Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-09

sible that confidence made to Judy
might be embarrassing to her with her
own folk. Already his devotion was deep
enough and pure enough to prevent his
cause her pain. Could Aunt Judy have
looked into his heart, as she could and
would have done had he been a woman,
she would have been satisfied of the gen
uineness Of his affection; and SO she
would have had no doubts at all as to
the end Of joys love affair.
joys return, however. brought somehow
a sense OF restraint. She had herself
originated or Initiated g. mechanism OF
correspondence and she feared that Mr..
Hardy might notice that she had done so.
In her present state OF feeling toward the
man the very idea Of such a thing was
fraught with humiliation. 1t Is extra
ordinary how much people take to heart
they have intended. Truth. truly. is a
bright weapon; even the fash of 1t has
its own terrors!
Judy did not comprehend exactly what
the trouble was She could see that there
was restraint on both sides, and was
that he had been speaking too impulsively
going too quick was the way she put
it to herself-and that Joy had resented
or feared II. Not the fact, but the ra-
pidity. Well, Judy knew that in her
youth a woman most holds back when the
widest desire Of her heart Is to rush
forward: that the instinct of woman be-
ing to draw man on, she will spend the
last ounce of her strength In pushing
him back. Judy had once said:
"A woman wants man to be master
and specially to be her master. She
wants to feel that when it comes to a
struggle she hasn't got chance with
him, either to fight or to run away. That's
why we like to make a man follow, when
in truth we are dying to run after him
and to catch him up" Some of her circle
to whom the heterodox saying had been
repeated professed to be very indignant
as well as Mortified. This was chiefly
noticeable in such of the most elderly
of the good ladies as had lurid past OF
a large family. or both
II, however, Judy had any doubts as
to the cause she had none whatever OF
the fact. There was no mistaking the
droop of Joys eyes, or the sudden lift.
ing and quick dropping OF the lids which
makes the densest mans heart f1utter
no mistaking his eager look: the glowing
eyes ranging over face and form wher
entranced in their light when they were
open. Judy herself knew the power Of
those gray. deep eyes. Even when hel
niece had been a baby there seemed
something hypnotic about them. They
could disarm anger, or change the iror
Of theory into the water OF fact. Otter
thinking the matter over she had said to
herself,
Lord! if she's like that as baby with
me- what will she be with a man when
she's a woman Judy. who was self
observer knew instinctivey that In Joy
was an inherent influence over men
There was some very subtle, delicate
force which seemed to emanate from her
some force at once compelling and
tranuuilizing, for the explanation OF
which mere will power was insufficient
The power was now in active exercise
but it was turned inwards. Joy was in
love! Judy knew 1t as we'll as if she
had herself acknowledged 1t: indeed. bet
ter, for the acknowledgment of such a
secret except to the man himself, is given
with reserve. And so she made up her
mind to further the affair: but to prevent
Joy betraying herself unduly during such
furtherance BY "unduly" Judy really
mean "unwisely'' as to ultimate and mos
complete efficacy.
She had an idea that Joy herself would
approve at present. Of such discretion II
seemed a direct confirmation OF such idea
, when presently the girl said to her in q
faint whisper:
Don't 20 away again. Aunt Judy!''
When, however, in the course OF con-
versation as the three sat chatting to-
gether happily. Mr.. Hardy mentioned that
his ship sailed in the early morning, and
she saw the color leave the girls cheeks
| for q moment. just as white squat
sweeps a sunlit sea, Judy's heart soft
ened. She understood that retreatins
wave of color. Nature has its owr
analogies to its own anomalies; there is q