Evening star., 1923-04-22

month had to be paid for. She las
very still under the gorgeous quill
she had brought with her.
Every one here promise not to tell,
she said. I'm just Marie Dubois
know
He forced back the question which
came instinctively to his lips. He
had a conviction that he was fighting
her for his sanity, for the very
ground on which he had built his life
and that he dared not yield by sc
much as a kindly word He did what
lay In his power for her. with heart
shut and barred.
She brought q little of her world
and her whole outlook with her. On
the last few days that she was able
to sit up, she dressed herself In a gay
mandarin's coat. By the open fire the
old woman embroidered an elaborate
nightgown.
IT'S for my-what you call tiny
shroud. You see. with ze blue rib
ons-blue-blue-zat' my color. AS
soon as l could speak. l ask for re
blue ribbons in my pinafore."
IT should have thought that now
your mind might be better occupied
he retorted with a brutal common
placeness.
"Oh, but I ave 'ad my talk with
monsieur lie cure. K and 1 are ze
best OF friends. 'E understand about
ze blue ribbons. But you-you are
too clever, helm, monsieur le docteur?"
1T seems So" he said scornfulIy.
her with all her jewels spread about
her--emeralds and pearls and dia-
Notwithstanding amid the creases
of her coverlet She put her finger TO
her lips.
"sh! This is YER solemn. make
my testament"
She picked up each jewel in turn
and looked at 1t, caressing IL. And
jyet there was no bitterness and no
regret in her farewell Of them. The
old woman, crouched in the chair be-
side her, wrote toilfully on a slip OF
tpaper
"She make a list OF all. They will
be sold for the leetle children OF
Paris-the gamins-as I was-for a
3good time-from Marie Dubois"
She beckoned him, and he came
nearer suilenly. In her hand was a
great pearl.
Pour vous, monsieur.
He shrank back. Mo- don't
wear such things"
For your wife, then
IL am not married"
"But one day peraps." She looked
at him with a wistful doubt. "Ol
per'aps 1t make you sad. It is no,
for that I giYe 1t you. When yor
see 1t, you 1augh-just as you laugh
hwhen dance, because ! dance so yer
bad
She laughed now, and then gray
agony had her by the throat. She
hid her face and he took the pear
from her. muttering.
That night he let her suffer. HI
fed from her. He had begun def
nitely to doubt his own sanity. A.
he tried to leave the house the ole
woman followed and caught hold o.
him.
T. "she suffer too much, monster 1t i.
not right. I will not ave it,
'I do my best" he flung at her saw.
agely. And who are you to inter.
fere?" -
II am her mother"
| He swung round to stare down into
the lined and withered face. "Hel
mother? Why, good God-she treat.
you like a servant
Before others, monsieur lie docteur
She is different-of different stuff
And II want to be with 'er, IL mus
be as 'er servant. That is our affair
But you are not kind. You let 'e
She menaced him. and he was awar,
of an incredible fear.
II will come at once" he STAN
mered.
Later. when she slept her drugge,
sleep, he came back to look at her. ant
the old woman knelt beside her
bowed over her still hand. a rugged
motionless effigy of grief.
y y * X
CHE was almost voiceless now. Tha
- she suffered hideously Uloth knew
but not from her. Before them al
she bore herself gayly-yes gallantly
It was that gallantry OF hers tha'
nursed him, that would not let him
rest or forget.
And. she was pitifully alone. The
woman in the hospital had not beer
more forsaken. But every day the
press man did his work, filing the
gossip columns with hints of wild
erratic doings.
An illustrated paper produced hel
full-length portrait. She sat amit
the flowers Of her absurd fountain
and her hand was raised in a gesture
OF laughing farewell. Over the tor
was written, "Gyp OF to Pastures
New" and underneath a message
which was reprinted in all the daily
papers:
II want this way to thank the
friends who have been so kind to me
We have had good times together.
am going for a long holiday. but one
day. think, I dance for you again.
love you all. Au revoir."
He gave her the paper withou
comment. He had to hold 1t up fol
her to see-very close.
And then suddenly his anger purs
from him.
why do you allow this silly pre-
tense?'
He could feel the old woman turr
toward him like q wild beast pre-
, pairing to spring. He had to benz
down to catch the choking. suffering
voice."
1--WE 'ave-such good times. And ze!
come 'ere-all those kind people
who ave laughed so much-and brini
4 A.
and they won't believe-they won
l ~ k,jo n Qnnok