Evening star., 1926-03-26

was only shiverins at something !
| thought of"
Something as unplea SAINT "a all
that?"
Il can't tell whether 1t was pleas.
ant or unpleasant" hesitated Celia.
She thought Hilary looked at her
little curiously. and put up the backs
of both ha nds to her cheeks.
IT'S the champagne. | think she
went on. Does it make ones face
burn?"
Not necessarily" said Hilary. "but
thoughts do sometimes"
1T was my thoughts then" muir
INJURED Celia. -.
What thoughts can An enchanted
white kitten have to make it's face
burn?" asked Hilary, little mock
ingly she considered. A sudden flare
shot up in her She felt as a conscious
torch might when suddenly lighted.
That was it--that was what kept
her from being as fond of Hilary as
she might be. He Knocked at her too
much. treated her too ,liShtly-just
as if she were really white kitten.
tolerated household pet. She was
nobody's pet. but woman, and a
woman whom man loved. madly,
desperately. Padraic's eyes had cer-
tainly looked mad. his words and acts
had seemed desperate. AN
enchanted white kitten" 1t
was too much.
She took firm hold Of the edge of
the table and gazed at Hilary with
fixed, greenish eyes growing black
from the dilating pupils.
Il must tell YOU she said in
clear. hard voice. that Padraic
O'Shea loves me. He wishes me to
get a divorce from you and marry
him.
Hilary felt much as If the white
kitten. turned into white tiger, had
clawed him in the face.
This was certainly a hrand-new
Celia that the champagne imp had
relea sed. But it was his fault en-
tirely. in filing her glass that second
time. OF course it had affected the
poor child. who was unused to drink
ing wine Of any sort.
He mustn't show her that he was
hurt. or even startled. So with this
worthy determination. making his
voice as clear and almost as hard as
hers. he replied:
"Of course. know already that
O'Shea is in love with you. I'm very
glad, though that you've told me
about it yourself"
Some imp as malicious IS that In
the champagne made him add
"at last"
Are YOU reproaching me for not
telling YOU before l knew 1t MYSELF"
asked the new Celia. with such con-
centrated bitterness that he WINGED.
She noticed this and was delighted.
It was so f1ercely agreeable to know
that she had the power to make him
vince. She would do 1t again as soon
l14 hnr
her an excellent chance the next min
ute. for, in spite of himself, her hard
stare and bitter voice angered as we'll
as hurt him. He always drawled his
words slightly when he was angry,
and he drawled them now:
Are you really asking me to be.
| lieve that after all these weeks Of con-
slant compa nionship with this young
man you found out only tonight that
! he loves you?
"Ah. yes" returned Celia drawing
also, and with most unplea sa mt lit
| tie smile, mo wonder you are
! angry. I've brought into your
| home criminal one who has
committed the eXecrable crime of he
| ing young man.
Hilary was as transtiXed as the ma n
In Stevenson's story when the bottle
imp itself f1icked out of the bottle
paralyzlng them by its mere appear
ance. For an instant he felt as
though Celia had become literally pos
sessed of devil. Then common sense
sobered him.
| You are mistaken" he said, gently
now. if somewhat coldly, and his
! words ranged themselves in formal
| stiffness, try as he would to speak
naturally. IF you will think back
YOU will realize that I've been always
anxious for you to fulfill your life In
the only normal way possible-by mar.
| riage with man who loves you and
whom you love. That O'Shea is young,
| I find very fortunate. If his other
qualities are as fine as that one, you
will he very happy"
| But Celia could not think back. y
All was darkness behind her. and
only that glare of unreasoning wrath.
like the glare from the headlight Of
an express engine, Illuminated the
| straight ironclad way before her.
| For some reason, hidden even from
herself. she wished more than any
thing in the world to hurt Hilary and