, 1915-05-27

Certainly not. She mustn't" And
then, in sudden sharpness: You
shan't tell her, Monty. You wouldn't
dare!"
mo, indeed" he assured her quick.
ly. "of course not"
It's just among us three, Doctor
Southal and you n me. We three
have had our secrets before. Ell, Mon
tyr"
Yes, Judith. we have"
She bent toward him, her hands
tightening on the cane. After all,
it's true. Today/I am getting old. 1
may look only fifty, but l feel sixty
and I'll admit to s~eventy-five. It's
joy that keeps us young, and l didn't
get my fair share OF that, Monty.
For just one little week m heart had
1t all-all-and then-well, then 1t
was finished. 1t was finished long be-
fore / married Tom cambridge. 1t
isn't that I'm empty-headed. It's that
I've been an empty-hearted woman,
Monty-as empty and dusty and DESC
late as the old house over yonder on
the ridge"
Il know. Judith. I know"
You've been empty in a way. too"
she said. But it's been a different
way. You were never in love-really
In love, l mean. Certainly not with
me, Monty. though o tried to make
me think so once upon a time, before
Sassoon came along, and-Beauty Va
liant"
The major blinked, suddenly
| or rt1ad II wno ont tha nnn nornn
neither had spoken to the other for
thirty years! He looked at her a lit
tie guiltily; but her eyes had turned
away. Everything changed then"
she continued dreamily, ."everything."
The majors fingers strayed across
his waistcoat, fumbling uncertainty
for his eyeglasses. For IN instant
he, too, was back in the long-ago
past, when he and Valiant had been
comrades. 1t had been a curious
three sided affair-he, and Valiant and
Sassoon. Sassoon with his ~dissipated
fair and ungovernable temper and,
strange fits OF recklessness; clean,
h~igh-idealed, straight-away Valiant;
and he-a Bristow. neither better nor
worse than the rest of his name. He
ltLuCllDcItu lndL Iudu blldlhtu 5Caooh
when he had grimly recognized his
own cause as hopeless, and with burn
ing eyes had watched Sassoon and
Valiant racing abreast. He remem-
bered that glittering prodigal dance
when he had come upon Valiant and
Judith standing in the s~hrubbery. the
candle-light from some open door en-
goldening their faces: hers smiling. a
little flippant perhaps, and conscious
of her spell: his grave and earnest.
yet wistful. .
You promise. John?"
Il give my sacred word. What
yer the provocation. ISwill not lift
my hand against him. Never, never!"
Then the same voice, vibrant, appeal
ing. Judith! 1t ISN'T because-be-
cause-you care for him?"
He had plunged away in the dark
ness before her answer came. What
had it mattered then to him what she
had replied? And that very night had
befallen the fatal quarrel!
The major started. How that name
had blown away the dust! That's
a long time ago., Judith"
Thirty years ago tomorrow they
fought" she said softly, Valiant and
Sassoon. Every woman has her m
anniversary. l suppose, n tonoT-
rows mine. Do you know What l
do, every fourteenth of May. Monty?
| keep my room INT spend the day
always the same way. There's a little
book read. And there's an old hair
cloth trunk that I've had since | was
- 49, L. A. ltt~. - 10 ~-A
something's. that l take out and set
round the room . and there
is a handful of old letters | go over
from first to last. They're almost
worn out now. but l could repeat them
all with my eyes shut. Then there's a
tiny old straw basket with a yellow
wisp in II that once was a bunch OF
cape jessamines. | wore them to that
last ball-the night before 1t hap
pened. The fourteenth Of May used to
be sad, but now. do you know, l look
forward to 1t! always have a lot OF
jessamines hat particular day-Im
have Shirley get me some tomorrow
and in the evening. when | go down
stairs, the house Is full of the scent
of them. All summer long it's roses.
but on the fourteenth of May 1t has
to be jessamines. Shirley must think
me a whimsical old woman. but | in
sist on being humored.'
He smiled. a little bleakly. and
cleared his throat.
Isn't 1t strange for me to be talk
ing this way now!" she said present
ly. Another proof that I'm getting
old. But the date brings 1t YER close;
it seems. somehow. closer than ever
this year.-Monty, weren't you tre-
~mendously surprised when ] married
Tom Dandridge?"
Il certainly was"
iii tell you a secret. ! was, too.
| p I did 1t because of a sneak
ing feeling that some people were feel
ing sorry for me, which ! never could