Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-12
heart sickened. She felt herself begin to

heart sickened. She felt herself begin to
yield.
Come, my dear" said the man
She turned and looked at him. He
was looking at her with a half amused.
waiting, scornful smile under his little
black mustache. Something in that
smile scared her as she had never been
scared in all her life before She felt
as If great spider had suddenly crawl
ed over her hand or a snake Kissed
In her very face. NO, no. she gasped,
She eluded him and ran out into the
rain. Her car was coming into the
street. She made for it wildly, as If
running from awful danger regardless of
taxis spinning recklessly along the slip
perry pavement The motorman saw her
aboard, sank down and covered her face
with her hands.
An hour later she stood in her room
quiet and safe. She took off her hat
and coat and hung them up to dry Then
she went up to her glass and looked
into it. Thank God, she could yet meet
her own eyes without disgust and aver
sion
She stood a long time looking at her
self in the glass. She was beautiful, and
she had the first of the many experiences
beauty brings to woman. How much
better if she was inconspicuous and
plain. 1t was evident that If she remain
ed in the city she must attract other
men.
She was country girl. She had been
born and brought up in a village of
thirty houses all told-a village where
everybody was related either by real
ties of blood or those other ties. scarcely
less strong. which love and respect and
understanding weave. She had never
known any save kind and harmless peo
pie until she came to the city. She had
not been afraid of the city 1t had
amused her when her elders cried, Pc
ware" Its dazzle and throb allured her
and she reached out her hands for il
just as children reach out for glitter
ing toy. She knew how to use "A type
writer and she had had a correspond
ence course in stenography. She had
Wit and facility of memory and both
subjects came easily to her mind. She
had needed only n few weeks in a bust
ness school for finishing on. and then she
was ready for situation. Mr. Winslow
had hired her. If he had treated her
like a machine. at least he had not us
turbed her belief iii her own ability to
take care of herself
Six months ago. She realized, she
would not have hesitated one instant
between right and wrong Today she
had hestated. Why? She knew why.
The fact thrust its awful face close TO
hers and grinned sardonically She
could not mistake it. She had hesitated
to choose the right, not only because
the wrong was more attractive, but be-
cause she was lonely.
She had not minded being lonely at
first. there was so much that was I'M
tried. interesting and novel and to catch
her glance, her hearing and her young
pulses: the shop windows as full of daz-
zling detail as Gobelin tapestry; the
streets. thronged with all kinds of hui
mainly: the boarding house, with Its
string of transients. Then, too, work
was new and money earning new. Her
pay envelope offered a constantly recur-
ring sensation of independence, ability,
Importance. The money it held was hers
to use as she pleased. At home there
never had been much money. Enough
to eat, fire. warm clothing, yes. but none
of the little things. the trimmings on life
which girls love. This pay envelope OF
hers could not do everything, it is true
She could starve herself and have small
luxuries or she could feed well and wear
her old clothes. But at least there was
no careful old aunt to tell her what she
should do Now. after a year novelty
was passed. there had ceased to be any
illusion between her and her work, ana
the loneliness of this whole business of
wage-earning in great city bore upon
her with increasing power.
Loneliness, then. was her real enemy.
The man with the red lips only waited
until he considered that the enemy
evidently miscalculated; he had not
waited long enough. But the time would
come when he should have waited quite
long enough. And then
She could no longer bear the sight OF
her own face in the glass. She was turn
ing away when she saw letter lying
upon the corner of the bureau. She took
it up. The writing was her uncle's.
The letter itself was brief, but very
tender 1t said her aunt was Ill.
Wouldn't she come home for little
whileo They wanted to see her very
much their little girl
Joan stood looking at the letter. She
began to smile. All at once she felt pro-
tected, sheltered. loved. The real bless
edness of home revealed itself to her.
Her enemy could not find her there.
The dinner bell was ringing at the foot
of the stairs She slipped the letter into
her BOSOM and went down to tell her
landlady that she was going home on the
morrow
"a (THE END