Evening star., 1914-11-15


and yet there wheels of flame before her eyes.
God must let her fant-oh, not yet, not yet She
reelcd cropping with her hands She heard the patter
of running feet, and called upon her Pickering strength.
"I1ep, help. They are killing him, in kreman's
house, she shrckcd and thcn four dashed past,
she threw her hands and let the darkness claim her
FOR two weeks. through fourteen endless days and
nights, she like whose brains druggcd.
She crouchcd upon a bed, and she did not cry. She
knew certain things, they told her and she
heard them: but they conveyed little to her She knew
that the strike had ended. She knew that the men, the
better element among them sckencd and horrfcd, had
yielded to the masters She knew that there was
be punishment for the torturng of Peter Van Stc
She knew that that had been his order from the bed
where he lay i'll and broken with the sight of eye
dinncd for life. She knew all these things; but her
brain dull and langtlid and nothing seemed worth
the effort and pain OF thought.
Also somewhere behind the cloud that lay upon her
mind was one other matter dark and shameful, which
she dared face. For hour she lay with twisting
hands confronting that thought. And then she
and dressed herself and went out into the streets.
1t night time, and the shops gay with lights.
Somewhere, far above in the shadowy murk, pald
sickle of a moon was shining. And a few pale stars
cleaned down and seemed to mock her shame.
She was not sure what she would do at first. For
little while it seemed her that since she had brought
his body pain and torment, and since she loved him,
it would be fitting that she should give her body to
suffering
her sin. Andt seemed to her that she had found the
place when her vague wandcrings led her at last -
little lonely deserted etty beyond whose rottng piles
the sluggish glintcd family as it swaycd beneath
the moon.
But suddenly she felt oddly tired and weak. She
must rest for Just little while before she trod her path.
She had not slept for very long, and soon her head
dropped weariy upon her breast, and she fell asleep.
1t may be that she dreamed of what might have been;
for she smiling very happily as she slept.
AND it was there that Peter Van Stcl came to her,
I brought by the man whom he had watch and
guard her house. He left his carriage and limped slowly
along the quay until he stood beside her. And she
awoke and him standing bare headed at her side.
lust for a moment her smile endured. Just for a
moment it seemed though her happy dreams were
true And then she remembered, and her eyes filled
with horror, and she covered away from him with a
low
Indeed, indeed would not have you afraid, he
said with utter gcntlcncss.
at was who did it," she mutercd 1T was | who
brought YOU that room!
"Yes he said, you brought me; but you did not
mean that harm should come. No. he went swiftly,
as she would have protested made confession 81 will
not believe it, You were angcred against me, because
Your heart bleeding for the children; but you had
no thought of-of what befcll. Oh believe me, know
YOU better than Yourself"
"You are generous" she whispered. But you have
been ILL., and they sav-they say that your eyes
And she shivered as though in pain.
a am well once more" he said quietly. "And my
eyes will serve my needs
IL do not know what say you, she said very
low "'rhough YOU generous, | cannot forget
"T'here is something also that | shall never forget"
he said gravely Il shall remember that you strove to
save me- that YOU put your body between harm and
me. Until die shall remember that!
She did not speak The world seemed very silent
save for the slow tapping of the After little
while he said "You thought that needed punishment,
because of the children. 1t may be that you right"
And he smiled with quiet hu1nor. "You WELD great