Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-10
CHAPTER XVIII.
Alison S Story.

she lOld ner story evenly. Win Her eyes
on the water, only now and then, when
/, too, sat looking seward ] thought
she glanced at me furtively. And once.
in the middle of il, she stopped alto
gether.
You don't realize it, probably She
protested, but you look like Ia war
god. Your face is horrible.
Il will turn my back, if it will help
any | said, stormily, but if YOU eX-
pect me to look anything but murderous,
why, you don't know what | am going
through with. That's ALL.
The story of her meeting with the
Curtis woman was brief enough. They
had met in Rome first, where Alison and
her mother had taken II villa for year.
Mrs. Curtis Lad lowered on the ragged
edges of society there, pleading the pov-
erty of the south since the rea-
son for not going out more. There was
talk of brother. bat Alison had not
seen him. and after scandal which i'm
plicated Mrs. Curtis and a young attache
of the Austrian embassy Alison had been
forbidden to see the woman.
'The woman had never liked her. any
how" she said. she did unconventional
things. and they are very conventional
there. And thea said she did not always
pay her-her gambling debts. ] didn' t
like them. l thought they didn't like her
because she was poor-and popular. Then
we came home, and almost forgot her.
but last spring. when mother was not
well-she had taken grandfather to the
Riviera, and it always uses her up-we
went to Virginia Hot Springs, and we
met them there. the brother. too. this
time. Ills name was Sullivan, Harry
Pinckncy Sullivan.
y know. Go on
Mother he'd nurse and | was alone
great deal, and they were very kind to
me. IL saw 4 lot Of them. The brother
rather attracted me. partly--partly be-
cause he did not make lave to me lie
even seemed TO avoid me, and was
piqued. l had been spoiled. ! suppose.
Most of the other men l knew had
Il know that. too" | said. bitterly, and
moved away from her trifie. ! was
brutal, but the whole story was a long
torture. ] think she knew what I was
suffering. for she showed no resentment.
1t was early and there We're few peo-
pie around-none that | cared about. And
mother and tile nurse played cribbage
eternaly, until ] felt as though the lit
tie pegs were driven into my brain. And
when Mrs. Curtis arranged drives and
picnics. II slipped away and went. ]
suppose you won't believe me. but l had
never done that kind of thing before,
and well l have paid up, | think
What sort of looking chap was Su!li-
van?" | demanded. ! had got up and
was pacing back and forward on lie
sand / remember kicking savagely at
a bit of water-Soaked board that lay i'll
my way.
Very handSOme--aS large you are.
but fair and even more erect
| drew my shoulders up Sharply.
am straight enough. Int | was fairly
sagsing with jealous rage.
when mother began to get around
somebody told her that | had been going
about with Mrs. Curtis and her brother,
and we had = dreadful time. T was
dragged home like bad child. Did any
body ever do that to you?''
Nobody ever cared. | Was born an
orphan / said. with a cherries attempt
! al leyity go on
IF Mrs. curtis knew she never said
anything. She wrote me charming let
tiers. and in the summer. When they went
| to Cresson. she asked me to visit her
there. was too proiId to let her know
that l could not go where | wished. and
sol sent Polly, my maid, to her aunt $
in the country. pretended to go to Seal
IIarbor. and really-went to Cre-son.
You see l warned you it would be an I'M
pleasant story
l went over and stood in front of her.
All the accumulated jealousy of the last
few weeks had been fired by what she
told me. If Sullivan had come across
the sands just then think | would have
stransled him with my hands, ont OF pure
hate.
MY voice sounded hoarse and strange in
my ears. That's all want TO know.
Did you marry him.:
No
! drew IA long breath.
"You-cared about him.
She hcs4tated.
No she said, finally. Il did not care
about linn
l sat down on the edge of the boat and
mopped my hot face | WAS heartily
ashamed of myself, and mingled with my
AMUSEMENT was great relief If She
had not married him. and had not cared
for him. nothing else Was of any i'm
portancc.
Il was sorry. of course. the moment
the train had started. but | lad wired |
was coming. and l could not go back,
and then when I got there tie place was
charming. There We're no neShbors. but
we 1ished and rode and motored and
it was moonlight, like this.
l put my hand over both of hers.
clasped in her lap. II know, acknowi-
edged. repentantly, "and-peuple do queer
things when il is moonlight. The moon
has got me tonight, Alison. If l am a
boor. remember that. won't YOU?
Her fingers lay quiet under mine. And
So she went ON with little sigh. Il
began to think perhaps cared. But all
the time l felt that there WAS something
not quite right. Now and then Mrs.
Curtis would say do something that
gave me Il queer start, as If she had
dropped IL mask for Il moment And
there was trouble with the servants. they
were almost inSoicnt. | couldn't iuider-
stand. | don't know when it dawn,d on
me that the old Baron Cavalcantf had