Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-27
Bv MARGARET DELAND

70 piease pe quie1' WIN
II don't see how you are going to help
| It," he said. calmly. Mrs. Richie. I've
got my skiff: it came yesterday. VIII you
go out on the river with me some after
| noon?"
"oh. I don't think care about boat
| ing" she said
"You DON'T" he exclaimed, blankly:
why. I only got it because 1 thought
you would go out with me.'
! Il don't like the water, She said.
| firmly.
Sam was silent: then he sighed. 1T wish
I'd asked you before l bought it. Father
is so unreasonable"
She looked puzzled, for the connection
"Father always wants things used"
boating?"
You absurd boy!" she said. laughing;
"of course you will use 1t: don't talk non
sense!
Sam looked into the fire. DO you ever
| have the feeling" he said. In an empty
voice. that nothing is worth while? 1
mean. If you are disappointed in any.
| thing? A feeling as if you didn't care at
all about anything? 1 have 1t often. A
sort OF loss of appetite in my mind. Do
| you know it?''
| do know it?' she said. and laughed
50 harshly that the boy drew back. Yes.
Sam: know It,"
Sam sighed: II hate that skiff."
| And at that she laughed again. but this
time with pure gayety. "Oh. you foolish
boy" she said. Then she glanced at the
clock. Sam. I have some letters to
write tonight-will you think / am very
| ungracious If 1 ask you to excuse me?
Sam was instantly apologize. I've
stayed too long! Grandfather told me
ought never to come and see you-
WHAT
He said bothered you
you don't bother me-" she protested:
Il mean, when you talk about your play
you don't bother me. But tonight"
"Of course said Sam. simply, and took
himself off after one or two directions
about the bird.
When the front door closed behind him
she went back to her seat by the lamp
and took up her novel. but her eyes did
not see the printed page. Suddenly she
threw the book down on the table. 1t
was impossible to read; Sans talk had
disturbed her to the point OF sharp dis
comfort. What did old Mr.. Wright mean
by knowing cakes and ale? And his
leer yesterday had been an offense! Why
had he looked at her like that? Did
| he? Was it possible! She wished
she had spoken to Lloyd about it. But
no. 1t couldn't be: 1t was only his queer
way; he was half crazy. she believed.
And it would do good to speak to
Lloyd. The one thing she must not do
was to let any annoyance OF hers annoy
him. Yet below her discomfort at Sans
sentmentality and his grandfathers
strange manner lay a deeper discomfort
a disturbance at the very centers OF her
life. She was afraid.
She had been afraid for long time.
Even before she came to Old Chester she
was little afraid. but in Old Chester
the fear was intensified by the conscious
ness of having made a mistake in coming.
Old Chester was so far away. 1t had
seemed desirable when she first thought
Of 1t; it was so near Mercer. where bust
ness often called him. Besides, New
York, with its throngs Of people. where
grown intolera Bile; in Old Chester she and
Lloyd had agreed she would have so
much more privacy. But how Inherently
things had turned out! He did not have
had expected. Those visions of hers
which he had not electromagnetic weekly
or certainly fortnightly visits. had faded
into frightening periods of three weeks,
four weeks-the last one was more than
six weeks ago. He can't leave his
Alice"' she said. angrily. to herself: Il
remember the time when he did not mind
leaving her" AS for privacy, the great
city, with it's hurrying Indifferent crowds,
was more private than this village OF IN
sistent friendliness
She leaned back in her chair and
pressed her hands over her eyes: then
sat up quickly-she must not cry! Lloyd
hated red eyes. But oh, she was afraid
AFRAID WHAT. she Hdu no duS"cI Dc
yet her fear was without name. She
picked up her book, huriedly: I'll read"
she said to herself; 81 won't Think But
for long time she did not turn a page.
However, by the time Mr.. Pryor came
back from the tea party she was out
wardly tranquil. and looked up from her
novel to welcome him and laugh at his
stories of his hostess. But he was instant
to detect the troubled background of her
thoughts.
You are lonely" he said. lounsing on
the sofa beside her; when that little boy
comes youll have something to amuse
YOU" he put caressing finger under her
soft chin.
had another" she said. ruefully.
did your admirer call?'
She nodded.
WHAT he exclaimed, for her manner
told him.
He tried to be silly" she said "Of
course I snubbed him. But 1t makes me
horribly uncomfortable somehow"
Lloyd Pryor got up and slowly scratched
| a match under the mantelpiece; he took
long time to light his cigar. Then he
ing with his back to the fire regarded his
boots Helena was staring straight
ahead of her with melancholy eyes. C"Do
you ever have the feeling the boy had
said. that nothing is worth while?'D
Lloyd Pryor looked at her furtively and
coughed. II suppose" he said-and
knocked the ashes from his cigar with
elaborate care-"I suppose your adorer is
a good deal younger than you?"
She lifted her head sharply. We'll, yes;
what of it?"
ooh. nothing; nothing at all. In the
first place, the health of our friend, Fred
! erick, is excellent. But If this fellow
were not younger, and If apoplexy or
Judgment should-welI; why, perhaps
Perhaps what?"
"Of course. Helena. my great desire is
for your happiness; but in my position L
am not as free as once was to follow
my own inclinations. And If"
''Oh, my Godw she said, violently.
She fed out Of the room with flying feet.
AS he followed her up the stairs he heard
her door slam viciously and the bolt slip.
He came down, his face flushed and
angry. He stood a long while with his
back to the fire, staring at the lamp or
the darkness of the uncurtained window.
his Jaw in sullen determination: then he
went upstairs and knocked softly at her
door, There was no answer. Again, a
little louder; silence.
Nelly" he said: Nelly, let me speak
to you-just a minute?"
Silence.
Nelly"
Silence.
Oh" said Lloyd Pryor, and went
stealthily back to the parlor. where the
fire was out and the lamp Pickering into
smoky darkness.
A quarter Of an hour later he went up
stairs again
How could you say it,"
II didn't mean it. Nelly; it was only
| joke"
"A joke. Oh. a cruel joke, a cruel