Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-01
no effort to control herself. What will
your servants think?'

no enOrt to contro1 nersel1. nat Will
your servants think?'
do you suppose" retorted Edie. that
care what they think? They can't think
more. can they? when they all talk Of
Luke as II he were a murderer"
DO for Gods sake be silent. Edie.
This Is too awful"
And Louisa, almost roughly. dragged
herself away from the girls hysterical
embrace. She had tried so hard for two
days and two nights to keep herself to-
gether and her nerves in check AL day
today had been one long continuous bat
tie against the danger OF breaking
down." that bugbear Of the conventional
woman Of the world.
Now this danger. backed up by this
poor child's grief. doomed greater than
would become a positive sin, the most alb
ject form OF cowardice. But Edie's be-
wilderment. her loneliness were intensely
pathetic. Louisa had tried to be severe.
and insisted on checking the access OF
hysteria. but her heart went out to the
child. and to her puzzlement in face of
this awful. un-understandable riddle.
Look, here. Edie." she said, gently.
putting her own kind arms round the
quaking shoulders OF the younger girl.
me how brave you can be. You are
Luke's nearest and dearest one on earth ;
you must not add to his troubles by this
exaggerated show Of grief. Well all have
to be brave-all Of us-but Luke will have
to be the bravest of us all. and so We
must all do our best to keep up our cour-
age and help his own"
She was not accustomed to making such
long speeches. nor yet to preach and to
admonish. Life, before now, had never
placed her In the necessity OF admonish-
ing others: everybody round her-the peo-
pie with whom she came In contact-al-
ways behaved very much as they should
in the proper conventional worldly man
L. IL H. ~r-lNk ~
did not give way to hysterical tears, nor
had they occasion to display fortitude In
the face of an overwhelming moral shock.
Therefore Louisa was not sure IL her
words would carry weight, or ii they
would produce the effect she desired. She
gazed anxiously at Edie while she spoke,
looking with hopeful yet fearful eyes in
the poor girls face, wondering il she had
succeeded in calming the hysterical out
burst.
Edie hung her head. willfully yelling her
eyes beneath the dropping lids. She
twirled her gossamer handkerchief into q
tight, wet ball and toyed with It nerv-
ously.
"It's not much good" she said. at last.
In very low tones, SO that Louisa had
some difficulty in hearing what she said.
my trying to be brave-when Luke is
such a coward
BE quiet. Edie.'' retorted Louisa, all
her kindness and sympathy gone. and
.
You have no right to talk like that"
We'll. Col. Harris" rejoined Edie. turn
ing to the man In her distress. Il ask
you, II 1t isn't just cowardice to run away
now. and leave me and Jim to face the
whole thing alone?"
ITO run away? What do you mean?"
demanded Louisa, placing her hand on the
girls shoulder, forcing her to turn round
and to face her.
Who's running away queried Col.
Harris, with a frown.
Luke" said Edie. holly. sis running
away. He came home just now, and
calmly told me that he was going of
abroad tonight, and since then he has
been shut up in his room. packing his
things. I have been all alone here all
day. Jim won't be home till late tonight
Poor old Jim! what a fearful home
coming it will be for him.
But to this renewal OF Edie's lamenta-
lions Louisa had not listened. only to the
words: Luke said that he was going
abroad tonight
Luke-fugitive from justicei The mon
strous, unbelievable picture which she had
tried to visualize just now had become q
mirror rejecting awful, hideous reality.
where's Luke:" asked the colonel. 'Td
better see him."
mo. father" interposed Louisa. quick
~. ,,n, I'D 500 s9on e. speak to Luke Can go
yes, I think So" replied the other. 81
don't suppose that he has locked his
door,"
Louisa said her father. gently, IL
don't think youth be doing any good. dear
A man must act as he thinks best"
fere with Luke's plans. I only want to
speak to him. Don't bother, Edie. know
my way
(To be continued tomorrow)