Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-22
Continued from page ?

decay or the optic nerve mas already started,
or is only threatening. The refusal to regis
ter color is not an infallible symptom. At
your age"
"At my age" she pleaded pitifu1ly.
"But | beg you not to count upon it.
With the retina as hysterical as it is from
abuse, it is impossible to tell anything-to-
day. For the present, you will wear this
bandage," he adjusted it swiftly through a
black mist of more words "Perfect rest
drops every two hours mental disturb
ance- If you follow these directions, the
last dirge of doom, al may be able to pro-
nounce an opinion-in two months!'
outside she found glass of cordial at
~ her lips and the Wide-Mouthed Girl
kneeling beside her, inquiring coolly, "Any
friends you want me to tell, or will you fight
it out aloneo That's best"
IL have no friends" said Jacqueline
family, nobody in the whole world but
one. And-oh," with a burst of recollec-
ton, "he's gone away, starting now! Oh,
phone him, phone him! There's just
chance"
Peter, Peter, if you ever cared, be there!
"What is the NUMBER" asked the Wide
Mouthed Girl.
"Seven-one-one Walnut" she repeated
mechanically, "Mr Peter Darrell. Oh, hur-
ry! If he hasn't gone yet, tell EN- not to
let him start-tell 'em to stop the train!
Say it's Jacqueline, and l need hirn!"
Only after the Wide outhed Girl had
disappeared into the booth did it come back
to her-she had used just the formula Peter
had given her!
Sick eternities throbbed past. She closed
her eyes, and through the floating pinwheels
tried to imagine herself blind, lone lost atom
in world of shadows, she, who had walked
in arrogance, sure that no blow could ever
strike her, who yesterday-an hour ago
had had everything, and now only one
feeble, Pickering hope! He had not yet
"Gone!" said the Wide Mouthed Girl at
her elbow. "Left the office ten minutes ago.
He had to stop off and leave a package,
some papers or something, and see someone,
they thought, on his way to the train.
So even that last light had gone out!
Peter was at this moment saying goodby to
the Allen girl! Beneath the bandage hope
less tears trickled.
"Come, buck up!" said the Wide outhed
Girl. think of the man who wrote with
his toes! Think of Helen Keller! Why, you
-you can pawn your pearl pin!" She
twirled the denied once-silver ring on her
own hand and laughed derisively. "Think
of having pin to pawn!"
The door had opened to emit another tot
tering figure. The white-capped maid ap-
preached the Wide-Mouthed Girl.
"Your turn next"
The -Mouthed Girl gave one glance
at the waiting group, grown formidably
large now, and another at the clock. Per-
haps she was calculating the effect of a
whole afternoons absence on some end-of
week pittance; for she hesitated an in
stant-but only an instant. Then she shook
her head at the maid.
Nothing doing. I've got to see her
home"
On the way home they stopped at tele-
graph station, to phone the office and wire
"Mr. Peter Darrell, Cosmos Club, Chicago:
Can you come? need you. JAcoUELINE.
"From Chicago! You think he'll come?
Gee!" said the Wide Mouthed Girl.
"You think he won't come!" moaned
Jacqueline. ooh, give me back the tele
gram! l can't send it." She tore it fever
ishly into strips.
"Peter, Peter, never to see you again,
when l wanted you all the time only l was SO
foolish b-blind" She finched suddenly
as from flashing recollection. "And now
seem to see-oh, so many things never saw
before!" She crumpled up suddenly and
threw out cropping arm. @Where, where are
you? You haven't gone too. Don't leave mel"
no