Evening star., 1922-10-01
BY
MARY ROBERTS RINEHART.

What have you got thereo" he de-
manded shortly.
But now, as through all the long
night. her woman's wit saved her.
Don't jump atsme like that I've
broken one of the baby's bottles and
l am just about to sweep 1t up"
CHE stopped and swept the broken
~ glass on the pan. He stared into
the empty closet.
I'm sorry, Molly-I didn't mean to
startle you. That tea and the heat of
the stove put me to sleep. I've been
half frozen. I guess it was the bot
tie breaking that wakened me.
thought you said you would go to
bed"
Il couldn't sleep" she evaded, land
about this time the baby always has
to be fed"
She took the bottle Of milk from
the table and set it inside the tea
kettle to warm. Every vestige OF
suspicion had died from the mans
eyes. He yawned again. stretched.
Nci'poaS ShS NUN I" ltH 7" dltH
Its been a long night" he said
Me for the street again. Listen to
that wind. I'm sorry for any one
that's out in the mountains tonight"
He went into the parlor and put
ting on his overcoat stood awkwardly
in the little hall.
She faced him. the childs bottle in
her hand.
81 guess you know how hate this
Molly he said. "1-I-this isn't the
time for talk and there amt aIL< dis
loyalty in 1t. but ! was pretty fond
| of you one time-I guess you lnow
ii. and-I am not the changing sort.
I have never seen anybody else !
liked the same way. 1t don't hurt a
good woman to know a thing like
that Good night
Before she went upstairs she took
final look out the back door. AL
ready Jim's footprints were effect
lively erased by the wind. An un-
broken sheet of white snow stretched
to the barn. By morning, al this rate.
the telltale marks would he buried
six inches or more.
She blew out the kitchen lamp and
went slowly up the stairs.
The baby cried hoarsely and she
gave him his bottle. lying down on
the bed beside him and taking his
head on her arms. He dropped asleep
! there and she kept him clf.se for COM
fort. And there, lying alone in the
! darkness with staring eyes. she
! fought her battle. She had nothing
/ in the world but the cheap furniture
! in the house. Her own health was
frail. 1t would be a year. perhaps.
/ before she could rcave the children
| to seek any kind of employment
THE deadly problem of The poor. in
L extricably mixed as it is with
every event of their lives, compiicat-
! ing birth. adding fresh trouble to
death-the problem of money con-
fronted her. Jim had been. in town
parlance. "a poor provider." but al
least she had managed. Now very
! soon she would not have that re-
source.
! To get away from i; all. She drew
a long breath. From the disgrace,
! from the eyes Of her neighbors. the
gossip. the constant knowledge in
every eye that met hers that her hus-
band had intrigued with another
woman and killed her. To start anew
under another name and bring her
children up in ignorance of the
wretched past-that was one side.
But to earn il in this way-that
was another. To sell out to the law,
! -h,,, olr,, nd
! brutalities faded from her mind. She
saw him-with that pitiful memory
of women which forgets all but the
! good i'll those they .uve--oniy as hr
had looked in the one great moment
! lac. was her hero--her lover: once again
hewas her hero-her lover; once again
| he held her in his arms. Il would
| like TO feel that I have done one
decent thing
The battle waged back and forth.
She no longer cried. There are some
| tragedies to which the relief or tears
is denied
Four o'clock.
She slipped the babys head from
her arm and got up. Cooper was still
across the street, huddled against a
| swinging his arms. In an hour the
milk train would come in and wait
| on the siding for the express That
\ would have been Jim's chance. If he
could get away. he could start all
over again and make good. He had
| it in him. He was big man-big-
ger than the people in the village had
| ever realized. They had never ap-
| preciated him-that was the trouble.
| Why should she have a. fresh start:
1t was Jim who needed it, She
| moaned and turned her face to the
| pillow.
Five o'clock.
The milk train whistling for the
| switch. 1t was still very dark. She
| crept to the window and looked out.
1t was a gray dawn with snow blow
ing like smoke through the trees.
The cold was proving too much for
Cooper. He was making his way
cautiously across the street through
the snow toward the house. once in
the parlor again, she could get to tn"
barn. The freight waited on the sid
ing ten minutes sometimes, and to-
night. with the snow, it might be
| longer
She leaped off the bed and hurried
down the staircase. Just before the
front door opened to admit the de-
tective, the kitchen door closed be-
hind her. She was out in the storm.
1aI