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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
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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 - '- - "
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nfr jm . w r- m -IH 1 InnHbL '- "7Tn Litres 7
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V IM SORRY. TOO 'CVA ... XZZ m
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&JTeWARLtYFf?i?inrnVM "LL CALL IT --
yrj rlAKY ALL hH lJ:Z---- V '
AFTE.RAfOOAl. ! V fL
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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 .
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FONTAINE FOX
SCHOOL DAYS
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29
By Sidney Smith
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