The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1922-03-02

DantOm1me. A star shot down anC
died in it's flight. Esther Lefkovitch
followed it with eyes that were mel
low to moistness.
esther, hat you, child?'
Mama, how you scared me, sneak
ing up behind me so soft!"
always in a lonesome place like
this on top-deck l find you, Esther.
Twice over this boat I've been, bring
ing you your heavy coat for the damp
ness. Here, put it on"
She slid into the garment, fastening
it across the smooth V of her barred
throat.
For why, Esther. you should stay
up here in the dark all alone, when
downstairs the young folks got
dancing and everybody is out on the
lit-up decks, I don't know
1--we just been alone a minute.
MAMA"
ia, because now the game begins.
guess. Esther, you think it's so nice
on a big boat like this. the way you
let that nix from Chicago come up
here with you to such a lonesome
spot"
1--WE came up to watch the Gibral-
tar, mama. See. how plain it's get
ting out there already-that black
thing. Seel"
Il tell you between my husband,
who leaves me alone every night to
play cards, and"
NIIo -,oYo;col +o,fch+ hn uvnr1dn'f
mama"
ia, but when I seer bis long face.
right away l said rather by myself I
would sit than look at ii. Between
him and my daughter. what runs up
mountains and then gives me heart
failure when she nearly misses the
ship. and then on top always finds out
the lonesome places like this-be-
tween the two of them l got a lone
some enough time of it myself, just
let me tell you"
'But mama, dear, you've got the
write to him on the pink writing paper,
eh?'
ooh, mama, you-you get me so
lJdQ. IlOlltSlt l"Oll, l. NOuIn just ~
the way you keep at me-. Please,
mama, let-let my affairs alone"
"All right, Esther, | let them alone.
Your old mother only wishes you the
worst. She wishes you to forget a
grand honest boy like Abe for a
dressed-up nix what you meet on the
boat. I'll let you alone. I'll let you
alone. Right back in my bag goes the
silver key-ring. I'll let you alone"
That's what l want YOU to do"
Il tell you, Esther, .his pain what
| got over my heart yesterday and to-
day amt for nothing. I tell you the
excitement when you nearly missed
the boat this afternoon, and for a
mother to see all of a sudden her baby
begin nonsense with a nix from Chi
cago what nobody don't know nothing
about. except what he brags himself,
is enough to give heart failure. Bet
ter we had stayed right at home in"
"Oh, mama l just got to bite my
tongue to hold in. That's how mac
you and your old fogy ideas make me
What do you know about-about
things that go on in the-the real
world; about an up-to-date fellow like
him that's been around the world three
times and knows things? You and
your old fogy ideas don't count,
mama"
ESTHER"
"They don't. They-they just don't.
I'm sick of you always picking on
him when you don't know. I-Oh-
oh-Oh !"
She was off into the rearward gloom
of the deck, cramIsing her handker-
chief against her lips, inarticulate sobs
escaping from its lacy edge; down two
flights, in and out. skirting the edge
of deckspread groups skirting their
laughter and the froth of conversation,
and in a deserted corner of the oak
balcony, a generous ledge elaborated
to a writing-room and overlooking the
luxurious, bright-lighted homegrown,
she found refuge. Dance music f1oated
up to her light and remotely, and the
foam of lighter laughter.
A galaxy of incandescents burned
through crystal prisms upon the in
formal leather chairs of the great
room, upon full-length mirrors in gilt
frames; upon limitations of a famous
pair of fifty-three-inch Mandarin jars
and half-a-dozen small walnut tables
with carved tassels at their four cor
ners. c~hessboards here and there, a
king or pawn left standing. The
paraphernalia of idleness was every
where about: a periodical, face down
ward; a woman's work-bag. Finally
and beneath the left balcony, a group
of eight sitting silent about a round
table. The quiet rattle of bone chips;
an occasional spoken word, but low
and staccatO.
From her balcony, sitting there a
small shuddle of squandered emotions
and bankrupt vitality, her hair fallen
awry and the red rims fresh about
her eye Esther Lefkovitch caught
sight of that table. though directly
beneath her balcony, through one of