Evening star., 1923-03-25

deposit there had been twenty-five
dollars.
EoR a long five minutes Margare
L stood on the sidewalk fighting
her battle. In another month she
could make UP the amount. No one
in the bank would give a thought to
her drawing II out. No one else
would ever know. But it was a be-
| trayal Of trust. 1t was wrong.
Then she thought OF the suit and
of the woman she became when she
wore It: OF the long, drab years be-
hind her: and of this. the occasion OF
her lifetime, just before. And all at
/ once she found herself walking
across the street and into the bank
She wrote the check calmly, received
! the money. and in twenty minutes
| was back again in the store.
! II thought you'd decide to take it,
! the girl cooed. Well, you're sure
getting a bargain. Take it with you?
All right Cash or charger"
Cash. The word sounded some
how cold and sinister. She counted
out the money slowly, while the bills
! seemed to writhe like live things on
the counter.
On the way home she tried to rea-
| son down the panic and remorse
within her. In a few weeks she
could put the money back safely. She
would deny herself; she would more
| than atone. And now that 1t was
done, she must pull herself together
and forget it until after commence
ment.
BY the time she reached home she
was nervously happy.
| Hardly had she entered the kitchen
when from the wall came three long
rings-their telephone.
She took down the receiver.
Hello" she said.
| Over the wire came the voice OF
Mrs. Spencer, the minister's wife,
very eager. very excited.
| Mrs. Connell, I thought we were
never going to get you. Oh. I'm so
sorry you missed the meeting. There
was hardly a dry eye in the room
when Mrs. Kirk finished her appeal.
And. Mrs. Connell, we voted-it was
unanimous-to give what We have in
the treasury now TO Mrs. Kirk to
take back with her for her work
It's in the neighborhood OF twenty
dollars. isn't it?'
| Margaret's face was ashen. Her
mouth and throat parched.
TWENTY-FIVE" she heard her lips
repeating.
"T thought there would be at least
twenty. Now. Mrs. Connell, Mr..
Spencer will go right out for 1t now
in the car. If you'll give him the
check Mrs. Kirk is leaving on the
| evening train. She's with us for
supper, so I must hurry. Thanks
very much. I'm so sorry you missed
her. Goodbye"
Margaret turned away with a phys
ical sickness. Below her yawned an
abyss of shame into which she dared
not look. And yet she must face 1t.
She wrung her hands. In half an
hour the minister would be here
and then
The full realization of what it
would mean swept over her-a
crushing avalanche OF fear. Under
it she shuddered and covered like a
criminal. And that was what she
was. There was no way now to rea-
son her mind away from the awful
| word-thefti
She looked about the rooms. For
the first time her resourceful brain
refused to function. Terror had de-
stroyed her self-control. Her old
poise and strength had vanished.
Weak, shaken. desperate. she caught
at the one frail straw OF human aid
! in her world at that moment-David.
Out of the house and over the fields
she ran to him..
His back was toward her along the
furrow. When he turned she caught
his arm. She was painting and her
flushed face was wet with tears.
David" she cried, what will /
do? took the missionary money for
my new suit. hadn't enough. And
4hsy yaHk n for the missionary now.