Evening star., 1926-04-18
2 11z S13o,
Blossom Had to Decide Between Poverty With One Pare

ing a protest to Sally Gates. Blue
berry. Aunt Sally" she was declaring.
"Blueberry pie. and III wash the
Dishes
Her heart throbbed in answering
echo to the blithe joy of the young
ster's quickly regained happiness, but
the door banged. and Peggy slipped
back into her cell of gloom.
Upon its walls, as monastics have
pictured their visions, she projected
those scenes of her life which always
recurred to her when she seemed
farthest removed from them. She
could see the convent school OF her
orphaned childhood. the old house at
Covington of her cousins casual hos.
/ pitality. the racing meet at Latonia,
where she had met Kennedy Loomis:
the star-lamped beauty of the world
on the night when he had asked her
to marry him, the broad, sunshined
| sweep of Chesapeake Bay as she stood
with him at the prov of the ship that
was bearing them to dream islands Of
honeymoon III the Turing Caribbean.
Brave days they had all been. and not
less brave had been the days that fol-
lowed, when they, bright -plumaged
birds of passage. had taken wing from
track to track. Even Blossoms com
ing had not changed their gypsy ways.
They won and lost. quarreled and
made up, hoped and feared, laughed
and cried, but always they held to-
gether in a gay courage of affection
that Peggy Loolnis had believed would
endure to the end.
Then. with the rush of a gulf storm.
kens mad infatuation for Valerie
Banning had swept over their lives.
| Peggy. recalling only too we'll the
horrible, embittering. soul-racking bat
ties they had fought in her discovery
OF his faithlessness, tried to think
what life might have been for them
had she been able to forgive and
seem to forget. as SO many other
women did. the derelictions of man.
kind, but she knew that with the
same problem to solve again. the same
force within her would find the same
solution. She had run the boat
straight for the rocks in her wild,
hurt anger. All she had of it was the
wreckage she had salvaged here in
the dismal cove of Sally Gates house
and yet the course had been right for
herself. she knew. She had steered
by the stars of her code. But had it
been right for Blossom?
Sally Gates call, shrill and with a
note of sharp surprise in it which did
not quite penetrate her consciousness,
reused her from reverie. In the
thought that Blossom had returned,
! she started for the stairs. cropping
through the darkness.
Before she reached them Sally 6
| hand held her back. He's come to
see you" Sally's voice whispered.
who's Gomez"
Kennedy Loomis.''
II won't see him." Peggy famed
You'd better" Sally advised. 'I'll
bring him here" She brushed past
Peggy, striking a match and lighting
the gas. TN keep Blossom down.
stairs till he goes" she promised.
A MOMENT afterward Kennedy
y Loonis came in. Under the sput
tering, yellow glare of gaslight he
stood, his hesitation of enbarrass
ment not quite hiding his flxity OF
purpose. His eyes, the steady orbs
of the gambler trained to the sight
ing Of opportunity and away from the
expression of thought. seemed to take
in at a glace the human history the
room revealed ere he brought them
| to focus upon Peggy. She seemed &c
apprehend without seeking to know
| the prosperity which his appearance
exuded and the contrast between his
| clothes and her own Whetted the edge
| Of her antagonism. In the sickiy
| light they faced each other with un
| barred feelings. all his consciousness
| of having Wronged her and all her re
membrance of the wrongs blazing
up from ashes OF time under the bel
| lows of their meeting.
Then, shut the door" Peggy
Loomis said to the man who had been
her husband.
He obeyed her. putting his back
against It, II haven't come to fight
with you. Peggy" he told her. u
| don't want any trouble, you ought to
know"
"T don't see why you should have
come at ALL she said.
well. you wouldn't let the lawyer
arrange a meeting today. and there's
something I want to talk to you about
I came up here to do this. 1t con.
Germs both of us, and Blossom. Where
is she?"