Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-30


more. And with that there was not very
much left, as far as she could see, for a
woman to do. The big fight would be all
over. A woman could no longer claim a
partnership; she would simply be bought.
If last fall she had had the chance of
that other, she would have had him out
selling month ago. Give her year or
two, and she would have him in that firm
or some other. She could do it. She felt
the power that minute.
She felt the power, and then she went
hot and cold and hot again with her cheeks
burning as with fever. She turned over
and buried her face in the pillow. She had
no business to be thinking such thoughts.
1t hardly seemed decent. He did not be-
long to her, and so she had no right to
interest herself in him.
This raised new question. What was
she to do from now on? Until now she
had had the excuse of ignorance; but there
was still another month before Don's fam
Gee would be back. And this month would
count whole lot to him. 1t was the de-
Gliding month. Farnsworth had been
watching him closely, and had about
made up his mind; but he was still on the
alert for any break. He had seen men 60
so far and then break. So had she. 1t
was common enough. She herself had
every confidence in Don, but she was
doubtful about how long it was wise to
leave even him alone. Men could not
stand being alone as we'll as women. They
had not the same experience. 1t took
special kind of nerve to be alone and re-
main straight.
Well, supposing he did break, what was
that to her, now that she knew about this
other? Here was perfectly fair and just
question. The man had made his selec-
ton and given over his future into the
care of the woman of his choice, and she
alone was responsible. There could be
no dispute about this. 1t was fair ques-
ton; and yet, as soon as she framed it,
she recognized it as unworthy of her.
Furthermore, it led to an extremely dam
gerous deduction-namely, that her in
terest, after all, was not entirely imper-
sonal; for if it were what difference did
one woman or twenty other women make
in her relations with him? To put the
matter bluntly, she was acting exactly as
if she were in love with him herself!
WHEN Miss Winthrop faced that as
founding fact she felt exactly as if her
heart stopped beating for full minute.
Then it started again as if trying to make
up for the lapse in couple of breaths
She gasped for breath and, throwing off
the bed-clothes, jumped up and lighted
the gas. Here was something to be met in
the light. But, as soon as she caught sight
of her flushed cheeks and her staring eyes,
she hurriedly turned out the gas again and
climbed back into bed. Here she lay like
some trapped thing, painting and helpless
Over and over again she whispered, I'm
not! I'm not!" as if some one were bend
ing over her and haunting her with the
statement Then she whispered, at isn't
true! Oh, it isn't true!" She denied it
fiercely-vehemently. She threw an arm
over her eyes even there in the dark.
1t was such an absurd accusation! If
she had been one of those silly, helpless
creatures with nothing else to do in life
but fall in love, it might have had some
point; but here she was, a self-respecting,
self-supporting girl who had seen enough
of men to know distinctly better than to