The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1921-03-04


damask, her flowers and her fat pol
ished silver
The telephone on the desk called
her. and she ran into the living room
and lnelt on Johns chair as she
answered.
yes, it's Vqria!"
you can't come home to dinner7
Oh" she caught her breath and then
tried 20 say in a casual voice, Yes,
it's quite all right No, no differ
ence."
But when she had put back the
telephone in its place she sat down
on the chair and, burying her face In
her apron, cried bitter tears of dis
appointment.
She had lain awake planning this
dinner for John! She so wanted Hmm
to see that she was a good cook Then
she sat up angrily Here she was
crying and John, who was going out
to dine, had given her never
thought!
81 guess" said Varia aloud with a
rebeHious toss Of her head, that Pm
not going to cry about him, when he
doesn't even think of me- but she
made no effort to move and sat there
buried in deep thought, until a smell
of burning started her ON the run for
the kitchen.
Her. pie was ruined! Varia laughed
a funny little choked laugh, and hav-
ing scrHped the burnt, smoking mass
out she cleared place on the kitchen
table, seated herself on the high stool
and began her own dinner alone,
while the thoughts that she tried TO
bury came surgtng back to her.
Where was John dining? Was there
any chance left for her? And yet
and yet, didn't he have the right to
din where he would when Varia was
nothing but his housekeeper2
Perhaps John would come home
early?
Vara put on a little white dress OF
taffeta and long chain of silver that
was set with unpublished turquoise
| stones. Her arms and neck were very
| white; her face, too, seemed colorleSS,
! but her eyes looked as blue as deep
mountain lakes and had a IKE quality
| OF mysterious depth.
| What could she do all evening? Sh8
| turned of the lights, put a candle on
| either side of her music on the piano
and having lit them, sat down to play
| herself into peace.
The bell! John must have known
| she was longing for him,
"Oh, it's you. ADAM" she said with
a drop in her voice.
AN alone?"
| Naria nodded.
|
| coat and shaking his hat, said casu-
ally, Showing out doors!"
| Would you like some music?''
| Nothing better" he answered
sinking down into the wide chair,
where John usually read the papers.
Varia sat dehcately straight on the
piano bench, her soft hair like an
aureole about her face, her features
! clear on the candle light.
Adam. WatChinp bar thought she
seemed like some picture ne remem-
bered, but could not place. She was
so infinitely girlish! She pulled at
his heart strings, made him think OF
a garden he knew as a boy where
white lilacs lifted their plumes to
the sky, where wild violets, deeply
blue, like her eyes, hid in the deep
grass.
God, Varia, stop itT'
Her hands came down with a crash
on the keyboard, she swung around
and faced him.
What about me?" she said, "how
am ] going to stand 1t much longer?
What does he think l am, a stone
woman"-she unlaCed her fingers and
stared across a I Adam, who was lean
ing forward studying the rug at his
feet.
Adam, Adam dear, l didn't mean
, it," she begged, being alone like
! this-somehow it makes you say wild
things-you can forget it, can't your"
He said nothing, but still stared
before him,
You know that silly thing, Adam,
| asked you to do? l release you
l how l ever could have thought that
anything would make John jealous"
Look here, Varia, you can't go on
living like this. 1t isn't natural Best
thing you can do is to 20 away"
"Oh, no, not that!
l , You're young. You'll get over IL
in time. Johns a good fellow and all
t that, but he's not the only NAM
I Il Couldn't" Varia stopped him.
p, I'D never hold up my head again.
t | You're not a woman, Adam: you
e can't know. To know that a man
S can't love you, when you have done
| everything, when you have thought
Y about him-and worked and prayed
e sometimes / wonder what it is, II
there is something about me that dis
. gusts John" She put her hand over
4 her eyes and sat there very still.
/, mo, I'm not crying, Adam, it's too
deep for that
- Look here, Vara, I'm not going 10
% stand it," he came over sand put his
e hands on her shoulders and spoke in
s a rough voice, i've known you long
o enough, and I'm not going to stand
e it,"
a Whether John had entered very
T. quietly or whether they had been toe
intent TO hear him was Of no matter
l. He was there. A pause as long az
10 two heart beats, as long as eternity
- caught all three in its grip.
q Then John laughed and said, com
e ing forward; That's right old man:
v don't let her get away with it." =.
e Adam held ont his hand and John
II took II, and, turning, offered his box
of cigars, and NaHa heard John TAy-
It ing something about the beastly
10 weather" and Adam answering
IS easily.
or She had turned back bo her piano
and was running her fingers idly owe
IN the keys, and as an awkward silence
ID ! settled down for a moment VariS
sr sprang into the dashing music o
ly something she heard the other nigh
If with John.
The bwinkling notes slipped from
s. her fingers Ike LIQUID arc, and On,
nj niayed on to the end
IN "Good night" Adam said. settin,
10 abruptly 20 his feet
- ssHope TN he In next time yol
come" John answered,
IA Tread To. Merrow's Interesting IN
- uknlmanRl