Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-07

: the three of them Judith felt astray.
| She had been unsettled SO long, while
| the comfort of these three had re-
! manned undisturbed. She marked the
: slight tightnesS of Mr.. Appleby's vest
( acroSs the front, the tightness of good
! dining and an easy mind. and remem-
! bered painfully in one Of her secret
! rusheS of memory how 1.-THE and
| strong Kirk had been. No wonder he
! was vain.
=; x x ::
i IN the living room, later, the badly
/ balanced company of three women
! and one man played bridge, Mrs.
Jarvis her avid woman's game, Cousin
Grace her timid. apologize game, and
Judith nervously, in partnership with
| Mr.. ApplebyS slow game. Judith was
! always nervous. though she knew that
| Mr.. Appleby. for all his condescen-
sions. did not play we'll.
He omplimented her.
| We'll done. Mrs. Leland. That was
beautifully played. You surely know
! the game
Il lost a trick. 1t should have been
: & SIAM
She tried to tell him about it. but
he put her off with further compli
/ ments. plea SAINT. fulsome. well rounded
! compliments. There was no evading
! his courtesy. and it annoyed Judith.
! She had played we'll but made blum.
der, and she wanted to get at the
| thing on merits. while he buZZed
around her with compliments. But
he was kind. Kirk would have scowl-
ed or sworn under his breath if she
had lost that trick. Bridge in his com
| pany was nerve racking.
The evening wore on. hand after
| hand unimportantly played. Nobody
was greatly excited They exhausted
the hours until II O'Clock. Cousin
| Grace and Mrs. Jarvis went upstairs
then. for Cousin Grace was spending
the night, and Judith was left alone
with Mr.. Appleby.
! Il should go before I outstay my
welcome, but it's been such a delight
ful evening that l hate to see it end"
She smiled at him. The dark dress
hung straight from her shoulders. She
had a girls young figure. and in spite
| of her trouble. her face was unlined.
| 1t was a delicate face with eyes that
| dropped a little and a chin held high,
! as if that weight Of hair at the neck
| pulled 1t back. She had wealth and
beauty and kind of frosted charm,
! and these things were not at all un-
pleasant TO Mr.. Appleby.
You are looking very well. Mrs.
| Leland. You are resting this Winter"
Il do not need to rest"
| He limited delicately at the strain
| she had been under.
| II hope / shall see more of you.
! Now and then, If l may come to call
it would make me very happy. Your
| mother and I are becoming fast
| friends. We do a little business to-
gether now and then. I hope we. too
Mrs. Leland, will be great friends"
! She knew this soft approach, this
| padded and respectable way of max
| ing love. AS well as if it had already
| happened, she saw Mr.. -Appleby max
| ing up his mind to marry her.
I'D like to show you some of my
collections some day. I must give a
party. I've picked up things here and
| there. You like travel2'
! II have travelled a good deal said
Judith simply.
She saw Mr.. Appleby picking his
| way across continents collecting
vaguely. Travel. Yes, she had
traveled--she and Kirk. Wild days,
unhappy days in countries where she
cid not know the language; misera BILE,
tragic, brutal hours-strange hotels
Kirk in those glorious first months
before he had begun to wear through
| his passion for her. Her cheeks
famed feverishly, and Mr.. Appleby
admiringly thought that he must be
getting on we'll with this desirable
| lady.
| He held her slim white hand in his
| plump one and laid his other over it.
It was an inoffensive caress, but she
held her chin higher even while she