Evening star., 1919-04-20

anu SdtteO IL anu mo Afnu Oh uSu8iuB
on to the edge of the table with my
nails. Seemed to me II. he shut his
eyes when he put his teeth into that
ear OF corn I'd scream. And he did.
And l screamed. And that's all"
Terry sat staring at her with a
wide-eyed stare. like a sleepwaiker.
Then she wet her lips. slowly. But
that's almost the very"
kid. go on back home. don't know
whether It's too late or not, but go
anyway. If you've lost him suppose
1t amt any more than you deserve.
but ] hope to God you don't get your.
desserts this time. He's almost
through. If he sees you going he can't
quit in the middle of his song to stop
you. He'll know I put you wise, and
he'll prob'ly half kill me for it. But
it's worth it. You get" M
And Terry-dazed, shaking, but
erateful--fied. Down the noisy aisle,
up the stairs, to the street. Back to
her rooming house. Out again, with
her suitcase, and into the right rail-
road station somehow. at last. Not
another for Wetona train until mids
night.
The hands of the station clock seem1
ed nxed and immovable. The hour be.
tween IL and 10 o'clock was endless.
ohe was on the train. 1t was almost
morning. 1t was morning Dawn was
breaking. She was home, She. had
the house key clutched tightly in her
hand long before she turned Schroe-
ders corner. Suppose he had come
nome! Suppose he had jumped town
ana come home ahead Of his schedule.
They had quarreled once before, and
he had done that
up the front steps. Into the house.
Not sound She stood there a mo.
ment in the early morning half light
She peered into the dining-room Tho
table, with it's breakfast debris, was
as she had left it. She was home She
was safe. She ran up the stairs, got
out of her clothes and into crisp ging-
ham morning things. She flung open
windows everywhere. Down stairs
once more she plunged into an orgy of
cleaning. BY 8 o'clock she had done
the work that would ordinarily have
taken until noon The house was
shining. orderly, and redolent Of soap
suds.
During all this time she had been
listening. listening. with her SUBJ
conscious ear And then, at 8 o'clock.
1t came. The rattle Of key in the
Firm footsteps.
He did not go to meet her and ohe
did not go to meet him, They came
together and were in each others
arms She was weeping.
"Now. now. old girl. What's there to
cry about? Don't honey; don't It's
all right"
She raised her head then. to lock at
him. How fresh. and rosy. and big
he seemed, after that little salow,
yellow restaurant rat
How did you get here? How cid
you happen-?"
Jumped all the way from Ashland.
Couldn't get a sleeper so I sat up all
night. had to come back and square
things with you. Terry. My mind just
wasn't on my work. 1 kept thinking
how I'd talk ed-how I'd talked"
"Oh. Orville don't. l can't bear
Have you had your breakfast?'
why. no. The train was an hour
late. You know that Ashland train"
Bet she was out OF his arms and
making for the kitchen. You go and
clean UP. III have hot biscuits and
everything in fifteen minutes. You
poor boy. No breakfast
She made good her promise. 1t could
not have been more than twenty min
utes later when he was buttering his
third feathery. golden brown biscuit
But she had eaten nothing She
watched him. and listened, and again
her eyes were somber. but for a diff
ferent reason. He broke open his egg.
His elbow came up just a fraction OF
an inch. Then he remembered. and
flushed like a schoolboy. and brought
IL down again. carefully. And at that
she gave a little tremulous cry. and
rushed around the table TO him.
"Oh, Orville" She took the offend.
ing elbow in her two arms. and bent
and kissed the rough coat sleeve.
why, Terry. Don't honey. Don't"
rive got something to tell you.
There's something you've got TO
l.