Evening star., 1926-04-19

Padraic, having been assured over
and over by Celia that she had enough
and more than she could possibly eat,
left her not all unwillingly for the
distant dining car. He felt that he
really needed to be quite alone for
time. After dinner he would have a
short smoke, too. on the platform be-
fore rejoining her.
Glancing back to smile at her as he
closed the door, he saw only her slant
ing eyes above the cup that she had
lifted and the steam of the hot coffee
rising about her head Somehow he
took away the impression that she
had not smiled back at him.
He had an excellent dinner and a
glass of Scotch and Soda to
wash it down. for in those days
America was still more or less the
land of the free not. the sanctimoni-
GUS reformatory which it is fast be
coming.
He felt better for his meal and the
bracing drink. and went out to smoke
alone on the platform Of the next car
in more composed and clearer frame
Of mind. He could now see his life
with Celia steadily and see it whole,
he told himself. rather than in frag-
ments that danced about disconcert
ingly.
After all il was dear of her to cut
off her beautiful hair that she might
be freer to wander the world with
him. and then that awful orange suit
| wasn't 1t just the sort OF garment
that Melusine. in her utter ignorance
as to what represented beauty or ugli-
ness in the clothes Of mortals, would
have bought herself on leaving heu
native element? Pygmaliol
would probably have been much disl
tressed on first seeing Galatea in a
peplos of her own selection. =.
He smiled. then frowned as he re-
membered Celia's confession about
Hilary. 1t was distasteful to Padraic
the thought that her elderly hus-
band had designed her lovely gowns
Then he smiled again. He himself
would design them in future. He loved
beautiful line and color next to music.
1t would be delightful to adorn his
idol from top to toe. 60.
He lit another cigarette.
Now he began to go over his late
interview with Celia from his FIRST
sight Of her on entering the Pullman
drawing room. AS he reviewed it bit
by bit he was much discontented with
his own behavior. He had really been
more like a kind, forbearing husband
than a lover. All his remem-
as banal, fatuous, even priggish. . e.
Suddenly he threw away his half
smoked cigarette and broke into help
less laughter. There alone on the
bouncing platform he laughed till he
cried. till he was quite limp and had
to cling to the knob of the door for
support.
Never in all the records of romance
had there been such a meeting be-
tween runaway lovers. Never such a
comical eloping pair as theyi Poor
Celia. hungry, downcast, browbeaten
by his disa pproval. looking so weirdly
boyish and girlish at the same time, in
her cropped hair and manly ulster
and later on in that awful orange
| frock. He so fraternally consolatory,
so dreadfully almost paternal. :.
He took out his handkerchief and
wiped his eyes which we're streaming
with the tears of mirth. Well-a
shock combined in equal parts of the
ludicrous and the tragic-for it was
tragic her sacrifice of her divine hair
a shock like that Is not conducive to
passion.
He must go and console her. poor
darling-"blessed virgin that she
was. He hadn't yet kissed her as
lovers kiss. A sweet flame
ran through him. He thought how he
would thrust his hands into those
short locks Of hers and press her lips
to his their first kiss.
With his heart humping he
wrenched open the door of the car
and started on his swift way to her
through the six other cars that lay
between them. OF one thing only, in
his series of blunders with Celia. had
he been glad from first to last. He
thanked his stars that he had broken
10 her his plans in connection with
Molly. She would have had time by
now to think it over. and realize that
it was the only course, and how it
showed the honesty, the consideration
of his love for her.
Molly, at that moment engaged in
abusing herself for having trumped
her own trick, when she had bid four
hearts and could have made them but
for her foolishness-Molly little knew
that she herself was the chief trump
held by a. jocular Nemesis, who had
Just played her with the unfailing
skill which marks that goddess.
In the meantime, while Padraic was
having his dinner. his smoke and his
laugh. Celia also had been meditating
on their late meeting. but she had not
laughed, neither had she eaten
hearty. and her drink had so far been
only one cupful of stearning coffee. It
did her good. thou, and her feet and
hands grew warmer. She. too, began
to see things steadily and see them
whole. She, too, had been struck by
Padraic's resemblance to a kindly hus-
band, and by his considerate plans for
her. AS he had made them more ex-
plicit, freedom had seemed vaguer; as
they loomed nearer, freedom had
seemed to dwindle.
She saw herself small figure far
away but very distinct. becoming a
submissive and conventional bride,
under the genial supervision of Mrs.
Cameron of Montreal.
Her feelings, numbed by Padraic's
nonrecognition of her, and his subse-
qLent behavior, so unlike what 1t had
ever been before, were still vague. but
an unformulated regret made part of
them. This emotion, If so dulled
4, sensation of discomfort can be called
| emotion, was at first almost imper-
sonal. Had she known her Shakes
peare better, she might have ex-
pressed 1t by a paraphrase: I'VE had
! better bear the husbands that we have
| than fly to others that we know not
Of"
(Copyright 1926. by Amelie Rives)