Evening star., 1909-02-28

this house before l get here tomorrow "
put the key into the lock herself and flung the
door wide open. Then sort of weakness came
over her and she laid a shaking hand on his
sleeve. Kiss me, Jim" she said in hushed
voice. If you had only waited till tomorrow! |!
Kiss me, please, before You go in!'
If he heard what she said, he gave no sign
of it. He went by her rapidly, down the mar
row passage to the shabby little drawing room
He kicked open the door and went in. He
struck match and touched it to the gas, and
so-learned!
A T one end of the room hung his first sue
= cessful" painting, the thing that Stan
nard had bought; the thing that he and Ju had
parted over; at the other hung his last, the
Ariadne in Naxos; and between them was
every canvas that had come from his brush in
the last three years!
He turned and looked at his wife as she came
"Yes, y she said family, answering the blank
question of his eye, am Stannard, too, Jim
I hope you can forgive me-"
He put out his hand droopingly and found the
back of a chair and leaned heavily on it.
q" 1t is | who am the failure, then!' he said
after moment. This is what made you poor |!
You bought, because-because no one else
would And have been living on your money
all these years! Oh Ju! Oh. Jul"
his arm. mo, Jim, mol" she said softly. Il
was afraid you would think that. That's why
l wanted to get them out of the house before
you came. You are not failure. There is not
a single one but the first there, the wretched
thing we parted over, that would not sell any
where for what gave for it. l sold my book
and bought that first to help you yes; but
afterward when the others were painted and
came on the market, l bought them because
couldn't let anyone else own them and they
seemed tie to hold me to you. And wanted
to hold to you always, Jim. More than ever
now-you have made me so proud of you'll"
And yet am failure after all!
mol l tell you no." she said with con-
viction. Il always knew that if your health
could be built up, your genius given time to ex-
pand, and the necessity for potboilers put be-
hind forever, you would rise to the top and be-
what you are! There's twelve o'clock striking.
Sha mt we begin the New Year together, and
let all the mistakes and the differences 60 out
with the old? You know the old adage, When
false gods 60, true gods arrive Jim, there's a
produced. Won't you put your hurt pride un
der your heel and paint it! Won't you, Jim?
For my Sake!"
His hand reached out and found her hand.
and closed over it in silence; but his eyes kept
staring drearily at the pictures on the wall as
though. for all he wanted to be comforted by
her words, there was still something lacking
And with the weird, intuitive sixth sense Of
woman, she seemed to understand, and slipped
round and stood between him and the paint
mgs..
Jim," she said very SOFTLY" Jim, you said
tonight in the restaurant that if l looked like
that Then her voice broke and her eyes
lifted, wet and bright, and met his eyes, and
little rush of color swept over her face. Jim,
don't look like that now?" she went on with
faint little laugh. Don't l, Jim? Because,
you know am trying to-if you want to take
the advantage"
Jul" he said. "Oh, Ju! Oh, Jul"
And then he put out his arms and caught her
to him and kissed her. For the true gods had
arrived, and nothing else mattered in all the
world.