Evening star., 1925-06-16
Continued from Yesterdays star)

She collected her shattered courage
with an effort, picking up. one by one,
the pieces of her happiness. Then.
with a tremulCuS gesture. she reached
for her little beaded bag which she
had laid on the bench, and rose to her
feet. II must be going now she
said in that small smothered voice
which was so punctiliously polite,
Just as If she were trying to make
conversation with a visitor. Il am
late for school already. If | don't
hurry, I'll miss the second class"
You don't mean-you can't mean
Sally Byrd was gazing at her
with a distressed look in his face
and through some perverted sense of
humor he reminded her of one of the
children in the kindergarten when he
was denied a whirligig of colored
paper. How dreadful of her to think
of such things. And yet the more
she tried not to think of 1t, the more
obstinately she thought of it. ner-
vous feeling came over her that she
was going to burst out laughing, not
softly like a lady, but in a hystertcal
scream that would bring a crowd
gathering about her.
Tit is such a joke" she MUIR
INJURED: and the words gave her a
shock because she had not meant to
-
have been spoken by the fountain, or
by the fat man reading his newspaper
under the locust tree, so little did
they express anything that she had
intended to utter. Il am going to
laugh or cry in minute" she addeo,
Il don't in the least know which II is
going to be-"
sit down again." he said anxiously.
drawing her to the bench. You
70 n1 ha htli-
look had spread all over his face, and
even his clothes seemed to give way
suddenly, as if he had wilted inside
of them.
NO" she repeated vacantly. be-
cause IL was such a relief to have
some words provided for her to speak,
Il am not fit to teach school,"
He put his hand gently over hers.
1t felt. she told herself, like hand
make any difference, will you dear?"
Why did he persist in asking that
question? You won't stop loving
me?"
"Oh. no. she replied, as plea sanity
as she could while this confusion be-
tween laughter and tears was spin
ming in her mind. Il shant stop low
ing YOU"
Then you'll go away with me just
the same?" There was new note in
his voice. which she felt rather than
heard, as deaf people feel the vibra-
ton OF sound. Had he grown more
eager for her because he suspected
that she was slipping away? How
alone 1t made you feel to think that.
Couldn't anything in the world.
couldn't love even, bring two per-
sons so close that thoughts and SEN
sations could not come in between
them?
She drew away very gently. afraid
cred her own. "Oh, / couldn't do
that" she replied under her breath.
'Of course, ] couldn't do that"
You can, if you love me, Sally
Byrd"
But it has nothing to do with love
1t has nothing in the world to do with
love- She was eager to make him
understand. 1T has to do with some
thing entirely different"
What this something was she could
not have explained If he had asked
her. SO she was thankful in her heart
that he did not ask her. She longed
to go away with him. Every fiber Of
her being felt tight with longing: yet
she knew that she should never be
able to go because an instinct stronger
than her longing would hold her back.
NJ IldllOli lllSpH GU llCl
She realized, almost with a shock,
that she wasn't indignant at all.
She was even glad and grateful that
1t had happened. But she couldn't go
away with him unmarried. That was
one of the things you didn't do, no
matter how much you wanted to, like
getting drunk because you were
thirsty, or taking off all your clothes
because you were hot. No. you
oh do
that were not nice: but those particu-
lar things you did not do.
Il must be going back to school, :"
she said again. beginning to walk
away. 1T is awfully late
Then you mean this is good-bye?"
Her eyes filled with tears. You are
going away by yourself?"
I'm obliged to. I can't stay on
here forever-and, besides, what is the
use?"
There isn't any, of course. but it
is very nice"
1T wouldn't be If stayed on"
you mean you'd stop caring"
NO, 1 don't mean that. In fact. l
don't know what l mean. I'm not
very jolly myself, and I've made you
unhappy"
At this she stopped and held out
both hands to him. You mustn't
think that because it isn't true" she
said. You haven't made me un-
happy. Compared to what 1 was be-