Evening star., 1926-03-28

gave him the dog. He took 1t to his
sister in the country"
Marcy was much the paler of the
two. sylvia" she gasped, he'll kill
you"'
/ Sylvia. gave a slight. scornful shrug
He did that three years ago. What
ever he did now would be just like
who's been lynched. and burning it,
It's horrible, of course, but-the
corpse doesn't feel anything"
| Nine. Trayquair was pleased with
| the cyclamen, but II seemed to
| Margy's shaken nerves as II they
must convey to her the scene they
had witnessed she wanted really to
! burn them up.
THEN for a fortnight there was a
period OF calm. The four brothers
and the cousin were at their gayest
and gallantest. and Hilton was a mir
acle of sunny good humor. There was
even a slight softening about Mime.
Travquair. Marcy wondered imperti-
nently IL it were an annual process in
the family she had married into--a
Spring thaw! But she was too happily
content to weigh and consider. If
| Hilton could be like this for two
and she would help him to be.
The pearl of baby girls was still a
ward of the home; daily there were
! applications for her. supplications, but
| Marcy was adamant. They had
never, the board congratulated itself.
| had any one as firm and thorough as
Young Mrs. Hilton Trayquair, and
that. added to the prestige she car
ried--
Marcy came late on q Wednesday
and found that her husband had gone
to his mothers for the regular week
| ly family dinner without waiting for
her. She dressed and followed, won
dering and apprehensive. Hilton was
| not in a temper. however; none OF
them were. They were all there ex-
cept Bruce and Faith, and Grace had
clearly been crying. Nine. Trayquair
looked like an effigy of an old woman
carved In marble.
Hello. Marcy" said Hilton. Sorry
not to wait for you, but mother tele-
phoned. 1t seems that Faith got
herself frightfully worked up over
something and-Well, she's lost her
baby, and I'm afraid she's pretty
sick"
Marcy heard her own voice with
smazement What happened to make
her worked up?"
well, of course" said Hilton, hon.
est regret in his rich tones. "old Bruce
flew off the handle and"
Bruce" Sylvia cut in. knocked
down Pete. his stableman, before
Faith. and when Pete went at him
with a pitchfork she tainted. That
stopped Pete, but I very much doubt
that it will stop Bruce" Steadily,
without haste her head high. she
turned and walked out of the room.
The doctor came in to report to
Nine. Trayquair. Mrs. Bruce would
live: oh, yes. but the shock of her
losing her child He was strongly
advising her husband to find some
desirable infant for adoption. His
grave eyes lighted on Marcy. II dare
say Mrs. Hilton has one on her list
now"
Then, while the clan considered the
astounding idea. alternately rejecting
and embracing 1t, two visions rose in
Margy's mind: Faith, poor. gentle,
grieving Faith, with the pearl OF
baby girls in her aching arms, and
the pearl of the baby girls growing
UP under Bruces flaring RACES.
THERE was another board meeting
next day. and the red-headed ten
mis- champion was there.
Il have an application to submit
to YOU" said Marcy, steadying her
voice. MY sister.in-law. Mrs. Bruce
Trayquair--" She told her story,
and there were little clucks OF shocked
sympathy, and then silence. Was
every woman in the room remember
ing their chief requ! cement of har
fnony In the home?
Then q woman, whose real reason
for being on the board was that she
wanted to associate with the right
the very great advantages to the
child-we simply mustn't let her lose
such a chance
The champion turned. IT was just
going TO report that there's a man
downstairs now, country minister,
who wants her for his daughter. She
lost her husband a month ago, and
her baby last week"
Marcy got blindly to her feet. "I-
I'll go down and talk with the minis
ter"
He was a spare, silvery old man. a
little shabby. and the light went out
of his face when he heard that the
baby girl was practically pledged to
another family. He shook his head.
well, now, know 1t must be right
and just. or you wouldn't do this
candid gaze searched her face but
| don't know how I'm going back and
tell Mother and Janey. Janey's my
daughter. We buried her husband four
weeks ago yesterday, and the baby
was born dead on Thursday" He
stood for a moment in silence, turning
his hat in his gnarled hands. They
looked as IL he had done a good deal
beside preaching. II wonder IL you
t1rNtt l.A~
and my girl. You could explain to
them, and promise them another"
Marcy drove him out in her car. It
was small picture-village which she
had never happend to see before, and
his little gray house cuddled coZily
beside his little gray church, and one
had as much of lived-in look as the
other. His wife opend the door and
Marcy hated to have him quench the
gladnes in her worn face. "No,
mother we can't have it--not the one
we were hoping for. because it's prom
ised but this young lady is going to
explain to you and Janey, and the next
baby girl---''
Janey looked like little girl with
two long braids of fair hair on the
pillow. but she said she was 21.
Marcy explained gently and made rosy
promises for the future, but the
young things eyes filled up with tears
and she began to sob.
You just slip downstairs till we get
her Gained down." whispered the
minister.
There was woman waiting in the
living room and she came forward to
meet Marcy shook hands warmly with
her and began to speak in an odd,
| curiously pitched voice. II know who
you are! You're the one that gives
babies out, and want to say this is
the best days work you ever done In
all your born days, giving that girl