Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-17

walking with quick. swinging step.
When he had passed out OF sight, she
took away the tray that had held the
flowers. and set the little table back
against the wall. Then she took up
the tane-indicator map to put il away.
And as she did SO. a scrap of paper
dropped from il and fell TO the floor.
She pickcd ii mp. and saw name and
an address scrawled big across II:
PEARL PALLISER.
39l Morningdale Road.
She looked at it for a long time.
Then she put the map away in a
drawer. and sat down in the big arm
chair by the hearth, still holding the
paper tightly.
There was a fire burning in the
CRATE. a small. bright fire that sent
out a pleasant warmth. Evelyn was
quite horribly cold. After about five
minutes she leaned forward and drop
ned the paper into the fire. For
n,nment ii lay on the red embers.
while a faint brown stain crept across
the white surface and penciled scrawl
Then. with a little puff of flame. 1t
was gone. leaving a thin. trembling
sheet of black ash which suddenly
fell away into nothingness.
Evelyn was cold because she had
had "A shock. If the red embers into
which she stared had reproduced first
the black ash. then the scorchins
sheet. and finally the white paper
which she had thrown on them, she
would hardly have been more startled.
II was lust over 10 years since she
had seen that address at the head OF
2 letter and read Pearl Palllser'
name signed at the foot of ii.
She went down on her knees and
spread her hands to the fire. 1t was
all over long ago. But il had hurt so
5readfully at the time. Jack Layton
and she Just three days engaged. and
Lacy their only confidante. She had
betn so frightfully happy. SO fright
fully excited when the postman came
in and brought her his first letter,
Phrases from it came back 10 her
now: i've never cared for any one
before. | never thought | could care
for any one like this and then lower
down. I've had a ripping letter from
Lacy which I'm sending for you to
see"
EVELYN had read her love letter
twice before she picked up and un-
folded the Enclosure, which was not
from Lacy 1t was headed 39l Morn
ingdale road. And it was signed
Pearl PdlllSEI+ IOELMSVh ii'oNAiAS
and signature an extraordinary med
lev of abuse. appeal, and slang. Odd
scraps of it rose up in Evelyn's mind:
'Ot course, if you've got off with an
heiress-Jacky, you swore you loved
me-" and at the end You needn't
think / care, or that / can't get
dozen as good as you and better.
EVELYN drew her hands back sharp
Nv. because they We're scorching. III
Jack hadn't been the careless crea-
ture that he was. she would have
married him. not .Iim-marrled nm
in the Spring Of 1919.
The front door bell rang. When the
maid showed Sir Henry Prothero in.
EVELYN was standing looking down
into the fire. little pale. hut ready
to return an affectionate greeting and
an affectionate kiss.
what nice surprise
"A surprise is il? ] drove Layton
M. and told him to tell YOU l was
coming round. l suppose he forgot
Il suppose he did.
Sir Henry plunged straight into
the middle of what he had come to
say:
Fact is, my dear, was particular
" anxious to see you. / couldh [
catch you yesterday.
Il ran away" said Evelyn. 1T s
better to funk than to make fool
of yourself: and | couldn't stand an
other minute of it. Monkey was an
angel: he drove me back to town, and
let me cry all the way
Sir Henry leaned forward and
patted her shoulder. Much the best
thing you could do. my dear. And
that brings me to what / was gong
to saw. You went away so suddenly
~ nnnnrflID1tN OF
asking what you thought about IL
all"
Evelyn was silent.
Did YOU. my dear. for instance
come 10 any-ConclusionE
She looked at him then, her blue
eyes bright and dark.
''You mean, did l recognize him
"Wen. ! don't know that ] meant
lutte so much as that. think ]
meant just what | said-dld YOU come
to- any conclusion?
She did not answer but. after look
Ing at him for a little longer, turned
awav with an impatient movement
WHY don't know what you
You see" said Sir Henry very
gently. "as far as Sir Cotterell and
tbe estate are concerned the matter
is really settled. But as regards
vorIrself-well, it's all quite in the
air"
4 little flicker Of color showed in
Fvelyn's cheeks
IF I don't know already Just how
delicate my position is, il isn't for
want Of telling. 40, that's beastly OF
mo because you're a lamb, and you
do really want 10 help. But, darling
have YOU any idea Of how eXasperat
ing il is to be i'm A delicate position
and have everybody in the family
telling ynu SO and watching yol
through microscopes and telescopes
and periscopes? 1t makes my blooC
boil. and il makes me want to 20 ant
do something frightfully compromls
ing. SO if you hear I've eloped, don
be surprised"
Sir Henry laughed.
Where are you going 10 elope to-
Cologne think-with Monkey
Eut don't tell any one, please"
He looked surprised then nodded.
"Lacyll do the telling"
"Let her. II won't matter by then.
"Wen. we'll" he said. Now lool
here. my dear. ! come into thi
matter from outside as il We're, be
cause / never saw the Laydon boy
after they grew up, and even as boy
! never really knew them. But yo
knew them intimately for years DO
fore YOU married Jim. And yo
haven't answered what ] came her
40 ask you. Shere must be thing