Evening star., 1922-08-27

| Silence.
whats the matter. Malcolm, dear:
Are you ill?"
hoarseness, 'Tm-ill." He tried to
smile. The result was ghastly.
THE girl dropped her muff on the
desk and threw off her heavy neck
fur He had CROPPED his way back to
his swivel chair and lowered his fore
head upon his wrists. The woman
pulled chair beside him.
Whats the matter. Muggsy:
Aren't you glad to see me? Tell me
the truth
Glad to see you?" He raised his
head and seemed about to break out
| in an explosion of sophomore con-
| firmation. But he checked himself
and the woman saw it.
Malcolm. Something's the matter
It's not just this surprise I've given
you Can't you tell me what it is?"
Tonight. Aggie." he said, Il was
planning to leave everything here and
go to you"
puzzlement, flashed into her eyes, then
was gone. She drew her lower lip
between her teeth.
leave everything here-go to me?"
81 was planning to leave everything
hese and go to you. Don't you under
stand what 1 mean? I was planning
to leave everything here. go to you.
begin over again. and let everything
here slide toto hell"
Again that look in her eyes.
What a queer coincidence" she ex-
claimed lame4y, as If she were not
certain of her ground. You mean
you were planning to leave for Cali
fornia-tonight?"
NO. tonight was only perfecting
my plans to leave. I was meaning to
start tomorrow night at 1885. You
see, il I'm going at all, I've got to be
out of here surely by Thursday morn
ing" t
His eye fell. and in that moment
hers searched his face. -.
Il haven't been happy day since
I returned. Aggie. with the memory
of what real happiness could be.
Things have gone from bad to worse
here, until now there's no way out.
Always the memory of that evening
up Alamitos bay has been with me.
Out there-three thousand miles away
happiness has called to me-and
forgetfulness. 1 wanted other nights
of stars like that-always. And 80
had it all planned to go. I've got to
wait until tomorrow afternoon, any
way-for several things. And yet
Thursday morning will be too late"
He swallowed perceptibly. Then he
concluded. And now. you're bere"
~ X
A SILENCE fell between them q
silence broken only by. the tick
ing of the old wall clock in the outer
But what If 1 am here? I've saved
you the journey, haven't ~ :,
oh, don't you understand" He
gazed deep into her eyes. "Agnes"-
it was little more than a whisper
this Is a husk of a business! Going
away-to you-rneant starting all
over. Now do you see what I'm try
ing to tell you?"
She looked about the ONCE as If
the substantial physical wall and fur
hs.hings contradicted his hopeless as
sertion. .--
I've played my cards and lost" he
went on. 1--WE tried my best to make
this factory go-and failed. Day after
tomorrow must come the inevitable
Grassland can't be here. I was
going out to you-start all over out
there in some new line, and try to
forget. Nobody would know me
there. 1t would be a ne~ chance.
with you To-" ~
You mean you're"
''The company's bankrupt-yes," he
cut in.
She gazed at him blankly.
I'm sick-of everything! Seven
years I've struggled to make things
go. For seven years I've hunted cap
ital. begged loans fought for busi-
ness. kept the organisation together
somehow. For seven years I've toiled
and sweated and worked--over-
worked! I've met pay rolls and found
orders, always running just q bit be-
hind and eating into my working cap
ital, keeping the deficiency from
penny -pinching stockholders, hoping
the tide would turn. 1t hasn't turned.
Agnes. Production has aiways fallen
just q bit behind. Little leaks have
drained my resources that I seemed
powerless to help. The time has come
when can't hold out any longer. The;