Evening star., 1908-01-14
CHAPTER XIII.

CHAPTER XIII
Helena had gone upstairs to put David
to bed There was some delay in the
process, because the little boy wished to
look at the stars and trace out the Dip
per. That accomplished. however. he was
very docile. and willing to get into bed
by shining up the mast of a pirate ship
which some people might have called a
bedpoet After he had fallen asleep,
Helena still sat beside him in the dark
ness, her absent eyes fixed on the little
warm body, where, the sheets kicked off,
| he sprawled In sort of spread-eagle over
| the bed. 1t was very hot. and she would
/ have been more comfortable on the porch,
but she could not leave the child. When
she was with David the sense of aching
apprehension dulled into the comfort Of
| loving After q while. with a long sigh
she rose. but stopped to draw the sheet
| over his shoulders; then smiled to see
| how quickly he kicked 1t off. She pulled
| it up again as far as his knees. and to
| this he resigned himself withs despair
ing grunt.
There was a lamp burning dimly in the
| hall: as she passed she took 1t up and
| went slowly downstairs. Away from
David, her thoughts fell at once into the
4 groove of the past weeks. Each hour
she had tormented herself by some new
| question, and now she was wondering
what she should do If. when Lloyd came
| to fulfill his promise, she should see
shade, oh. even the faintest hint of hesi-
tation in his manner. Well; she would
meet it! She threw her head up and
came down with a quicker STEP carrying
the lamp high, like a torch. But as she
lifted her eyes in that gust of pride.
young Sam Wright stood painting in the
doorway. AS his strangled voice fell on
her ear. she knew that lie knew
| IT have-come-'
| ~ hn ,,f f1,o 1oyy do
on the table at the foot of the stairs, and
looked at him standing there with the
darkness of the night behind him. In
| stantly he was across the threshold and
at her side. He gripped her wrist and
shook 1t, his eyes burning into hers.
You will tell me that he lied! ! told
second. told him would ask you"
please let go of my arm" she said.
family. II don't. know what you are
talking about
| did he lie?'
| "Who?' she stammered.
MY grandfather. He said your brother
was not your brother. He said he was
your lover. My God. Your lover! Did
he lie?" He shook her arm. worrying 1T
as dog might, his nails cutting into her
| flesh; he snarled his question out between
shut teeth. His fury swept words from
| her lips
She stepped back with spring of ter
ror, trying to pull her wrist from his
grasp: but he followed her, his dreadful
young face close to hers. She put her
other hand behind her and clutched at the
banister rail of the stairs. She stared at
| him in trance of fright. There was
long minute of silence.
| Then Sam said slowly. as though he
were reading it, word by word. aloud.
| from the open page of her face. Heidi
l-not-ne.'' He dropped her wrist: flung
it from him. even. and stood motionless.
Again neither of them spoke. Then Sam
drew long breath. so. this is. life,' he
| said. in a curiously meditative way.
We'll, / have had enough of it, He
| turned as he spoke and went quietly out
| into the night.
/ Helena Richie sat down on the lowest
step of the stairs. She breathed in gasps.
Suddenly she looked at her arm on which
were four deep red marks: in two places
| the slim was broken. Upon the fierce
pangs of her mind, fayed and stabbed
by the boys words. this physical pain of
which she had just become conscious was
like some soothing lotion. She streked
her wrist tenderly. jealous of the lessen
! ing smart. She knew vaguely that she
| was really wincing lest the smart should
cease and the other agony begin. She
looked with blind eyes at the lamp, thep
| got up and turned the wick down; 1t had
been smoking slightly and a half moon of
| black had settled on the chimney. Sarah
| doesn't half look after the lamps,'s she
said aloud fretfully-and drew in her
lips; the nail-marks stung. But the red
was dying out of them. Yes. the other
| pain was coming back. She paled with
| fright of that pain which was coming.
coming, had come. She covered her face
| with her hands. :
Who" demanded a sleepy voice. was
| scolding?"
Helena looked around quickly; David.
| in his little cotton night drawers, was
| standing at the head of the stairs.
WHO scolded? l heard en- he said.
| beginning to come down. one little bare
| foot at a time: his eyes blinked drowsily
at the lamp. Helena caught him in her
arms and sank down again on the step.
| But he struggled up out of her lap and
stood before her. Its too hot" he said;
II heard 'em. And l came down. Was
| anybody scolding you?"
''Yes. David" she said. in a smothered
voice.
Were you bad?" David asked with m
| terest.
Helena dropped her forehead on to his
little warm shoulder. She could feel his
heart beating and his breath on her neck
Your heads pretty heavy" said David
patiently, land hot"
At that she lifted herself up and tried to
/ smile Come dear precious: come up
STAIRS. Never mind if people scold me.
deserve it."
! do your said David. "Whye"
| He was wide awake by this time and
| pleaded against bed. Tell me why. on
| the pOrcn. uOn HlHd SlllllR on your
! lap out there" he, bribed her: though
you are pretty hot to sit on he added
| truthfully.
She could not resist him; to have him
! on her knee, his tousled head on her
| breast was an inexpressible comfort.
"When / go travelling with DIR. Laven-
dar" David announced. drowsily. Il am
going to put my trousers into the tops of
my boots, like George does. Does God
| drink out of that Dipper?'
Her doubtful murmur seemed to satisfy
| him; he shut his eyes, nuzzling his head
/ into her breast, and as she leaned her
cheek on his hair-which he permitted be-
| cause he was too sleepy to protest-the
/ ache of sobs lessened in her throat. After
| a while, when he was sound asleep again.
she carried him upstairs and laid him in
| his bed, sitting beside him for a while