young Atkins was juit starting away that she cnught hirt arm for a moment, nnd her face was white In the gray light. "The summer's quite gene. Temmy," she said sadly. "I often wonder If it doesn't mean that my summer has gene tee, and thnt it's tee late new." He poeh-poohed her words scornfully. "Nonsense! As If summer doesn't ever come again ! Why, next year will be a topper, you'll see! The best In j our life." They were both silent for n moment, listening te the monotonous lap, lap of the river as it flowed swiftly along be tween its rush -grown banks. "I hnte that sound," young Atkins broke out vehemently. "I wonder you can bear te have been se near te It after there I didn't menn that! I'm such n blundering ex." She smiled through the uudden tears tnat rushed te her eyes. "l'c never minded it like that, some how, Temmy. It's never been as ter rible te me as as perhnpi It should be. I've often thought that these drendfui minutes when it seemed ns If the end of ccrj thing had qome for for both of us when Feathers wan se brave se wendeiful! Washed everjthlng mean and small and unierglvlnrf out of my heart forever." She looked up at the dark sky ever head, where some little stars wcre twinkling nnlely. Feathers hed once told her thnt she wns as far above him as the fctars she never looked nt them new without thinking of him, nnd wondering If some where he still thought of her. It wns she who had led him into temptation she still had that te tell te Chris if he cared te listen. "Tomorrow, then," she said, and eung Atkins echoed "tomorrow." ni he sprinted off down the read, disap pearing in a cloud of dust. Marie waited at the gate till the last neund of the meter had died away in the distance, then she went slowly back te the house. The voice of the river was still In her cars, with Its bitter memories, but there was n new leek of contentment In her eyes as she turned for a moment at the deer, and looked up at the stars. "I'm going back, dear," she said in n whiHpcr, as if there was some one very close te her In the dusky evening who could hear. "I'm going back, dear." CHAPTER XXVII "But ah! ths little thlnrs ter which I alrh, An each day pae hT, .. . The open book, the (lower upon the fleer. The dainty dlearray. The aeund of pajjlni feet. Alan, the little thlme of eery day! The allent eve. my iweet. The lonely waklnc. AlaV ilai! for little thlnm My heart la breaklnic. Chris wok up en the morning of his birthdav with the very real hope in his heart that the pest might bring him some messnge from Marie ,Vel,eMt?; ,she had never before forgotten his birthday. Ei en when he saw that there was. no letter from her he could hardly believe that there would be none later. He hung about his rooms all the morning, till young Atkins dragged him out bv main force. "What's the mutter with jeu that eu're w fend of the house alt at once? no demanded disgustedly. He had pie pie vleuslv had a heart-te-heart talk with their landlady and glycn her many In structions with regard te flowers and n lavish dinner that night. "Fer only you two gentlemen, sir? she had asked amazed and Temmy had safd: "Ne-I. shan't be there- here , j. a lady coming. '"";..,.. Hunniiminl in her eyes, be added, S'gfeerup! U;sual,r! rthUtruth'teUstlpathy i. i-i.. .n fni" in nn inni lie ! Me nnn mm ur i. n enHat her sympathy. nnrk (1 his bng, and promptly proceeded fe lese Chris uh seen as he had get him OUM'flll0forCyeuattheclubtsix." ,en Wb l"t words. "And mind yeu're tl,Chri8 was there nn hour before, chlcllv because he had nothing else te de He was irritated and annoyed, therefore, when the deer porter n formed him that Mr. Atkins had Jcft n message te the effect that he could net get te the club, but would be at the rooms at seven. "And would you be sure te be there, sir?" he added. . ., Chris frowned us he turned away. He had a great jnlnd net te go home nt all but te leave Atkins in the lurch. He thought It very shabby of him. all things considered, but It came en te rain and the streets looked dull and uninviting, be he took a taxi and went hHeme! He echoed the word in his heart wretchedly. What a home for n man te go te when he might have every thing in the world lie wanted, and a wlfe te emtie at him from the ether ielde of his own tntne; ue missed Marie a hundred tmiui u mj-uu nici. about the beuse her voice even the sight of her slippers nnd small per sonal belongings ,,,,, He took off his coat and hut in the hall nnd went upstairs. There was u light in his rooms, nnd he could catch a glimpse OI inu mum mm mi uiiiiii-r n.,,1 Hn.feru nn nuinv Hew era then bq many Honors there (till, n seemed. CONTINUED TOMORROW EVENING PUBLIC THE GUMPS-rA Peek Inte Minimum fu.nr" ttLL 1 ' SUPPOSfe IP VT TO fcE YX SMML BE tV' LPT HIM 60.- ITS COMING 10 HIM- W.' 0C kXK "foil CAWT ALU HE'LL U3TEH TO -" YeU SO' fOOfc OUt wax. & . SOMEBODY'S STENOGThe Bess Is Neglecting Business I fjOLLV T DOT KAI0W VtfHAT ELSE Te Tell that fleck of Pi6eeAfs iaj p 1Mb WHrU im--v Seme have, beeaj waiting two hours'. VVHW "DOAIT THE. OLD CRAB "TELLAAE IF HE a - 1 ...' lit IfeNT umiiH "M The Yeung Lady Acress the Way We asked the young lady across the way if she favored the feminis tic school and she aaid she ncrer even heard of it and expected te go te Vassar. c- . . X PETEYYes, Girls De Change i jwks-that i e r aw- i djmt m r , A -rrL , , A1.. r J f I l AL V?M 1 Will "It I ''"w itiu i JAAyv I r' girl Leeks uSj?53SP HOWt WAVe fTi.f . f4 HtTR SHE HAD HAR Familiar. seems tfUKSlvHir ,T She's S9MD That cawie almost ' ' ' r v J C 1Z! GASOLINE ALLEY Avery as a Peacemaker : i : L I y-uJ I Lr : , -J I By King f THI6 OM !, ON YWHM DO V0UfaMi- LISTEN HERE! Youve -J PARDem mp 2 N C? r7S r- s 7Z 1 1 (ME. JIM I SUCCESTee OHSOKjf VOU J BOUCHTWE LUMCHES" WELL HAVEN' rT ANXIOUS Te p7 pe MEN ARE ) S LD 2, ? ' : ' '- ,.. I -jg 7 ,.' f --n 'vl --------- J -1 -,. -.iy ... -a ,, . ,. y. x..-..-., : k ..., .,,z ,,U . LEDGER - HILABELPHIA, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1921 the Future "TO LET HVM ALU- ME VIONT 66T WISS TUU H STCPS Ori 1Y- HOY YiLL. TME TRM S SPRON& SHE'S Jim LVKE "TOtfr f I Sfvlt'S JUST LKt T UP0 R6TTER VPV m"- ecvw&c" Lint kvumhiu- , l,f I ofrflefc-weose -seAWON a EAS TRAP TOR " HAb ANYBODY BEEM H TO 5EE YOU HAS THEV? SAY 50, BUT I couldn't stall. W . ' 1 AA ALU DAT '. 1 FAMILY STUFF -:- -:- -: A - '- - " Ks?sX S ' j I 1 IMHI II t VZ JZ meW C M n - yixw; 0 y J 9B&JBft whoops'. fWBf MD 5,Kflfs Jewu 7 nfr jm . w r- m -IH 1 InnHbL '- "7Tn Litres 7 s JSFWMm Pr,uA ' jhMHHl jN amklc GO 7 " ILL By ett? ?777i ftX-Vr V IM SORRY. TOO 'CVA ... XZZ m . rH ra. f ...... - ... SSi ME I IP; S- S &JTeWARLtYFf?i?inrnVM "LL CALL IT -- yrj rlAKY ALL hH lJ:Z---- V ' AFTE.RAfOOAl. ! V fL ' a ft a .... . . . m i aa i jm.i .i r 1 . IT XAi VERW 1 " H f k' 1 h iMTHRjESTlMfi.) S rr 2 f W ,iB tli L He JWs Family' ccucbrate AtieTHtR AnMisncE Pav when 5iSTiTR CALLED Off TJt 5CJ?AP SHt HAD BtEH HAVMG WiTM rtfl. WjfALTHV 0gAU. rSX JW'CfctS- MONS PErsT AlU 'HIS -ttFE MAWHG WUOH HE i0NT KNOW Trlt' PlFvtRENCE DeYVWEfcH A ' CVVROMO AHD A R.EM8RM4DT- KVteN W "TAKES YtUS MlrJA,-rva. PRVd STXRG OAfck TO AUSTRALIA - HE.T eETTfcK vpv enwctn TWO PAY . r FONTAINE FOX SCHOOL DAYS sf ' ' "i' s7 zr-vzzTri z MAKEft rUY J. J1 vr raTTWii LIKE, Ne i AM ASJTOrTOWLE. trrre A UOP Cepyrlicht, 1021, by rublle 1aAk Company s; 1 IS4'T IT STRAAI6E HE'D WASTa HIS , , ,-w- CccC A.'E.'HAVWAPB 29 By Sidney Smith .1 vmtM e old MiX. S"ntVt6MTtvS AHP TMKT fiAtt JCTS STtT Kt'P FETTER TAKC. SOME LOCAL nUTtsT uii-nX MHO.- TMA.TS AVJU- - m, cm kuie IH TmKT COUNTKC4 .ibim ''T.' j" i AUSTKAOA "HWX. Og Jtftt hvv t-i&Ejj vr mnwnu wjwjem - By Hayward amme The boss was oetall j AFTJ?Af0OM AT AAi APIARV. L 1IAJIC I f JTJKIM AI UJ I K -1 fXJ - ..k.. Z.I AAiD AnaNK3T& . V Ort.MCQOS IT AlAfT HO STRANG ' - ' rm ' P itk By DW1G By C. A. Voight - HeW SHEi's 5e"T SkirTs "IPaT Come Aihest J)OWM Id HER KkJETES Awe HAita "THats cut AT AW JKWCUs. r m 1 JW iii IK J ,', i r j
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers