Evening star., 1925-06-18
Continued from Yesterdays Starr

Did you think that you We're the
only one?" she asked, softly.
''The only one?" Rooted to the spot,
Sally Byrd stared at her, while the
tears rolled in pearly drops down her
flushed cheeks.
The only woman Stanley was in
love with. There have been so many
of them, you know, that 1 wondered, +"
she continued in her dispassionate
tone. The woman in the car with
him-the one who was killed, poor
thing-was the latest. He had just
asked me to get divorce, so he might
marry her" For a minute she hesi-
tated. "Of course. he knew | would
refuse. or he wouldn't have asked me-"
must 60" cried Sally Byrd
wildly, while she CROPPED toward the
door. If she did not go at once, if
she did not break away before an
other word was said, she felt she
should begin to scream in the way
Aunt Nerbena had screamed when
they told her her husband had been
run over. Then Mrs. kenton's voice,
cool, composed, impersonal, arrested
her. and she stood still at the door
and turned round.
Are you sure you won't stay to
breakfast
''Oh, no. must go. I must go
back Immediately"
You will go back to Virginia and
forget him."
Lifting her head with a gallant
k<sture Sally Byrd looked into the
tves that were watching her. Yes,
will so back to Virginia and forget
5.m"
Mrs. Kenton's face softened. How
old are you?"
Nineteen. Or / was when l came
here
The other smiled. "At 10 nothing
is permanent. You will forget him
and be happy :,
Sally Byrd shook her head. II shall
forget but / shall not be happy. 1t
has broken my heart"
A wistful expression crossed the
others face. NO. your heart isn't
broken-not so long as 1t hurts
When your heart is really broken. 1t
lies still and dead like mine. You
can't imagine the relief it is, she
added simply. ito have your heart
break at last"
For an instant Sally Byrd was
awed into silence. Then she muir
INJURED, under her breath. as II she
were at church or a funeral with the
deeper realities, I'm so sorry. I'm
so sorry. 1 didn't know" She longed
desperately to escape, but she could
not go, she could not even move
while those eyes. which had seen
everything, were fixed on her.
The older woman opened the door.
Don't let it happen again, dear,
she said. but, if it ever does, re-
member the wife. 1t is worth While
to remember the wife, because. when
all is said and done, the last word IS
usually hers"
Then she smiled and turned away
while Sally Byrd ran out OF the
apartment and into the elevator.
Down the street she walked rapidly
away from the building in the al1niess,
distracted flight with which people run
away from a burning house or an
earthuuake Not until she was breath
less and ready to drop with fatigue
did she pause long enough to look up
and read the name Lexington avenue.
Well, 1t did not make any difference.
From the way she felt she would as
soon be on Lexington avenue as any
where else in the world. She was
tired and stiff, and the bag was so
heavy that she could scarcely carry
il. Yet it had seemed very light when
she ran with it down into the dlnlng
room at home. II must go straight
back to the station" she thought. L
must take the next train home. For
the first time, while she looked heip-
Iessly around in search of policeman,
It occurred to her that she had only
81 left of the money she had taken
out of the ginger jar. NOT enough
even to buy a ticket. Why 81 wouldn't
take her much farther, she supposed,
than somewhere in New Jersey. the
practical difficulty eased the pain In
her heart after the way of practical
difficulties, and she began to worry
less about her unhappy love and more
about the problem of getting back to
Virginia. 'If I could only sell my
clothes" she thought. II wonder If
there is anybody in New York SO poor
that they would buy my clothes"
Then. while she stopped down to rest
her bag on the pavement, a cool,
smooth object sliding around her neck
reminded her of her mothers minia-
ture II shall have to sell the locket,"
she told herself, with a grim deter
mination from which, to her surprise,
sentiment was strangely absent.