Evening star., 1921-10-30
Translated From the French by
WILLIAM l.. MCPHERSON.

the war she ha0 spent neF
days caring for the children
left there, Nine. Presles walked slow
| ly home.
1t was o'clock, 1t was cold, the
| streets were dark and the snow was
| falling. but Nine. Presles wasn't in
a hurry. She always dreaded little
! coming back to her apartment, where
there was nothing to keep her from
thinking during the long evenings.
| Nevertheless, the wind blew SO hard
! across the Place Saint Sulpice that
! she Quickened her steps crouching
under her umbrella, and soon reached
| her destination.
| There is 10 letter for you" said
| the janitress, who since the war no
! longer delivered mail upstairs.
| Nine. Presles nodded her head and
| passed on. She knew that there
| wouldn't be any letter. Who would
| be likely to write to her. She had
| no relatives and no longer saw her
| friends.
| She mounted two flights and was
| at home She had lived there for
| three years. always alone. Her apart
ment was cold, colorless and cheer
less. Although she was well-to- do,
| she kept no servant, because she
! preferred to occupy herself as much
| as possible and also to save the
| money for her relief work.
She took off her cloak and hat,
(! lighted the lamp and made little
| fire Looking at her closely one
could see that she was about thirty.
| and that she was pretty. But with
| her chestnut hair, her gray eyes and
| her pale skin, she seemed without
| age and wholly neutral in personality.
| without coquetry or even the appeal
Of
! CHE dined in five minutes and be-
gan knitting on some blue gloves.
When by purchase or her own labor
she had accumulated a sufficient
quantity of soldiers clothing she
sent off a package and Immediately
started on another, with that same
persistent and anonymous devotion
with which she cared for the wound
ed, looked after children or aided
refugees.
Nine. Preles was still conscious Of
her fingers and knitted with close
attention, trying to absorb her mind
lin that mechanical task and in re-
capitulating the things she would do
the next day in the way of war
| service. Suddenly the bell rang. She
was startled and astonished.
| She got up and opened the door.
Then she shrank back, dumfounded.
In the doorway stood a soldier. in a
long military coat. 1t was Claude
Presles, her husband.<
ut is t. he said in low voice with
a little tremble in it. Il CAME
lcame@
He entered. She said nothing. She
was choking. She hadn't seen him
for three years. He had made her
they had lived together. Then he
had left her without any other rea-
3son than because it pleased him to do
so. After that Nine. Presles had sur
Ifered even more, not being able TO
RESTRAIN herself from still loving him:
lShe didn't want a divorce. She had
never tried to see him again. She
lived alone so that no one could
speak to her about him and his other
attachments.
Now she sought to control her
feelings. She looked at her husband
HE was standing erect before her
He had put his cap on the table. The
jyellow lamplight half illuminated his
iface,. which bore the marks of IA
tigue and suffering: There were
Even his eyes, when he fastened them
on her, seemed changed.
"I was wounded" he said. serious
lly wounded. But / have recovered,
II had a few days leave. / knew that
YOU lived here. So before going back
IL wanted to see you"
she stiffened up and found enough
lstrength to speak without weeping.
"Why do you come back to me?"
/ He flushed a little and looked hard
at her.
one but you"
She made no answer. She took a
seat near the table, still trying tc
keep herself from trembling. Bu'
he replied to what she didn't say
YES, you are the only one.
have been in Paris since the early
part of the week. haven't beer
to see anybody. 1 wanted to see
you-only you. At first l didn't dare
to come. But tomorrow / must gt
back"
He stopped and then continued
slowly, as if thinking aloud:
"I wanted to tell you that now
know. know what have beer ant
what YOU are. l have understood 4
, little by little. I have understood
!: the truth. 1 give you my word. II
.. moments of danger and suffering
when I was wounded, when though
III was going to die, when wa.
weak and unhappy, and also when
fought. 1t is necessary to haV'
, a thought, you understand; 1t is nee
Il essary to have a thought which keep
, you company, which comforts YOU