Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-10-12
THE EVENING STORY
LUX BENIGNA.
Copyright. 1917. by W. werner.)


cleared his throat. He was hardened
was his oldest friend, II fear" he
began. Then evaded again. Il did
hope that sea voyage had helped her
but she seems to have lost all the
ground she had gained
Hilton scrutinized the doctors face
with growing apprehension. You told
ne once that the disease is durable"
he murmured, tentatively.
Ordinarily 1t is. Jim, but at her age
and with her tempera ment-she seems
TO have lost interest in life. Candidly,
things have been too easy for her.
Some womel seem to thrive on ankle
ties. II she had had children, now-she
wanted them. | Think"
The other nodded dumbly
You mustn't misunderstood me, Jim.
She thinks the world of you. hut there
IS little she can do for you. There Is
no strong demand on her resources. on
her reserve: has been none for years.
Gradually it has dwindled. Her vital
ty is very low and there is little or no
resistance to the progress Of the all
ment. If you could get run over by an
auto. jim. it might he the making of
her" he continued with humorous sad
ness. We're queerly made. The Wis
est of us know little about the mystic
rious processes that go on within these
frames OF ours. Change and inter
change. play and interplay of hidden
forces we can hardly put name to yet.
violent change. a shock of some sort
pleasurable or otherwise sometimes
has a remarkable effect. It stirs dor
mant glands. increases scant secretions
and oftentimes literally drives disease
out"
Heaven knows I'd do anything. I've
tried and tried to rouse her to reawak-
en- her interest In life, but everything
| suggest seems an effort for her. She
is so languid and looks so worn She
n In nd
answered Hilton. huskfly.
II know, Jim" The physician rose
abruptly and tenderly laid his hand on
the others shoulder. Y wouldn't worry
can be done. Better let her alone, old
men. Better let her depart in peace"
hilton rose just as abruptly. with a
stricken face. The two gripped hands
IN sorrowful silence; then. stunning the
elevator. the heavy hearted man stumble
down flight after flight of stairs
Go on home. Foster. I'll walk" he
said to the amazed chauffeur
Buttontns his coat to the chin and
drawing his hat down TO his ears. he
STROBE straight into the teeth of the
biting wind. 1t was on JUST such a
wild night, twenty years before. he
remembered. that Nell had broken their
engagement. Then he had tramped me
streets in frenzy till dawn Later
the breach had healed and the com
radeship which had drawn them to-
gether in the beginning had in time
welded their union into something in
franSlble by anything but death Never
were two people better fitted to grow
old together comforta bly,; but if Ais
worth were right. and he usually was.
Hilton would have to travel the rest of
the road in utter loneliness
Hilton was A lawyer and from, actuaI
observation he knew that not one mar
mage in a thousand was as happy as
his 1t was too perfect to last Life
has grudge against perfection. he
told himself. In that bitter moment
the world seemed to him wild beast.
lying in wait to pounce upon and de-
stroy any good thing that might acct
dentally grow out of the welter of
cross purposes and baffed endeayor
existence.
An act of Providence, That Hubert
Aisworth. of all men, should speak seri :
ously of such a thing,
AS he plunged madly along biirdI,-
broodinR over his misfortunes. he
stumbled on the curb at a crossing and
almost fell. car darted noiselessry
by. missing him only by foot or so.
! He sasped, then wished it had caught
him. but recanted instantly with a
shudder He might have been killed
outright. leaving Nell to die alone.
mat would never do. To ease her out
OF the world must be his one thought
from now on. He swung around a cor
ner and into the blaze of light from n
| stained glass window. a PRAYER meet
ing was IN progress and the congrega :
ION was singing. The hymn had been
! favorite Of his mothers
, Lead. kindly light amid the encircIing gloom.
Lead thou me on
Hilton smiled ironically. once il had
! been favorite hymn of his own, but
| for him that light had gone out long
since He still thought it a beautiful
poem-the lovely fruit of some fertile
| -lbrtt hi,
present dark mood 1t had lost its power
TO please. Nothing in life could any
more have charm for him. he thought.
To ease Eleanor out of the world was
he only thing left for him. Then Othel-
10 $ occupation would be gone. To ease
her lot had been his chief aim in life
According to Alsworth that was the
worst thing he could have done. Well.
II was fitting part of the crazy scheme
of things. The universe was one huge
blunder. Perhaps if her life had not
been 50 easy there might have been
children. The struggle with hardships
might have stirred some of those dor
mant forces the doctors prated about.
Poor folks always seemed to have q
culver full of little ones.
tie was nearing home now. Presently
he saw the lights of the church to
which Nell belonged-to which she.
, good-naturedly insistent, sometimes
dragged him, good -naturedly protest.
ing. They were singing there. too:
let the lower lights be burning:
Send a CLEAN the wave.
Again Hilton smiled satirically.
Lights. lights. lights! The air was full
of them tonight. Poor will -th -wisps.
Creatures OF mems yearning magma
lions. Man made. every one or them,
like that street lamp the wind was wor-
rying overhead AS the harried globe
swung violently to the farthest posi-
BILE point and illuminated dim corner
of the church entrance Hilton spled
something that sent a chill along his
spine once on dark night Nell and
he. at a friends door, had stumbled over
Just such an object as that.
To make certain that his eyes had
not deceived him he stood staring till
the light oscillated again; then he