Evening star., 1917-09-09

! better send in some buillon-a little
hot chocolate? Don't You remember
he used TO eat mullins and jam?'
Kitty smiled, with tears in her eyes:
she patted her mothers arm. Tea,
she said gently. and yes, buttered
mullins, of course. But. mother. first
let me speak to him. He was in the
theater. II know how he feels"
Her mother nodded kitty she
said solemnly, Il begin to believe he
wrote that play"
II know he did. mother"
Mrs. Raglan uttered an exclamation.
Then she heard Joe's restless step in
the little drawing room and hurried
away. while Kitty Joined Joe.
You've been i'll again." was her first
exclamation, as she held out her hand
in greeting.
He shook his head. Not bit, Pris-
on life has agreed with me, kitty I've
learned my lesson"
She turned away, looking for a seat
that would put her face in shadow. but
she answered him over her shoulder. I
can't bear to hear you speak of it, Joe.
1t was so useless. SO cruel
Not altogether useless. He came
over and took the low chair opposite to
hers and leaned forward, his elbows on
his knees, looking down at a beautiful
jar of apple blossoms that some one
hal sent her from the theater. Il shall
never drink again. Kitty. and that
ought to be worth something to me"
IL means everything. Joe. I'm so
glad / might almost say il was worth
il. l saw you in the theater today"
Il know it-l felt it intuitively.
Kitty. YOU are the personificatiou of
spring. These apple blossoms make me
think of you. It was perfect"
There was a slight pause. In il they
heard the footsteps on the pavement
below the window. Kitty leaned far
back in her corner, shielding her face
with her hand
Are you going to claim 1.-THE play,
! mean-right away
That's what I came to see you
about"
\ shiver ran through her Was it
possible that he wanted her to testify
against richardson? 1t was right. per
Il have decided" Joe said slowly.
never to claim it at all
WHAT she sat up and gazed at
him. bewildered. Your own play
can't understand. Joe"
He smiled sadly. Il couldn't at first.
kitty; but it's very simple After You
after we talked that day. | thought
ii over. was mad against Richardson.
mad with jealousy and pain Ny mind
seemed suddenly SO clear that ] felt
as we d"-you know those clear. won
derful days when you seem to see miles
and miles straight across the horizon
lut" the sky My mind seemed as
I
whole play from memory. and then you
had told me about the change of name
/ spoke to E.iSenach-he always be
lieved me-and he pointed out that I
had the copyright. and that if Griswold
had seen the old name. he'd be inst
enough to testify that he had He said
that Griswold was called a straight
man, ana he'd give me a square deal
He felt sure l could prove il, and that
night lay on my cot in Jail so wild
h.a bon h rl,.t
l lay there all night in the dark of the
prison. Through the little barred win
dow | saw just one star 1t made me
think of You. All my life, since l can
I've loved you. 1t was half
the thought of that. that Richardson
had stolen your heart through my plav,
that had maddened me I wanted 10
pull him down. to disgrace him. to
show you that he wasn't even as good
as I was at my worst 1t was the most
terrible night l ever spent. | supnose
people may feel this way if they reach
IL place such as Dante described Then
looked up and saw that star. 1t was
as II you spoke to me. and / remem-
bered suddenly that YOU loved him.
that to strike him was to strike your
heart. / knew how you looked when
you told me that you We're engaged 10
marry him. ! remembered, too that I
mad so little to lose-I was almost an
outcast. anyway-while to pull Rich
ardson down was to ruin a man who
couldn't stand on his feet again"
He paused, still looking down at the
apple blossoms, his white face deeply lined
With pain and a kind of beautiful resiena-
ton. Kitty said nothing; she did not even
nove-she could not-and after moment
he went on:
He couldn't write another play, knew
hat. while it came to me-like a vision
n that clear horizon of my mind-that l
;ould. that the power was in me- I used
o think that only drink fired my tagged
brain. but l knew that night. there in the
prison. that it was not l had something
Else In me. power God-given and my
'wn. No one could take that away from
ne. l might have a long fight, but at
ast 1 should win. But Richardson 1
lad hated him, l wanted to kill him that