Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-11
CHAPTER w.

house never left him. and 1t irritated him.
He was not curious; he did not in the least
care to know In what the mystery consist
ed but the fact of concealment itself was
obnoxious to him. AS for himself he never
concealed anything. and when 1t came to
mystery he had vague idea of something
shameful. If not criminal. DR.. Gordon's in
comprehensive changes of mood, of almost
more than mood, of character even, dis
turbed him. Why man should be one hour
country buffoon, the next absorbed
gentleman, he could not understand. And he
could not understand also why Clemency
had never left the house since he had met
her on the day of his arrival She evidently
was herself angry and sulky at being
housed, but she did not attempt to resist
and whenever Mrs. Ewing expressed anx-
iety about her health she laughed 1t off,
and made some excuse, such as the badness
of the roads. some Christmas work which
she anxious to finish. However, at last
Mrs. Ewlng's concern grew so evident that
DR.. Gordon at dinner one day gave what
; seemed plausible reason for Clemency re-
manning indoors. 'If you will have 1t,
Clara" he said. "Clemency has slight pain
in her side, and pleuriSy and pneumonia are
all about, and told her that she had better
take no chances, and the weather has been
raw
Mrs Ewing turned quite white "Oh,
Tom.' she murmured. why didn't you tell
me?"
II did not tell you, Clara dear. because
you would Immediately have had the child
in galloping consumption and 1t is really
nothing at all. 1 only want<fo be on the
safe side
. 1T is a very little pain mother dear"
said Clemency. When Clemency spoke to
Mrs. Ewing her voice had singing quality
AT such times, although the young mans
very soul was possessed of the mother, he
could not help viewing the daughter with
favor. But he was puzzled about the
pleurisy. The girl seemed to him entirely
we'll, although she was losing a little of her
warm color from staying indoors. Still, after
all. pain Is as invisible as spirit. Her
friend. Annie Upton. spent a few days with
her, and then James saw very little Of
Clemency. The two girls sat together in
Clemency's room, and only the Lord of in
nocence and ignorance knew what they
talked about. They talked a great deal.
James, whenever he was in the house. was
conscious OF the distant murmur of their
sweet young voices, although he could not
distinguish a word. Annie Upton was
prettfer girl than Clemency, though without
her personal charm. Her beauty seemed to
abash her, and make her indignant. She
was girl who should have been a num- and
viewed love and lovers from behind iron
bars She treated James with exceeding
GOODNESS.
Annie Upton Is an anomaly DR.. Cor
pipe. when they sat in the study listening
to the feminine murmur on the other side
of the wall. 1t sounded like the gentle
ripple of a summer sea.
"Why?" returned James.
She defies her SEX" replied Dr. Gordon
and still there is nothing mannish about
her. She Is woman angry and ashamed
at her womanhood. If she ever marries, it
Will be at the cost of terrible mental
struggle There are women-haters among
men, and there are very few-so few as to
rank with albinos and white blackbirds in
scarcity-man- haters among women Annie
is a man-hater."
She is very pretty. too" said James.
If you attempt the conquest, I'll warn
you there will be scaling ladders and all
the ancient paraphernalia of siege needed"
SAID Dr. Gordon laughingly. James
colored.
1T may be that ram a woman hater," he
replied, and looked very young. DR.. Gordon
again laughed.
a little later they went to George KS.
They went nearly every evening while
Annie Upton was with Clemency. After
she had left they did not go SO often. 1T
IS pretty dull for Clemency," Dr. Gordon
would say, and they would remain at home
and play whist with the two ladies. James
began to be quite sure that DR.. Gordon's
visits to George ks were mostly made
when Mrs. Ewing looked worse than usual
and did not eat her dinner James became
convinced In his own mind that Mrs.
Ewing was not WELL although he never
OdIeu OTOdCN the SUBJECT again 10 the DOC
tor, and although 1t made no difference
whatever in his own attitude toward her
AS well might he have turned his back
upon the Venus. because of some slight
abrasion which her beautiful body had re-
ceived from the ages.
But one day, having come in unexpect-
edly alone, he found her on the divan in
the living room, evidently weeping, and his
heart went out to her. He flung himself
down on his knees beside her.
oh. what Is 1t? What is the matter2"
he whispered.
Her whole body was writhing. She uncov-
cred her eyes and looked at him pitfuly,
and yet with a certain dignity. Those
beautiful eyes, brimming with tears We're
not Redeemed. and their gaze was steady,
II l tell you. will you keep my secret?"
a secret since DR.. Gordon knows it, 1 wish
he did not, but will you keep your knowl-
edge from him?"
vently.
i am terribly H." said Mrs. Ewing SIM
ply. Il suffer at times tortures Don't
ask me what the matter is. 1t is too dread
Iui' ana although have no reason to feel
so, II seems TO me ignomnious. am
ashamed of being so Ill. I feel disgraced
and sobbed
Don't. don't" said James. out Of his
senses completely. Don't, I can't bear it.
/ love you so. Don'tl I will cure YOU
You cannot. DR.. Gordon does not admit
that my case Is hopeless, but he gives no
hope, and you must have noticed how he
suffers when he sees me suffer He runs
away from me because he can do nothing
TO help me- That is the worst of 1t all. I
could bear the pain for myself. but for the
others, too! Oh, I wish there was some
little back door OF life out of which one
could slip, and no blame to anybody. In a
case like this. But there is nothing but the
horrible front door. which means such
agony to everybody who is left, as well as
the one that goes" Mrs. Ewing had com
pletely lost control of herself. She sobbed
again and moaned.
James covered one of her cold hands with
kisses. Don't. don't" he begged. Don't,
] love you"
Suddenly Mrs. Ewing came to the compre-
hension OF what he said. She looked at his
bent head-James had curly head like a
boy's-and a strange look came into her
eyes, as II she were regarding him across
an Unreasonable gulf. Nobody had ever
seemed quite so far away in the world as
this boy with his cry of love to the woman
old enough to be his mother. It was not
ha nf har a1n .