Evening star., 1922-09-24

| cornfields. sere and forlorn looking.
The wind drew across them softly.
knocking the dry leaves against each
other and bringing the smell OF
! goldenrod and dusty leaves and wood
smoke.
Stephen Douglas, his hands between
his knees. his suitcase at his side,
sat staring at the cracks in the rough
pine platform. He was utterly
| fatigued, utterly miserable. He must
start out all over again and with
stain on his record. He must get
| over wanting the things he had
always longed for and could never
have. He must give up his dreams.
like the thousands and thousands who
had given up theirs and gone on liv-
ing, somehow.
Then he heard footstep on the
platform. 1t was Constance.
A long moment he looked up at her
incredulously. Then he got to his
feet. "You" he said. ''or am I wan
| derfngT
She smiled and came a step nearer.
Maybe we both are. Stephen-
She was standing very close to him
| now. He could feel the softness of
her presence almost like something
tangible. Stephen she repeated.
I'm not going to humiliate you with
sympathy. Anyway, that little mis-
adventure of yours 10 awfully unim-
| portant. / followed you selfishiy.
She hesitated a moment. Il was
afraid you were going away-for
always" Her eyes met his with shy
bravery and her voice came slowly.
'I don't want you to CO."
Stephen Douglas jammed his hands
deeper into the sagging pockets OF ms
Jacket. This isn't fair-unless you
mean it," he said, "and it's madness
~ you do She did not interrupt
him. Don't you see I'm a nobodyg
/ don't even know who am myself.
Sometimes I think I've got the max
ing of a splendid rascal in me. I've
got no tradition to hang on to. I've
rot no signposts to follow" He
stopped suddenly. his face pale with
emotion. Cant you see, sweetheart
it would be leap into the dark IL
YOU took me? 1t would be madness
and 1 love you"
"Stephen-
AT once their arms were around
each other and they held each otner
with the desperateness Of love that
had been beaten back again anu
again. It seemed that the whole OF
their lives had been building up Tor
that instant. 1t had been pain IN IL
and ioy and peace. 1t was one OF tne
few moments Of complete reality that
come into a mans existence. There
was no past and no future: Nothine
mattered but their arms around each
other and the pleasure OF their ups.
Finally he held her away from
him. Constance" He was frigh'-
ened at his love for her. at the re-
sponse of her love to his. i've no
ripht tn let you love me. Don't you
know. dearest, you're throwing your
self away? What would your fatner
think. or your friends. or the town.
Their hands holding hard 10 e&ch
o.her they stood there. Listen. Ste
nhen" she said-and her. eyes did not
wayer-"can't you see that you 10 NY
big adventure? I'm glad that II so-
ing to be a leap into the dark. S,eNie'
there's only been one thing i've oeen
afraid Of" She stopped again ahu
her eyes lifted shyiy to his.
What thing?
"afraid the nearest I'd ever get to
re.n into the dark was readins
THE Three Musketeers'." Gently sne
drew close to him. her arms sought
the curve Of his shoulders and her
,emnle Dressed against his cheek.
.A,r.id there'd never be any RISKY
wavwsrd, delightful-Stephen Gar
tagnan."
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