Evening star., 1926-10-08
The Night of Nights.
A s REBECCA LANE read the
~ announcement in her evening
"A paper. the surprise Of 1.-THE
I 4 delight of it--fairly took her


~ announcement in her evening
"A paper. the surprise Of 1.-THE
4 4 delight of it--fairly took her
breath away.
So this was the sensation that Mrs.
VIII Davis, the new doctors wife,
FOUNDER and president of Hillsboro
S-month- old Progress Club, had hoped
TO spring in a few days.
"She's wonderful" Rebecca thrilled.
WHO else would have thought of ask
Ina a big man like Tom Bailey to
come to a little place like Hillsboro to
address a handful of women
But that's just the reason why,
eparkled Mrs. Will Davis when Re-
beoca spoke her astonishment the
next day. Its little places that need
big men most. Cities have so many
things going on that a lecture is just
an incident. But here Mr.. Bailey $
talk will be the event of the year.
And II won't he just a handful of
women. Well hire the Ell<s' Hall and
ask admission to pay expenses. With
proper publicity we can fill it to ca
pacity easily
"And to think with all his impor-
aant enga gementS he consented to
GOMEZ said Rebecca in an awed tone.
He couldn't we'll refuse after my
letter" laughed Mrs. VIII Davis. Il
played up the home town of his
youth for all 1t was worth"
After they separated q twinkling
smile played upon Rebecca's lips.
"Dinky hole OF a town, how | hate
it"' a boyiSh voice echoed in her mem
ory. ''If ever I have the chance to
shake the Hillsboro dust from off my
feet, Becky. it will be me for the big
city-and wild horses won't drag me
back again.
But she would not give him away.
She had never given him away.
That was the reason in the long talks
of the old days Tom had poured out
his confidence, his hot rebellions.
HAD mother lived. it would be diff
ferent," ne would explode. She was
ten years younger Jhan the others to
begin with, and human. But for a
fellow to be brought up By three maid
en- aunts is the limit! Just wait till
I'm 81, Becky-and watch me cut
loose from my apron strings bondage'
But the week before he was Il his
Aunt Lydia had a stroke.
She got about again. But she would
have been a prisoner to her room had
Tom not been there to carry her up
and down the long steep flights of
stairs. BY the time of her death,
three years later, his Aunt Debbie, al
ways hard of hearing, had become
stone deaf. while his Aunt Sarah s
growing loss of memory made her as
irresponsible as a child.
So Tom Bailey stayed on at the
home bank he had entered on leaving
high school for ten years.
And only Rebecca Lane knew how
he kicked against the pricks. When
at last he was free only Rebecca un-
Il xx,lor l,n trAf fynt
boro as soon as he could-and stayed
away.
AS intimate as they had been. moth
ing of sentimental nature had ever
entered their relations. A year his
senior, Rebecca was the last girl that
Tom would have thought of falling in
love with. In fact, with neither
beauty nor coquetry,. although gen
orally liked, with a host of friends,
Rebecca Lane had never had a
''beau."
For that very reason, perhaps, al.
though they had not met for over Is
years-had long ago stopped writing
20 each other-Tom Bailey and every
thing connected with him had retained
O. romantic glamour for heUecc1 irI-
lowing his career the one colorful
thread in the drab Weft of her I'M
eventful life.
From the time he had become q
public man, first as mayor of the city
where he lived, then as State senator
and champion of all kinds of welfare
Legislation. Rebecca had clipped every
item about him in the papers; cut out
every picture for an old ledger scrap
book that was her most treasured pos
session.
And now she was to see him again
hear him speak!
One point she was doubtful about
Should she or should she not go up
Rfterward. make herself known and
shake hands?
With all his important activities, all
the important people he had met in