Evening star., 1915-01-10

and Gentlemen, if you please!'
Jerrnyn made his into the front row of the stalls
and down the of the srouded desert of empty
seats Very mechanically that afternoon he watched
his work grow into shape, crticizng and making few
suggestions only when he appealed to by the pro-
ducer himself of the company. The play for
him was Sybil, the stage full of Syb. When she
was absent he lost all interest
The sord details of stagecraf began in time to rri
tate him. 1t was with sigh of relief that he heard
the producer shut his book and dismiss the company
with his accustomed speech of farewell.
Il am going to take you to have tea, he de-
cared "My head aches with sitting listening
in that stuffy theater and you must be tired
out. Afterward 1 shall walk part of the way home
with you"
a should like some tea,' she confessed @It's all
waiting for at home but don't think shall like my
first meal without Mary bit. Anyhow, l would like
to put it off as long possible"
They crossed the Haymarket and entered teashop.
Jermyn chose quiet table and gave order.
"You will miss her always, Dear" he said; "yet,
the other hand when you bring yourself to think
of it, it must be joy to you to realize what you
able to do for her.
at is indeed, she assented
"Perllaps, in a way,' he went gently, @you may
feel that she has already repaid you for of
care. You know, Syb they say that the sanest of
get strange moments of madness. l faccy mine must
have last night l seemed somehew to te pos
sessed Anyhow, Mary has exercised that spirit. l
want much to you today, if it is only for few
minutes, because want you feel that whatever hap
pens under any circumstances, Mary has brought
into the family her big brother and you will have to
let play the part
She turned little toward him. Underneath the
table her hand touched his and pressed it.
Il suppose" he continued, zone why
not afraid of death is because know that it
utterly and entirely inevitable 1t is not death
thing else: it is death alone have thought
position until my brain reels and have come to the
conclusion that that too is utterly inevitable And
trying to drive that into my mind, to make of
all my philosophy, and absolutely to make up my mind
to the next best thing"
4Tell me-" she asked, @does she-does the Duchesse
de Savers speak OF me!"
"She has done so," Jermyn admitted. "She knows
the TRUTH of course She knows that 1 care for you
have told her very plainly indeed that while life lasts
l shall for other woman. AS yet she doesn't
believe it. But in her way she is reasonable woman
She makes attempt to interfere, at any rate, with
our friendship. She had better not'
Sybil caught at his hand suddenly. They were in
dark corner of the room, and few people there
Her eyes wet with tears. Jermyn, dear Jermyn,
she exclaimed, with little choke in her voice. Il am
afraid of the loneliness of it all! Life to have
changed so lately. Be my frend-do be my friend
We don't want think of last night-of possible mis-
takes. That won't come again. You-you differ
ent! I am so lonely! You know the meet.
don't want to marry any of them just want to be
let live, and to act and to think, and want you to be
the to me always. But it's lonely, it's horribly
lonely! 1 can't even make friends with the women
They bring men too and it's always the thing
If you to go away, if you to leave alto
gether, don't thnl1-I don't think could bear it,"
He held her hands firmly. "Dear Sybl," he whis-
pered, cts bargain. 1 your friend and al
ways your privileged dear companion and friend. You
can trust me-
She wiped her eyes and leaned back in her chair with
sigh of content. Their tea set before them, and