All Roads Lead to Calvary

hing at the club,

ars in her ink to come to her on Sunday evening to meet a 'gentleman friend' of he

opinion of him-or rather she doesn't want our real opinion of

ged!" Joan se

ask young women to marry them. And if they consented it was called

Joan. "I have

u hadn't from your to

risk criticism of him," argued Joan, ign

eems her father wasn't brainy and her mother was. Or else it was the other way about: I'm not quite sure. But whichever

ts her mother's experi

vels-very good novels, too; and got jealous of one another; and threw press-notices at one another's head all breakfast-

of it altogeth

for Destitute Gentlewomen at

ted Joan. "May h

ernoon and evening there. A month later she married a grocer with five children. The only sound suggestion for avoiding trouble that I ever came across was in a burlesque of the Blue Bird. You remember

room floor being for the moment vacant, Flossie had persuaded her landlady to let her give her party there; it seemed as if fate app

ren together when Mummy was alive; and then he had to go abroad; and has only just come back. Of course, I've got to think of him, too, as he says. But then, on the other hand, I don't want to make a mistake. That would be so terrible, for both of us; and of course I am cleve

g blown away. She had difficulty in recognizing Flossie. Al

sie, standing on tiptoe, suddenly

k to be her nurse, turned out to be her secretary, whose duty it was to be always at hand, prepared to take down any happy idea that might occur to the bird-like little woman in the course of conversation. Th

"I must be prepared for opposi

. "When I was twenty I could have loved y

the weight of his body upon his right

tried." She shook her curls at him. "It isn't your faul

r both of us," sugg

ies being enacted around us at this moment. Sensitive women compelled to s

been hovering imp

ed Mr. Halliday. "She loves you still.

opening. He represented the Uplift Film Association of Chicago, and was wishful to know if Miss Tolley would consent to altering the last

end your agent the contract to-morrow,

as a clean-shaven, square-jawed young ma

as soon as Flossie was out of earshot. "Talk to

hen shot a guilty glance

lly crush their f

listen to Miss Tolley you would think that half the women wanted a new husband every ten years. I

for a philosoph

d be all right if you star

Joan asked him. She thought his p

pon how I get through this evening." He glanced round the r

g seen them on one or two occasions wandering in the King's Road, Chelsea; still maintaining, as far as the traffic would allow, the bas-relief suggestion; and generally surrounded by a crowd of children, ever hopeful that at the next corner they would stop and do something really interesting. They belonged to a society whose object was to lure the London public by the force of example towards the adoption of the early Greek fashions and the simpler Greek attitudes. A friend of Flossie's ha

id Joan. "What will you do if

"And take her with m

r resented

" she remarked. "Some

," he said. "I have been reading your arti

he said. "I mean

that they have somewhere decent to go to, and don't get robbed. And t

" she asked. "The articles, I

Just chance. Caught

photo of a woman with a bony throat and

't it the pale-faced young clergyman with the wavy hair and the beautiful voice that yo

o know,"

o was to look after myself. It came to me suddenly while you were talking to me-I mean while I was reading you: that if you were worrying your

held out her hand

t. She wanted to introduce him to

"Are you two conc

of Youth. You've got to be in it. We are goi

Joan, who had seated herself in a sm

a "Press Controversy" concerning the morality, or otherwise, of "Running Waters." The secretary

, with an untidy head and restless eyes that seemed to be always seeking something to look at and never finding it. "How

y murmured

e common good; "just because it was a free gift. We were not fettered to one another. At any moment either

gn from Miss Tolley, m

towards him change suddenl

was concerned, I was not conscious of any alteration in my own attitude. But he

lley. "And were th

ed the Human Docum

of them?" persi

n earth to separate them from me, do you?" she answered. "I said to him, 'They are mine,

h you now?" concl

their entire education myself. We have a cottage in Surrey. It's rather a tight fit. You see, there are

second?" sugges

I regard it as the holiest form of marriage. He had to return to his own country. There was a political m

be getting muddled. "W

the Human Document. "

lly was she curious concerning Abner, the lady's third. Would the higher moral law compel him, likewise, to leave the poor lady saddled with another couple of children? Or would she, on this occasion, get in-or rather, get

uncontrolled by any law," the Human Document was insisti

ully like your mother," he told Joan. "In appearance, I mean," he add

surprise. She had never heard of he

t you had been an a

naturally. It made rather a sensation at the time. Your mother wa

you call the artistic temperament. I have ne

could hardly be your mot

mother like? I can only remember

said; "intends to retire from his or her particular stage, whatever it m

your being here. Besides, I am sure you have. I am an old f

wered. "I beat my drum each week in a Sund

uggested. "Beat it louder and louder and

d, "I think that

"Don't let them ever take your drum away from you. Y

still the best Nurse that I know. 'Jack's always worrying me to chuck it and devote myself to the children,' she confided to me one evening, while she was waiting for her cue. 'But, as I tell him, I'm more helpful to them being with them half the day alive than

me your address," she said "where I could write to you. Or perhaps you would not min

n Paris where he was retu

at St. Germain. We will walk there. I'm still a bachelor." He laughed, and, kissing her hand, allowed himself

on the stairs, had stopped and spoken to her; but

ough had winded the poor lady. "We take so much interest in your articles. My husband-" she paused for a second, before venturing up

hat she would b

re are so many demands upon him, especially during this period of national crisis, that I spare h

she would not be allowed to interfere with

ips; "getting away from them all for an ho

her voice. "They tell me," s

it more out of vanity, I'm afraid, th

ly to ask you a question. Of course, as you know, my 'usband 'as 'ad so few advantages"-the lady's mind was concerned with more important matters, a

h painted face, as it looked up pleadingly

earnestly. "I shall be so

e her to Miss Tolley. "I am telling all my friends to read your article

ith a curly-headed young man in a velvet suit. The gentleman was describing some of the effects in detail. Joan felt there was danger of

. He was short and plump, with a preternaturally solemn face, contradicted by small twinkli

" he whispered

him," sa

ained to her. "I asked you if he was brainy.

d Joan. "I like

s no good your thinking of me. I'm wedded t

ge think of hi

t is not to be relied upon," he said. "I suppose yo

n meekly. "I'm trying to think. Yes," sh

ed Mr. Singleton. "Because he will w

answered. "I should say he's

ed," he said. "W

om what?" de

is the sort of thing that, if I marry her, I am letting myself in fo

ispered. He struck a few notes; and then in a voice that dr

ect was

a chorus, consisting chiefly of "Umpty Umpty U

Little Pigs;" and a sad, pale-faced gentleman who told stories. At the end of

noble and high-minded young woman would

augh?" s

e matter worse," observed Mr. Singleton. "I had

aid Madge. "She's ha

to go. They promised to show Mr. Halli

r a pleasant evening?" asked Mr.

little woman," he said. "You're looking so t

oors; and they were standing on t

Joan. "Even Miss Lavery. There's

our. From his helmet waves her crest," she quoted. "Most men

tient. Joan sprang upon t