Evening star., 1926-12-16
THE EVENING STORY

by the vehemence of her own anger,
and the pleading of her wee daughter
| opened up a possibility very sTea
| possibility. She knew now that tbs
| idea of not living with Phil had been
| lurking in the back of her mind for
| weeks. Suddenly it flashed upon her
! that MitZie had seen altogether too
many of these family jangles.
| Her mind hurried restlessly back
and forth. One moment she saw her
self a happy bride, eager for life with
/ Phil--and the next an unhappy. disll
lusioned wife of % years. Could this
| man who had just said such hard and
cruel and stinging things be the tender
I lover and the gay young husband o!
whom she had been so proud?
| Well, her romance had been Soor
over. She wondered if it was always
so--if that was why so many mar
ried women had urged her not to be
in hurry about giving up her girl
hood and the reason that her mother
| had cried so hard at the wedding.
| Mitzie was spanking, shaking and
| scolding her doll. Nina stopped TO
| watch her. The ehild's face was dis
torted in q disagreeable sc0wl.
You're a bad, bad dolly" the lit
| tie girl-mother accused, land I've a
dood notion to frow you away-an'
1 don't tare a rap if you nebber, neb-
Der tum back"'
| Yes. there was nothing to do but
to leave Phil. The child was mir
ror Of everything she saw. Her life
should not be ruined. They would go
away somewhere and be happy
happy alone-without Phil.
! Then the tears streamed down
| Ninas cheeks which had been so
rosy three years ago, when she be-
came mistress of Browneaves bunga-
low. She could go-she would go.
| But happiness, she knew full well,
would remain behind. Nina's lips
were set in straight line and pressed
closely together. She would begin to
pack at once. ..
For three solid hours she worked
relentlessly, only pausing to get Nit
| Zie's lunch or to render some needed
service for the child. She ate moth
! ing herself. for Ii would have choked
! her. Her wardrobe trunk, the cedar
chest-she had saved and bought it
| herself when she was getting ready
| to be married-the chiffonier Uncle
Tom gave her for a wedding present,
| the big packing box her father had
| fixed with a hinged eover-Were all
| full. She would take nothing but
what was wholly hers. And she
wanted none of Phil's money; she
| would Starve first.
! A rap at the door halted her, and
| she answered YEARLY.
I 1t was a gypsy.
| Tell your fortune. lady" the old
| crone droned Gross my palm with
silver and I'll tell you what's coming
its almost here, lady. Beware
it's great suffering or great happi-
ness-you can take your choice.
Cross my palm with a silver coin, for
luck for yourself and the gypsy's
blessing" whined the strange caller.
Nina was half afraid and half fas-
cinated go ahead" she consented,
CURLY, there is half a dollar-it's
big coin for so foolish purpose,
but I've a notion to hear what you
have to say"
The gypsy drew her dirty. striped
shawl about her and Strengthened her
dingy old bonnet.
"a big cloud hangs over you, lady.
A very black cloud. Do you under
stand?"
Nina nodded. 4.. -..
THE cloud is made up of anger,
intolerance, rashness and willingness
to wound. There is another that this
same cloud hangs overland you are
both--to-blame. Do you understand
me, Iady!
Nina made no sign.
You are paying a terrible price
yourselves" went on the old hag,
And there is a third, who will suffer
lifelong scars and-yet neither of you
cares when the demon clutches you
in his iron arms and breathes his foul
breath into your faces"
Nina shuddered. How could the old
witch know all this? Mitzie was
asleep in her little white bed two
rooms distant.
You and the other one, that you
hate sometimes and love sometimes,
are horribly, madly blind. You are
poisoning your own natures. You
are wrecking health and mind, just
TO let temper have the right of way.
You are both digging pit under this
bungalow, and some day it will cave
ina ruined heap of lost hopes. Do
you understand me. lady?'
Nina felt strangely faint. The
gypsy was studying her palm intently.
YES" she droned on monotonously,
you may even lose your hope of
Heaven itself-but the cloud has
silver lining. It II as bright as your