Evening star., 1908-01-18
CHAPTER xxvI-continued.

edges straight with SLOW exactneSS.
He would carry out his promise IL she
ine on the subject. - while her dazed
mind repeated his words. she was al
ready planning her packing: Can Sarah
fold my skirts property" she thought;
but even as she asked herself the ques-
lion. she was saying. aloud. Marry him? :?
Neverr' She slapped the letter across
her knee. All, he knew that. He knew
that her pride would come to his rescue!
The tears stung in her eyes. but they
did not fall. : Sarah must begin the
to close everything up. Well. II he
had ceased to want her. she did not want
him! What a letter she would write him;
what Indifference, what assurances that
she did not wish to hold him to that first
what anger. what re-
proach. Yes, she would drop him that
line. Then 1t came over her that per-
haps 1t would be more cutting not to
write to him at all. She raised her rag
Of pride. but almost instantly 1t fell shud-
dering to the dust-Sam Wright.
She sat up in her chair. trembling. Yes.
she and David would start on Monday;
she would meet Lloyd in Philadelphia on
and be married that morning.
Her trunks could follow her: she would
not wait for the packing. George must do
up the furniture in buriap; a railroad
Journey across the mountains would in
jure 1t very much. unless 1T was carefully
packed.
She rose hurriedly, and taking her trav-
put various small necessities into it. Sud
denly she stopped short In her work,
then went over to the mantelpiece and
leaning her arms upon 1t. looked into the
mirror that hung lengthwise above it.
The face that gazed back at her from its
paler; it was-not so young She looked
at 1t steadily, with frightened eyes: there
were lines on the forehead; the skin was
not so firm and fresh. She spared herself
no details Of the change. and as she
acknowledged them. one by one. the slow.
painful red spread to her temples. Oh
it was horrible, 1t was disgusting. this
aging of the flesh! The face in the mir
ror looked back at her helplessly: 1t was
no weapon with which to fight Lloyd
Pryor's weariness! Yet she must fight IT.
somehow. 1t was intolerable to think
that he did not want her: it was more
to think that she could not
match his mood by declaring that she die
not want him. But that's only because
staring miserably at the white face in the
glass: 'if it wasn't for that! But ]
must get more sleep: l mustn't let my
self look SO worn out"
In such cross currents of feeling one
motives jumbled together until Helena
said to herself. desperately, that she
would not try to answer Lloyd's letter TO,
a day or two After all, as he had sc
clearly indicated. there was no hurry
she would think 1t over little longer.
But as she thought, the next day. and
the next. the wound 70 her affection ano
her vanity grew more unbearable. and hel
feeling of responsibility waned. The
sense of guilt had been awakened in hel
by her recognition Of a broken law: but
as the sense of sin was as far from heI
consciousness as ever. she was able te
argue that IL no one knew she was guilty
no further harm could be done. So why
kill what lingering love there might bt
in Lloyd's heart by insisting that he keeI
his promise? With that worn face o!
hers. how could she insist! And suppose
she did not? Suppose she gave up tha
hungry desire to be like other people, ar
ranged to leave Old Chester-on that pofn
any demand upon him? 1t was perfectl!
possible that he would be shamed int
keeping his promise. She said to hersel
that at any rate. she would wait a weel
until she had calmed down and coule
write with moderation and good humor.
Little by little the purpose Of diplomac,
strengthened, and with determination
to keep his love-what there was Of it
at the price Of that first arrangement
For after all. the harm was done; Sam
she reminded herself. sullenly. but moth
ing like that could ever happen again, 81
why should she not take what poor hap
piness she could get?
OF course this acceptance of the situa
ton veered every day in gusts of miser,
and terror: but on the whole. the desire
for peace prevailed. Yet the week Shit
had allowed herself in which to think Il
over. heightened to ten days before she
began to write her letter. She sat dowr
teatime she had done nothing more thar
tear up half a dozen beginnings. After
supper David ratified the backgammon
board significantly.
You are pretty slow. aren't you?" ht
asked, as she loitered about her desk. in
stead of settling down to the usual bust
ness Of the evening.
Don't you think. just tonight. yo,
would rather read a story?' she pleaded
mo. ma'am," said David. cheerfuliy.
her knees. David beat her to a degret
that made him very condescending. ant
also extremely displeased by the interrup
tion of a call from William King.
Nobody Is sick" David said. politely
you needn't have come"
Somebody is sick further up the hill,
William excused himself. smiling.
rs Mr.. Wright worse?" Helena said
quickly. She lifted the backgammon
board on to the table. and whispered
word of manners to David, who silentl!
stubbed his copper-toed shoe into tn,
carpet.
NO" the doctor said. 'he's better. 4
anything. He managed to ask Simmon
for a poached egg. which made the OLE
fellow cry with Joy, and he swore at mi
quite distinctly because I did not get il
to see him this morning. really couldn'
manage it. SO l went up after tea. and h,
was as mad as-as David. said William
siyly. And David. much confused, kicket
vigorously.
"Do you think he will ever be able t,
talk?" she said.
william would not commit himself
Perhaps and perhaps not. l didn't &c
anything clear out of him tonight, excep
"a bad word .
"D-n?" David asked with interest.
William ehuckled. and then remembered
to look proper. But David. feeling tha
he was being laughed at. hid his face OF
Helena's shoulder. which made her lif
warmth of the little autumn fire. and tn,
quiet flow of grown peoples meaningless
talk. he began to get sleepy; gradually hi
head slipped from her shoulder to hel
breast. and when she gathered his dan
Cling legs into her lap, he fell souht
asleep.
1T isn't his bedtime yet" she excuse el
herself. She rested her cheek on tn,
child's head and looked over at the doc
tor. She wore a dark crimson silk. th'
bosom filled with sheer white muslin tha
was caught together under her soft chit
by little pearl pin: her lace undersleevei
were pushed back. so that William coult
see the lovely lines Of her white wrists
Her parted hair fell in soft. untidy waves
down over her ears: she was staring alb
sertly across David's head into the fire.
II WISH" William said, that you woult
60 and call on old Mr.. Wright some time
Take David with you. 1t would cheel
him Nd" 1t seemed to William King
thinking of the forlorn old man in hi!
big four-poster, that such a vision =,
maternity and peace would be pleasant
to-look upon. He wouldn't use Dawn
bad word to you. / am sure"
uWouldp't ho9r ahe said