Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-28

have bought for them. Call them your crowd if you
like l know better! You've taken people only
you've found them, taken life it was planned for
you moved along the line of least resistance because
you'd been taught that there any other way
to 60 In Europe you never had chance to learn"
That's it," she broke in passionatey, Il never had
chance-not chance!"
Her fingers clutched his, and then quickly released
them. ooh, what's the use?" she went in a stifed
tone. "Why couldn't you have let live on, stepped
in my foy9 It's too late for me to change. can't.
I'm pledged. If gamble, keep late hours, and do all
the things that this set does, it's because if didn't
should die of thinking What does it matter to anyone
but me?" She stopped and with a sudden gesture
of anger "Don't preach, John. I'm not in the humor
for it-not tonight-do you hear?"
HE looked up at her in surprise. One of her hands
was cenched the balustrade, and her dark eyes
regarded him scornfully "Ive made you angry? I'm
sorry" he said.
The tense lines of her figure suddenly relaxed she
leaned against the pegola and then laughed up at the
sky. would you preach the stars, John Markham?
They're merry congregation. They're laughing at
you-as A sermon by moonlight with only the
stars and scofer to listen"
Her mockery astonsted and bewdered him. His
Indictment of those with whom she affiliated was no
thing in their conversations and he knew that what
he said was true.
am sorry spoke, he muttered.
She laughed at him again, and threw out her arms
toward the moonlit sea- "What night for the moral
tes-for the ashes of repentance! ask into the
rose garden make love me- and he breaches to
nsead-preaches to of the world, the hesh and the
devil! Was pretty woman in more humiliatng
position?"
She approached him again and leaned him, the
strands of her hair brushing his temples her voice
whispering mockingly just at his ear.
@Oh, A HI You make such pretty lover, John! If
| could only paint you in your sackcoth and ashes,
should die in content What is it like ami, to feel
like morazing in garden by moonlight? What
do they tell you-the roses? Of the dull earth from
which they come! Don't they whisper of the kisses of
the night winds, of the drinking of the dew of the mad
JOY of living the of dying? Or don't they say
anything to you at al-except that they are merely
roses, John?"
She brushed the blossom in her fingers lightly
his lips and sprang away from him. But was too late
She had gone far, and she realized it in moment;
for, though she euded him once he caught her in his
arms and kissed her roughly on the lips.
"You'd mock at me, would your he cried
She struggled in his arms and then lay inert. She
deserved this revenge she knew but not the careless
of these kisses Of retrbuton each of them mercess
with the burden of her awakening.
@Let me go, John" She said family. "You must
not"
4Not yet. I'm of stone Can you scott
now?"
@No, no! Let me go I've paid you we'll, and you-
oh, God you We paid me too! Let me go!'
"Not until you kiss me-"
"No-not that'
3Why?" he whispered.
@No-never that! Oh! the damage you have
done!"
"Ill repair it."
@No. You can't bring the dead to life. Our friend
ship-it clean! Let me CO. do you hear2'
But he only laughed at her. you'll kiss me-