Evening star., 1922-07-30


gymnast who thumped his chest and
expanded it portentously. like the frog
in the fairy tale. The children seemed
bewildered and unhappy and regarded
the earnest Norseman with sort of
frightened liberation.
"Gosh." Stephen whispered as he
looked away from the spectacle. Sud
denly he thought of something. some
thing he had not thought Of for long
time. that l,e hoped he had forgotten.
Before Stephen had been placed out
on Zeke Preston's farm, near Green
Mountain. Iowa. ne had lived in big
stone building where the shutters rat
tied. where he had lain awake at night.
his eyes strained shut against the dark :
ness, his breath catching in silent,
straneling sobs of loneliness The
chateau-but loneliness is no respecter
home for orphans in Des Moines was a
far cry from Michael Higgins great
of palaces.
Gosh" Stephen repeated. "and
they're nice kids. too
r
CONCERNING Mrs. Higgins. Ste
phen was perfectly sure what he
thought, but Immediately insure what
he felt. Stephen was perhaps no
more suceptible than most men. but
he was Celtic in his response to beau
ty. Obviously she liked him. She
was pitifully lonely. He was sorry
for her and pity is always dangerous
ly alluring-alluringly akin TO some
thing else.
A dozen times he had wanted to
put his arms around her, to comfort
her-to tell her she was an idiot.
Then. with an accusing stab. the sus-
picion would come to him that
be might be falling in love with her.
Ridiculous. caddish. Besides, he cared
for some one else. Constance Tru-
man. the judges daughter. was not
at all like Cynthia Higgins. Bound
up in his feelings for Constance lay
every decent ambition. every wish to
do a piece OF work a little better
than the next man. She had been
"the star that arose in his darkness"
ever since that first day he had seen
her.
And now had come this other one,
Was it possible to be In love with two
women at once? The idea appeared
to him revolving. Besides, Cynthia
Higgins was married. Well. anyway.
no matter what his feeling toward her
might be, he would behave in such a
way that she would never suspect it.
This was a compact with himself.
Then Michael Higgins took a day
off to visit the northern corner of his
estate, where he was planning to
change the course of q trout stream.
Cynthia and Stephen dined alone In
the great paneled banquet room that
evening. Across the ponderous CEN
terpiece of orchids she seemed very
remote. and her face framed between
the heavy silver candIesticks ap-
peared as delicate and miniature as
a child's.
After dinner Stephen followed her
out into the moonlight Below the
terrace stretched an Italian garden,
as unreal as a stage set. where black
shadows intermingled with bleak sud-
den splotches of moonlight. Overhead
high clouds raced toward a small sill
yer moon, captured it-and raced on
again. regardless of their conquest.
For 4 long moment they both stood
there. The wind trailed a strand Of
chiffon from her scarf across Ste
phen's face. She laughed softly and
put out her hand to recapture It,
Then suddenly he caught her hand,
held it a second in both of his and
released 1t again.
Pm going home Thursday" said.
stephen" 1t was the first time
she had called him by his first name.
Again there was silence between
them.
1t seemed long time that they sat
there. On the path before them the
wind caught up scattering Of yellow
beech leaves and twisted them like a
tornado. II shall miss you"
she said finally. 1--WE been terribly
lonesome"
IT know"
She lifted her face toward the moon.
Look" she said. That's like me
up there" She stopped. embarrassed
and suddenly timid.
go on 9sf
TITS Shy. mayb~ but TN iise the
moon tasicheel saw me end5 wanted
sns, liks laoaN elouds. And then ~