Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-25
Silence

oUT although Judy's heart beat In
pher throat when the bedroom door
Gnally opened and Rand came out. the
expected leavs-taking did not take
1lacs.
Instead, he went directly over to his
Hasel, and when Judy peeped into the
ysom q little later she saw him frown.
lng over the canvas propped up before
lin.
q Woman like, abe wanted to know
what had happened. She was cold one
minute and hot the next. She longed to
Sush into the studio and beg him to tell
Her Why be was here and what he in
Minded to do. She felt that the sus-
sense would kill her unless she spoke,
IA yet she knew that she must wait
~ him.
Last night he had told her frankly
That he no longer loved her, that he
vas in love with another woman and
that Il was all over between them. This
morning he was here at his work. But
.an the meantime something must have
happened. What was it?
NJ The breakfast dishes done and the
bedroom tidied, the long day stretched
Sefore her and she felt maddeningly
restless.
'S Why didn't Rand speak? Why was
.thsn suddenly the thought that after all
there was no reason why she should
remain here waiting for something to
happen occurred to her and, dressing
Quickly, she went out.
~ At his easel Rand did not look up.
He was absorbed in his work, for he
was trying to finish the portrait of Car
lOtta from memory, and, strange to say,
- spite Of his misery he was working
well. Thoughts crowded in on him. but
ID worked resolute!y on. Sooner or
later he would have 10 tell Carlotta his
6ecision, and after that agony was over
he would bury himself in his work.
That was as far as he would allow
vaguely grateful to Judy for the fact
that she had asked no questions Abb
0orbed with his own problems, he did
not stor to think that Judy might be
suffering. For the present he felt that
he had done enough in making his de-
cision to so on with things as they
were.
Rand worked until late afternoon
with utter absorption. The picture was
1nished. Carlotta sat there before him
IN all her loveliness. The light rippled
!. on her gown of dull gold velvet; there
were purple tones IN her jetty hair,
and in her eyes there was that look Of
Awakened womanhood-the look that
che meant to him.
He tore his eyes from the pictured
face and then suddenly realized that 1t
eonscious Of the fact that Judy had
acne out early in the day. Now he
realized that she had been gone a long
time and that he had no idea where she
was. With a stab Of conscience he re-
4 hnembered her as he had found her last
( night, and he was suddenly glad, even
"a the midst Of his longing for Carlotta
that he had not gone to her and THAT he
4 had spared Judy that additional pain.
But where was she? Usually she
: Was at hand around meal time. She
had never had any scruples about in
q torrupting his work in order to make
him come and eat his lunch. Rand had
eften thought In the past that she took
. certain malicious satisfaction in
eausing him the irritation Of stopping
3ust when he was most absorbed, but
3Oday the fact that she wasn't here was
opmehow significant.
t, 6uddcnly he emerged from thoughts
~ himself to the knowledge that Judy
p must have thought 1t strange, his re-
skurning like this without an explana :
s. t1on OF any kind. And the things he
IA - said to her last night, how they
ast have hurt her and yet she had
n nothing.
\ ~ little Judyl He had forgotten
~ to the extent Of being sorry for
y ond the fact that she wasn't here
~ tseublsd him.
pasew-1he LAlb~