Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-29
CHAPTER XIV.

IL was almOStta lOSt Gay KOT JdCh.
CHAPTER XIV.
The week was nearly over. Except dur
ing twenty minutes at supper time Jack
had been working for nine hours on end.
1t was late; Mr.. Crunden had gone to
bed, but Jack still sat at his table. A
shaded lamp threw its light upon the I'M
tidy masses of papers, the sketch maps
and tracings. the rulers, the measuring
scale, and upon the gigantic waste paper
basket by the workers chair. but all the
rest Of the big room was in darkness.
In the circle of bright light, with the
black shadows all about him. he looked
like Work personified-the sleepless spirit
Of work, unflinching, unblinking, while all
the world slept.
Lizzie peeped in from the parlor thresh-
old, and watched him. His lips were
moving; rows of figures were spinning
from his pencil; he was apparently deep
in arithmetical neutrality-suspicious.
difficult sums Of compound interest, per
haps.
Mr.. Vincent 1t is very late"
He did not look up.
MIR. Vincent-cant you stop? You
must .Sa be tired 1t is dreadfully late"
round 'Pricey is sitting up. She'll put
the chain on after I'm gone"
Lizzie crossed the room, softly opened
the door of the kitchen passage, and
passed out. On this other threshold she
glanced back, but he did not look round
he was absorbed, concentrated. unassaila-
BILE, worker in circle of bright light.
not conscious of vague meaningless forms
that stirred idly in the shadows beyond
his magic circle.
Ir,o
sitting at the kitchen table. Patient.
accomplishing, she was cheerfully for
feiting her well-earned repose; would
have been content to wait All through the
long night If Mr.. Jack bade her. She
had been Willing away the slow min
utes by the aid of a very old pack of
cards. Her bare table was spread over
with kings and queens. and humble
sevens, Fights, etc, and her lips. too,
moved as she amused herself in abstruse
countings and reckonings.
'Pricey. he is still working. He won't
leave off.
Il know. dear. You go to bed. IN
sit up for him
Mrs. Price looked round with a smile,
raked the playing cards into heap, and
then took Lizzie's hand.
Lizzie mad come to the table and was
studying the dirty clothes and greasy
faces of the knaves; these court cards
were SO old that they might have been
used in the old games of Muggins.
Lizzie, my dear, how cold your hand
Island you're pale-and trembling. what
is it, dear? Don't you worry. His
strength won't give out-he's so brave
Il don't know" said Lizzie forlornly.
He ought to stop"
You go to bed, dear But. Miss
Liz, sit down a minute f1rst-and I'll tell
your fortune. The cards are falling out
lucky tonight. There's money coming to
this house. We shall all get our wish.
It's come out every time
HAS it? left the passage door
open. We mustn't make a noise, ana
Lizzie softly drew forward a chair and
sat down, as in the old childish days, to
have her fortune told.
"Now'-Lizzie had shuff1ed and cut the
pack thrice, and Mrs. Price was begin
ming to deal. "have you wished?"
yes" said Lizzie in a whisper, and
Mrs. Price turned up the cards three by
three.
Three The money. One. two, three.
There, that's him. One, two, three. And
journey. There's a journey to go, and
money at the end of it. That's Mr.. Jack
king of Clubs-and he's close to the
money"
'Pricey, are you sure he's clubs? Isn't
he spades?"
mo, of course he's clubs-clubs-gentle-
than you'd think for. Your pas hearts.
Cut 'em again." and the fortune
slowly proceeded.
"One, two, three, four" Mrs. Price
whispered. There he is. One, two, three,
The candle flickered and monstrous
shadows danced behind the chairs. The
feeble light on the ceiling was like a
faint hope that spreads and narrows,
vacillates and once more spreads; the
ticking of the clock was like the heart
beat of an unconscious giant, not to be
fastened by hope or checked by fear; the
patter Of the cards as they dropped made
one think one listened to the rustling
leaves in the book of fate while unseen
hands lifted them and let them fall. Liz
zie, with her white face close to Mrs.
Prices shoulder, trembled and drew her
breath faster and faster.
Yes. There. There's your wish. You'll
get your wish. Liz, my darling" and
Mrs. Price suddenly threw her arms
round her and kissed her. "Oh, you'll
get your wish-don't fear
Good night, Pricey. Thank you" and
Lizzie gently disengaged herself
Go to sleep, my pet, and don't worry
about his working. He's working for you,
not for your father"
"Pricey, don't, please don't say such
things"
But do say EN-" said Mrs. Price
in a triumphant whisper From the
first I've hoped for it and prayed for it,
but 1 never seen it coming true till last
autumn
Hush, please. Good night!'
Lizzie went softly back through the big
room, and the clubs gentleman did not
see her or hear her. In his circle of
light he could not see vague forms that
moved in the shadow; could hear the tick
ing of clocks or the beating of hearts, he
was deep in abstruse arithmetic and quite
unaware that any living thing had
passed.
Upstairs, when Lizzie had undressed and
got into bed, she could not sleep. She
stared at the darkness; and through all
the darkness, the thick old brick walls,
the massive beams and f1ooring-board,
the plaster and lath she could still see
him-pale. grave, beautiful. surrounded by
a glory Of vivid light. She smiled, and
trembled and wept. Was 1t true, would
she get her wish? In the darkness she
flushed till her face was burning, and
then she turned cold and faint. Hope
warmed her, fear made her deadly cold;
hot fit succeeded cold fit; 1t was like some
dreadful sickness-that old love sickness
diagnosed by Dr. Blake come back now in
a far more virulent form.
She could not sleep. She struggled with
herself, but it was no good. She was sick
of love; she was desperately. overpower-
ingly in love win Mr.. Jack, with the
real strong, working Jack, and not his
easily dispersed smiling shadow.
CHAPTER XVI.
Mr. Crundens ship was on the rocks.