Evening star., 1914-12-27
By E. PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM

ping the rail of the balcony For few seconds they
stood so their faces turned toward the main corridor
There sound to be heard Lucille sighed.
Already her first terror seemed to be passing.
@You have not been to bed she murmured glanc-
ing at his attire
3How could one sleep" he answered, 4on such a
night?"
She looked down at the dew on his patent leather
shoes and at the splashes of wet on his coat
"You have been out!" she exclaimed.
an the gardens only
@Watching?"
He shrugged his shoulders. His face was utterly
expressioness "What should l watch for?" he NUT
tered. as there anything we do not know?"
She leaned forward and looked along the front of
the house. She looked at the window that was fourth
from the end 1t within few yards of them.
There something significant in her look; but after
his first shivering apprehension of it he turned his
head and gazed away over the treetops
@The dawn comes, he reminded her. "Soon the
servants will be astir.'
She drew her rose-colored dressing gown a little
more closely round her. @Yes," she said, Il must
go. 1 could not sleep: the whole thing is too awful.
l am not sure Jermyn, whether am doing right"
"What do you mean?" he asked hoarsely
CHE held up her finger They both of them seemed
- transformed into the likeness of stone images.
Their faces turned toward the corridor. The
woman's hand gripped the rail of the balcony more
tightly than ever. Without doubt the sound they
both heard the sound of soft footsteps and the
trailing of light gown. Almost they held their
breaths The footsteps came nearer and nearer.
Without turning her head Sybil passed along the
ridor, Sybi in long white dressing gown, her fair
hair bound up with white ribbon. She gone in a
moment She passed without looking to right or to
left without any consciousness of the man and wo-
man who watched The sound of her footsteps ceased
The door of her room softly opened and closed.
Lucille shrugged her shoulders slightly. She gazed
into her companions face.
"Youknew that she had been to him?" she whispered.
knew!'
@You watched from the gardens?7
He pointed below. Il was behind those laurel
bushes for than two hours he said Il
the light in her window; l it again flash she
passed through the anteroom.'
zone cannot help but pity her, Lucille murmured
@Think of the agony of her night! 1t was her
hope-she went to plead for his silence If he re-
covers consciousness Jermyn, do you believe that he
will tell the truth before he dies?'
"I do not know, he answered. "How could any,
tell what in his state would do?"
Lucille drew her dressing gown round her and
shivered. The sky in the east red now, and the
dew lay upon the lawns like FROST In the woods that
stretched away from the house the thrushes sing
ing. The stable clock changed again.
at is morning" he said.
She laid her fingers upon his arm. Her face was
very close to his. Her expression had softened. In
this strange, ghostly light she was beautiful in
weird, witchlike way of her own.
what you going to do about Sybil in the fu-
ture?" she demanded under her breath II ask you
because I must know"
Again he shook his head. "For two hours last night
my study" he said slowly, Il asked myself that
ueston. Down there among the laurel bushes watched
le rise above the trees, and saw it grow pale,
nd asked myself nothing but question l do not
now-indeed, Lucille, do not know"
She took his arm Together they looked out upon
lis strange fantastic world of trees and shadows of
ndscape hung with mauve light.