Evening star., 1924-09-07

At the end of those three intoxi-
eating days Jill took her $4,000 to
Jones Office and bought the old Nell
son place.
Something stronger than merely
gratifying a personal longing promt
ed her-that old fear that Andy would
waste his life among the nonessen-
tials; her Andy, who had it in him
to do such splendid things.
There was going to come a time
when he would grow tired of all
that rowing and long for an easy
chair before an open fire; for a ham
mer and saw and bag Of nails;
for tree to plant and watch gather
to itself shade. Warm winds from
over the seas seemed to bring her
a message:
"If you keep your candle burning,
some day he'll come home to you"
Jill went up to the old house to get
ready.
She wrote Andy of her project and
waited with her heart in her throat
for the first mates answer. He said:
"If you could understand how
travel broadened d person you'd know
what you've missed by throwing
! away your chance. Perhaps you've
changed The old Jill wouldn't have
done it"
She managed a wan little smile.
Anyhow, Andy, II did it for you"
To show that she was true
daughter of the days when she had
faced ring-nosed pirates, and death
bcfoAe surrender" she sat right down
and wrote to this buccaneer of the
unbeaten tracks. She wrote him about
her chickens. her strawberry patch.
the worms on the potato vines. What
shall / do with all these worms,
"Andy?"; the back screen that needed
mending; what she was having for
dinner. And
IF you ever come home you'll rec
ognize the place even at night. I
keep a candle burning in the win
dow"
Perhaps she was foolish to pit her
little candle against the lights of all
the ports. but she believed it would
shine to Andy across world
OK a wilted, heart-saggins day
~ late in the Summer Jill had her
reward.
The boys are coming home wrote
Andy. "One is going to get married.
The other wants a private bath, hot
and cold. He wants ham and eggs.
TeSuld ne SedTilS u push d puttoit
on d wall. So I've decided to come
along. too. Look for me some day in
October"
Jill had waited two years for that
letter, but now. as she crushed it to
her, the time seemed short. Some
day in October" Some day in Octo-
ber, She got out the good ship
Polly and set her proudly above the
fireplace. Once more she would be
putting to sea. And by and oy, when
she and Andy were a lot. lot older,
they would go on a real voyage. He
would take her back over all the
places where he had left happy mem-
cries about in the continents.
Would he let her know the very
day to expect him or would he sur
prise her" One more month of wait
ing, But what is a month when every
day of it brought Andy nearer?
1t was not until late September
that she received another lett>r--the
last she ever had from Andy. Even
after she had read it she couldn't
believe it, but sat watching the words
make riddles of themselves. Pretty
soon now they would settle back on
the page and say what Andy meant
them to say, and not-not this. Not
| this. For Andy wasn't comirS back
at all. He was settling definitely in
some foreign place. This time it was
elephant tusks.
I'D love to see you, Jill" he wrote
keeping house and digging among
your flowers. / wonder if you've go,
the old atlas and if you ever get it
out evenings. l can see your eyes
shine over il. There were always
mysterious things in your eyes, JILL
as if you knew Il lot more about me
than | know about myself. Some
times I've thought i couldn't stand il
here without you. But l shouldn't
make you happy-not the man l am
now. If I'd never left home-but I've
lived a rough life for two years, and
it tells on a fellow.
This country gets into your blood
1 love the strange, unearthly sounds
of the jungle at night, the boats COM
ing and going, that element of dan
ger and mystery. But is Ec place
for a woman. You are home loving
and it's a good thing for your happi.
| ness that we found it out in time
Jill laid the letter aside.
Poor little candle" said Jill.
Jilrs house of cards went down tina,
night. But the next day the old Jill
| of the pirate days swept up the
| wreckage.-
! II can't be letting all this place &C
! to waste. What l need is somebody )
to get my mind off myself, to kcer
| me flying so fast I'll not have a ms.
ment left to think in. Who shall il
| be-"
| Grandma Gibbs. The old lady was
| the town pest. Crippled with rheu-
| matism, she still retained Sufficient
| sprightliness to get from house tt
| house with her perpetual complaints
| Friends and neighbors had tried ir
| pleased or satisfied her. Jill put or
! her hat and went after the prize.
But Grandma Gibbs, in a pretty
room, with an easy chair and a sof'
rug and her breakfast on a tray, wa:
| a different person. A sort of aston
| ished docility held her. Jill caugh
her running a hand over the mahog
any furniture, lingering the blue-shcl
| cups.
| 1--WE always wanted pretty thing S
Jiliy," she said.
! "These are yours, grandma, al
| much as they are mine"