The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-09-21
When A Girl
 M0rries
By ANN LESLIE
CHATTER CCCLNV.

CHATTER CCCLXV.
 .Is he al1ve?"
 Valerie Cosby breathed the ques- uon timid1y, staggering back against a slim birch as she spoke.
 Evvy Mason stared up at her in- scrutably. still wearing that strange look of triumph I had glimpsed on her face when we came upon her there at the rivers bank with Shel- don's motionless figure gathered in her arms and held against her breast.
 Anne, come lay your hand on his heart" said Evvy. in a voice that had the hush of air before a storm.
 These were the first words she had spoken to me since the day she flung Meals ring at him and hurled out at Jim and me her hatred and scorn.
 Queerly enough, her words held the ring of possessiveness. It was as if she had said:
 .'This is my boy. do not know is my boy. I know this. And it is enough"
 Somehow felt as if had heard her say it as I started across the torn hung crouched against the frai1 sup port of her white birch. Evvy seemed not to know the other woman was there. She kept her eyes fixed on | mine while I kneLt and put my hand inside the silk of his p1eated shirt and | felt Sheldon's wayward heart, without Q movement now and yet still warm. | '1 can't feel it beat" I whispered as if in the presence of death. l "Cive me a mrror!
 Evvy flung out the command tone lessly. And Val staggered down to us. as she came fumbling to draw a little vanity case of blue enamel from a bag of rich brocade-
 ..Take it. Anne Hold it to his lps,'' | Evvy ordered
 I held the glass to Sneldon's lips and brought it awS~ -unmist | ed. Evvy bowed her head for mo- ment
 ':But I heard him speak," I said. 1 "Yes, you heard him speak He knew me. He told me-what I will never forget" said Evvy. | She spoke to me. But now I knew
 What did he tell you?'' cried Val What did he tell you?" We weren't coming to see you. It was to spend me to Dreamwold. You had asked me, hadn't you, Anne? Tell her so!''
 ''I had asked you," I said. repeat ing her formula.
 Evvy looked up at us with scorn in her eyes. She ignored the words Val had cried out for me to repeat.
 Do you think it is too late. Anne, she asked strangely. ''Do you think what he told me now-is the last message he will ever have for me?"
 We must get doctors" l cried. l run to youI pIdCt dllu pIohO for them There will be someone at the inn. And an ambulance. We must have that. I'll run"
 Wait. Evvy cried; . Help me She hesitated for word and brought that out finally with a sads- fled air as if the suggestion that com fort or discomfort mattered to Shel- it of power.
 helped her lay his head on the pillow she made of her tan camePs air coat. And as we worked to make the still form "comfortab1e'' I notic- ed with amazement that Sheldon's S
 stormy. inso1ent xHce, was strangely
 peaceful and tha8As smiled Sheldon
 over a precipice tZ59he death that had bounced on him fn a few brief min- utes, wore a smile more peaceful
 life.
 When we had laid Sheldon on the , ground Evvy knelt by him for a mo-
 ment. Then she rose and stood fac . ing Val. Never have seen a greater
 contrast than those two women of-
 fered.
 Evvy stood slim and virgina1 in a dress of soft blue which matched her
 eyes. On her head was tam . o'-shanter of the same blue. Though her face was pale it shone with a light I'd never seen on it before. Her figure was little, insignificant even. in it's little boyishness. But her face had power. Something had happened in the minutes she was alone with Shel- f don Blake. Something had gone from his voice into her soul It had changed Evvy Mason That
 I felt. But what the chs-Is was
 could not guess. Nor could for one
 moment imagine what words Sheldon . Blake might speak to her in two ol three brief minutes that could make me suddenly feel awe and respect fol | this girl I had always disliked. Val covered away from the blue
 ice of Evvy's glance. Val, the coo ? and indolent; Val. the perfectly gromed and creamy, was crimson now-dishevelled, brushed and bat tered by the accident which had taker
 SheId on's life and yet left him un- , married and beautiful
 There was mud and dirt caked or
 VaPs cheek where an ugly gash StiL . sent a red trick1e through the plaster of soil. One sleeve was torn from I her suave black satin dress and he1 hat had fallen from her head, leav'
 swish tang1e such I had never
 known it could suggest Her lip:
 were a b1uish purple. She looked !. hideous, a caricature of the perfectly
 coifed, smooth mask I had alway: . seen her wear.
 Looking at her like this. sud , denly visioned puffy white hand: $ fear1essly beating out the flames tha 2 threatened Lacy Willoughby'S face Then I saw that from her torn sleeve the arm and hand dangled helpless s But it was her eyes that drew me, fol e they were fixed on Evvy Mason witf sheer terror widening their marrow inscrutabflity to pools of dark horror
 Val said nothing. But I seemed tt g hear her plead with Evvy: s What are you going to do witt p me?"
 (To Be Continued.)