Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-12

and off the stage though in pantomme; she hardly
heard the lines.
as they often did, but she said she very tired.
So he took her home and told her goodnight at the
door.
In her own room she took off her things through
binding tears. Oh, why had she done it-why had
sheschy had she? If only she had not persisted that
it true! If she had admitted at once that it was
not! If she had only confessed that she did things
thoughtlessly nervousy, just as he had implied; that
it was habit she had always had and for which she
had always suffered thing against which she con-
stantly struggled and never quite overcame!
Had she told him all this, he would have understood
and tried to help her All, she knew that he would!
She knew he had not believed her. A scorching
shame swept through her when she thought of how
abruptly he had released her hands and walked to the
window and how gravely he had said, "Then Wnltred
been wrong! He had said that only to her from
further insstence, from involving herself more and
more!
And-oh it had been such needless, futile false
hood! He had called Unexpectedly about ten, and she
was not yet up. For several days she had not been
WELL and the nights had been restless and wakeful
But this morning she had slept very late And
she always early to her this seemed indo
lent almost sothful thing. Painfully confused and
embarrassed she said she had been riding and was Just
getting out of her habit when he came-that was why
she had kept him waiting AS she often rode in the
mornings this had gEbly. It had not
been thought OUT the words of themselves to hide
her confusion.
He had said nothing at the time and it had not
CURED to her that he doubted her. She had thought
OF II
sudden unexpected accusation had startled her into
denial. She had been panic stricken-there had
seemed no other way.
But how had he known? For she felt now he would
not have spoken mere surnise Had there been
something in her appearance or manner to make him
think she had not been out? And yet how could he be
sure unless he inquired of the clerk bellboys? And
he would never stoop to that!
Since their engagement he had been calling every
afternoon at four Sometimes he would spend the
evening with her, and sometimes his work prevented
that But he always gave her the hour between four
and five. And with anguished suspense she waited
for that hour the next day.
WHAT would it be like? What would be his atti-
w tude; what would be her own? Her whole future
happiness might depend on that hour She lived over
after One moment she would feel the utter
impossibiy of ever confessng the truth to him
and the next she would feel that at any cost she must
that as soon as he entered she would run him and
sob it all out in his arms,-tel him how from child
she had always romanced how her vivid imagination
had swept her to breathless recita of ancied hap
pen1ngS.
How her parents had unwisely encouraged rather
than frowned upon this trat She could still hear their
whispered "What a wonderful magination!N-"A
great writer some day!' And how this romancing had
always chung to her in the form of exaggerationsof
telling anything quite accurately, always adding
something for interest effect and of always extrcatng
herself from awkward difficult position by glib
and easy fasehood! But worst of all the utterly
useless and needless untruths she told for purpose
whatever except nervously, to I'LL in embarrassing
pauSeS make conversation
Could she tell him all this oav2 If only she had told
him at when he asked her. He had made it
easy for her them But she had refused the chance and
blindly persisted in her statement. And now-could
she lash herself to tell him no1p?
And then she would wonder if he could be snre-how
could he positively knov that she had ridden that
morning? After all might he not be forced give her
the benefit of the doubt Oh if she could only carry
this through, if she could only make him beepe this,
she would again tell him anything but the
exact literal truth!
By four o'clock she had anguished herself into fever
ish state of apprehension and dread And when slowly
the minute hand passed four and then veten, fifteen,
mnutes-after she filled with abect terror If he