Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-03-03
observation-disclosures
ofJane Smith ,. By s.s vi, rs,.ros.a
Copyright. 1925. BY Small. Maynard . %. J

Afterward in her own room Jane
sat down on the broad window ledge
with her hands in her lap, looking
out over the sea. The lovely day
was drawing slowly to a fovelier
close, the sun-drenched air absolutely
still, absolutely clear. The tide was
low, the sea one sheet of unbroken
blue. except where the black rocks,
more visible than Jane had ever seen
them, pierced the surface.
Jane did not quite know what had
happened to her. Her moment of
exhilaration was gone She was not
afraid. but she felt sense of horror
which she had not known before.
She had thought OF this adventure as
her adventure, her own risk. Some
how she had never really related 1t
to other people. For the first time,
she began to see Formula a. not
as something which threatened her,
but as something that menaced the
world. 1t was ridiculous that It was
Mrs. Cottingham and Daphne Tod
hunter who had caused this change.
It is one thing to think vaguely
Of civilization being swept away, and
quite another to visualize some con-
crete, humdrum Tom, Dick or Harry
being swept horribly out of existence.
James imagination suddenly showed
her Formula "A"-The Process, what
ever they chose to call the horrible
thing--in operation; showed II an
initiating fussy Mrs. Cottingham,
with her overcrowded drawing room
and her overcrowded talk; showed IL
doing something horrible to fat, COM
mon Daphne Todhunter. The ro-
nance of adventure fell away, the
glamour that sometimes surrounds
catastrophe shriveled and was gone.
It was horrible. only horrible.
Jane kept seeing Mrs. Cottingham's
ugly room, and Raymond Heritage
standing there, as she had seen her
that afternoon, like a statue that had
nothing to do with its surroundings.
All at once she knew what 1t was
that Lady Heritage reminded her Of
not Mercury 1t all, but Medusa with
yet suffering.
AS she looked out over that calm
sea she had before her all the time
the vision of Medusa, and OF hundreds
and hundreds of quite ordinary. vul-
gar commonplace Mrs. Cottinghams
and Daphne Todhunters being turned
to stone. A tremor began to shake
her. II kept coming again and again.
Then, all at once, the tears were run
ming down her face. 1t was then IL
came to her that she could not bear
to think of Daphne as she had seen
her at the last, with that hurt, angry,
puzzled look.
She's a fat lump, but Arnold is
her brother, and Renata is her friend,
and she thinks they've failed each
other and been horrid to her. I can't
bear it,
At that moment Jane hated herself
fiercely because Daphne's tears had
amused her.
you've got a brick instead OF
heart, and. If you get eliminated, it'll
serve you right"
She dabbed her eyes very hard,
Strengthened her hair, and ran down.
stairs to the library again.
Ember was the sole occupant, and
Jane addressed him with difidence:
Mr.. Ember, do you think 1 might
do you think Lady Heritage
would mind I mean, may
! use the telephone?'
What for?" said Ember looking
at her over the edge of his paper.
"I thought perhaps 1 might" said
Jane II mean, 1 wanted to
say something to my friend, the one
who is staying with Mrs. Getting
ham"
"Ah-yes, why not?'
Then I may?
"oh, yes, certainly. Do you want
me TO go
Jane presented a picture of modest
confusion. 1t was concern for
Daphne Todhunter that had brought
her downstairs, concern and the
prickings of remorse. but at the sight
of Ember she experienced what she
would have described as a brain
wave.
'If you wouldn't mind" she said.
I'm so sorry 10 disturb you, but I
did rather want to talk privately to
her"
"Oh, by all means Ember's tone
was most amiable, his departure most
courteously prompt.
Jane would have been prepared to
bet the eighteen-pence which consti-
tuted her sole worldly fortune to a
brass farthing that upon the other
side of the door his attentive ear
would miss no word Of her CONVEX
sation.
She gave Mrs. Cottingham's num-
Der, and waited in some anxiety.
The voice that said "Hullo!" was
Enthusiastically Miss Todhunter's, and
Jane began at once: