Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-01-28

| tirei Oh It-an AMIN tired OF it Wed best
\ nave zone WI one another"
"MayDe we'd best" said Jim, slowly
cas- laughed; but the laugh had In 1t more Of
That's settled, them She said. .sYou,m free
grieve."
CHAPTER II.
| III was week or two later. March was nearly
over; the clouds put on their white spring dress
and sailed by happily across skies that were blue
AGAIN. Tue water danced and sparkled In the sun
SHINE, beat merrily against the gray old stones Of
| tue hard, and reJoiced In the coed time coming.
| stones, talking vociierously 10 basket.laden um-
| orella-iaden, shawl and wrap and cloak laden
elders. Fine ladies in wide crinolines came trip
| Pilg uaIhuly Dy. Lazy young men, with their
| hands In their pockets, sauntered down with an
| air OF Indifference. The Hard was gay again.
Of mrth Il every oe j jOHaa
| sue stood Ia the doorway and took an un1aggng
Interest In everything that passed around her:
| raised the laugh against the careful pleasure
| seeker who staids TO barg iin with the boatmen;
sent tae snaft OF satire after the parsmonlous
| tIon; TOOK decided side in every quarrel, and
proved 70 the meanest intelligence that her heart
| was light and her interest In life keen.
| III she suffered she made no sign. She had a
creed OF womanly virtues--a creed with strange
| OMISSIONS and certain out-of-date beliefs writ
large TO love man who scorned her love was
| snamelul tnlng-a thing TO be hustled away out
OF sight, ignored, laughed down. forgotten as soon
| as possible. That her face crimSOned when jim
| looked at her, that her pulses throbbed when he
| touched her hand by chance In passing that her
heart sank and all her being seemed 10 ache when
| he turned away from her and lowered his voice to
| speak gently 10 Emily, made her weep bitter
tears OF shame at night as any repentant hagdalen
! IL was a clear bright, breezy night at the end
OF March. The shutters OF the shop had been shut
| two hours ago. The last OF the dodgers had
| stumbled away to bed, stopping moment at the
| bottom OF the dark stairs TO strike a match and
light light pipe to bear him company. Mrs. Brady
uttered table and the dirty plates and glasses IN
the little back room, and noticed that Cass had
buster In her hand and that Emily was bringing
water. She was full OF housewifely cares, with no
housewifeiy enthusiasm in the cares. "Put them
the cheese; don't let 1t bide out: tn mice gets 10
It. You needn' empty tn jug; tn milk IL be good
| by IN mornin'.n And after looking on for mo
men5 at the girls work she slowly lighted
Emly was washing up the supper things. Cass
| and forks as Emily took th m one by one. from
the water. For some minutes there was no sound
In the room but the CHATTER or plate touching plate
and the hiss OF the gas turned low. Cass stood up
| right at her task; Emily stopped little with an
air OF WEAKNESS or weakness which was habitual
| TO her.
Neither had spoken. Emily looked as she
| always looked-her thin little face almost color
less, her eyes cast down. her light hair drawn
lightly back into hard little hair-pinned knot
! behind, her print gown limp, her manner gentle
deprecatlng. There was no obvious change in her
tonight. Yet, before many minutes had passed,
| II somehow became clear TO Cass that Emily was
| excited, that something unusual had happened,
that Emily had something on her mind that she
"They'm most done,r said Emily at last.
Although the remark referred to the dishes, Cass
understood that IL was In some way preparatory
10 more important communication. II broke the
| silence.
But 1t was not a remark that called for answer
There's IN tumblers,- added Emily gently after
/ a minute.
BEST change TN WATER" said Emily waver-
| tngly.
Cas-. without word, took the bowl and changed
"1t's funny,v sid Emily In tmid and reflective
Tone as she dipped the first glass In the clean
ana pathed away the traces OF rum and sugar,
Its funny 10 think how all days is tn same
la5in' meals, washin up, brushin' an cleanin am
maxim beds-an' yet how differnt-sort o. diff
fernt-SOme days SEEMS
Cass was wiping glass with needless vigor
somehow she knew beforehand what was coming.
onr y r =. nr sw9 light tmid pathetic eyes and
III Ike 10 ten ee somethin', Cass; but you'll be
angered WI me-
nkely!- -'''
But the assurance did not CONVEX much encour-
agement Emily bent again TO her work In silence.
Its you an Jim, s'poSe," said Cass after a
minute, as the silence lasted.
"les. Dom be angered, Cass-don' be vexed-
not long WI me- He wouldn't take mo- an did
say NO, TO n at first An he was a'waXs difer'nt
TO tn other men-kind about thngs-an' serious,
an no nonsence an Jeerin,, On'y was afeard you
gered."
There was a long pause Cass was striving after
impress veness. eager 10 tell her lie with force,
with truthnke intensity. She put both hands on
the table, and, leaning Ga the dOwnturned palms,
bent bent, acrSss and looked steadily and calmly al
"Youm in love WI Jm,- she said, san you think
all IN worlds in love tn same. Ifrd been in love
that. Do look as If / was frettin'? do /? Why
threw'n up meselI. IL was tired o. his preachIn'
an was tired Of it. It's ali one to me what he
does, an where he goes, an who he marries. An
I'm glad he's took up WI you; you'm made fur n
Just his Sort-an you've set yer mind n fur tn
last two year. It's naugnt TO mean I'm glad
Don talk q my bein' angered. Angered? What
about? Might marry dozen wives fur all 'twould
fret Mcknight be brought in drowned Tomorrow
an shouldn fast meSelf"
Emily was crying in a nervous, feeble way.
When CaSS stood dramatically and spoke fOrcibly
Emily was always a little frightened. Perhaps,
TOO, the picture OF Jim with eleven rival wives and
the remainder OF the daily jeopardy of Jms life at
..Tm going to bed" said Cass in gentler tone.
Tears In spite OF herself always sotened her; her
YOU'D DeS' come, too, En-"
Emily followed obediently w1ping her eyes in
the sleeve OF her cotton gown and crying still be-
cause she had once begun. Cass looked al her I'M.
easily, feeling cOnscience-stricken, as though in
cowardly fashion she had struck child
"Tm glad II yOun happy. En- she said. s.Not
carin' fur Jim meself can be glad, you see-
"An' you dom care fur NJ" said Emily obviously.
| but Indifference TO Jim seemed an incredible. an
Impossible thing. she was not sure now that she
ndQ WISHED CdSS 10 De tnuS Indifferent: she had
thought, perhaps hoped, that Cass would envy her
"Did you like tn other men Jus tn same9
He ism like tn othsr men, Jim ISM; he doesn' think
o. drinkin' an spendin, an laytn' out all his
money on hisself In plays an drink. He's chapel
man, Jim is"
.ae's a SAINT said Cass
Emily was following YEARLY up the stairs and
for a moment or two was silent. .You dom sneak
very kind o. Jm" she SAID presently. in a lone OF
Querulous, vague resentment
Cass laughed a little as she reached her door
"fou'm able 70 do that yersef En- she said
"Speak kind and do kind; that's fur YOU What I
say an do = no odds"
She entered the room where her mother was
sleeping and shut the door behind her, and Emily
went On TO her little cupboard-lke bedroom near
Emily was 100 happy TO go prosaically to bed She
was tired with the days running to and fro but
sleep was far from her eyes She sat at the foo, az
her bed and leaned her head against the wall and
In slow, happy fashion her thoughts rehearsed the
interview OF an hour or two ago-wnat Jim had
said; what she had answered; at what point in the
Interview Jlms grave, gray eyes had smiled at
and wished she had starched 1t on Monday: how
Jim had kissed her and she had hastily pulled
down her sleeves from her elbows TO her wrists
with feeling that II was not SeeInly to be courted
thuA without her holiday attire, with bare arms
and turned-up gown; how Jim had kissed her
again and she had cried for happiness, and had
continued TO cry because It had proved so sweet to
smiles at the pleasant memories ON Sunday she
would wear her best drab gown, with the zigZag
trimming at the bottom. On Monday-but there
her thoughts became confused and passed slowly
into dreams In which ambition WIS not bounded
BY sordid probability, and her best gown was lilac