Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-03-04

madame is m faring 60 s she h hes aed
anxious and perturbed. and not know
Ing how best to end the conversation.
but the remark had spurred Bob's
memory to further activity.
And JEFF said you'd better be help
Ing mother than sitting with Nine.
Chruzzi."
Having impaired this information,
Bob gave undivided attention to the
basket which his mother had brought
In and was emptying on the sink, and
Allene. not in the least knowing how
to help her aunt. went to madame's
room. Not that she was of any as
sistance there, but mada mes language
was like her mothers tongue, and they
talked endlessly Of books and plays,
of music and places, just as she and
he- ia ther had always done.
When she entered. madame lay on the
couch in the sunlight. The brooch fas-
tening in the lace of her collar caught
CLEANS from it and threw them over
her features. lighting and frightening
them, till, in looking, one forgot the
shabbiness everywhere apparent and.
indeed. all else except the sympathy
shining in them. At least Allene felt
that way and before many minutes
madame was in possession Of her
trouble.
Little pitchers Madame lifted her
fingers to her ears and pinched them
significantly. But, my dear. it could
not be otherwise. No. For they are
oh'-poor. and one mouth more to feed
it is a misfortune. You must pay
your own way-you must. Oh, to be
poor-it is awful know-I-Mme.
ChruZzi. and my son. in one day. bes-
CARS, House. land. everything gone but
Jules? No And he-he leaned to type.
Then from Office to Office he went
soliciting You understand. And in this
very room he worked. We had enough
81 nd al, ha1 p,pf- Ty,1a
died"
She threw out her arms in sudden
anguish. her old face twit"hins and
means bursting from her lips. and AL
lene. her own trouble forgotten ard
with OVERLOOKING eyes. leaned over
and matted her cheek.
Dear madame" she murmured.
"Dear. dear madame"
herself again Child" she said "yonr
heart-it is RIGHT. hut your head-oh.
it ia wrong. 1t must learn work-the
work that makes money Now. you will
where Jules went and the professor he
will help you as he helped Jules"
"you are so kind" Allene sohhed.
and 7 will try to earn money. Dear
madame. I will try"
mo" firmly: "yoN will not try. You
must do. Try is not do In the morning,
then you will COME fo- the letter"
Which Allene did. and before the day
was over t0unO herSel1 enrolled pu-
pill in Mr.. Ladlaw's school.
Tut the family misgivings had af-
fected her. Somehow they seemed to
her to presage failure. and then as
weeks passed and her Improvement
was intinitesimal she began to regard
them as prophetic The vision she had
at first had of herself, with work and
money in abundance, faded little by
little to be finally abandoned.
TO make matters worse. madame, to
whom she looked for courage and in
SEPARATION, was ailine. At first it seemed
but slight indisposition. but Allene
sitting with her each evening" soon
saw alarming changes. Sometimes she
talked. but oftener she lay looking off
into nothingneSs,' not complaining nor
repining nor regrettine. just waiting
for the next day and the next and the
next Once, when Allene would have
crept softly away. leaving her to her
dreaming. she reused and called her
back.
kiss me, dear" she whispered. Then
she took the brooch from the lace at
her throat, and put it in Allene's hands
"Of all the world" she said, 81 love
you best. l want you to have it"
They are not diamonds" her aunt
said when she had breathlessly told
her story of the giving. '"They are
only make-believes. There have been
too many days since I knew madame
that she would have parted with it if
1t had had value. But it is nice that she
wanted you to have It,"
Allene had no acc" aintance with dia-