Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-02


\ medieval princess liz straigh.
gown OF den. queer blue! How could
he speak Go his father vet Of this girl
and Of what he hoped she was goiag
20 mean TO him? Ills hand slipped
into the pocket OF his coet. to touch a
battered little trinSet there. trim.
ket called Lucky
Tie was bringing the trinket back
10 give IT TO the girl he knew that he
loved and himself with it. If she
would have him. oh IL she only
would. If he could onlr be TO her
again what he had been once before,
a fairy prince"
so vou thought Of your mothet
boy lie tears in his fathers eyes
were sb1rcf3cedly brushed away. He
covered bis embarrassment with
tWinkiius glance And a few
thoughts % Judy. eh?"
Jack Darien started. raised queS
t.oninS browS. Judy he asked.
His. father nodded with an impisl
smile II knew who YOU meant just
now when YOU said a girl had shown
you the way. She's a lovely child
Jack Your mother and ! love her.
Judy" who was Judy? It couldn't
be- his dream-Sirl, To him she had
been a lovely. almost nameless vision
Belts. That had been the name by
which the world knew her. In his
dreams he had thought OF her by al
most every first name that beautiful
women have borne
Judy? Who was judy Wait
Wait, What was that memory at the
back of his mind? Judy? A man he
knew had spoken of girl named
Judy. Who was that man? Had it
been pal in the trenches? No. 1t was
before that A big fellow, tall. AFRO
CANT Wait. lie had fought with the
man in his own garden over a pic
ture. n picture of his dream-girl'
Carter. Tommy Carter, OF course.
judy, That was what Tommy had
called her--his dream-girl, Judy and
his dream girl were one! At the
thought a surge OF happiness filled
him. She was alive, She was wait
ing for him,
Bewilderment followed fast upon
the heels of joy. of certainty. Your
mother and I love her" How did IL
happen that his mother and father
knew Judy? There was somethins
mysterious here,
Judy mounted the stairs. her hear
hammering. Now and again she pus
out a trembling hand and chung to thu
beautifully carved stair-rail. And
longingIy her eyes swept about all
that she could see Of the house, try
ing to put away it's beauties I'm her
memory as food against the starvinS
bleak years of her coming exile.
Her feet would hardly carry her 10
the open door of Mrs. Darien's room
On the threshold she paused, help
lessly.
Such a lovely room, mellow anu
kindly. And in the center of this rosy
happy room, like a pearl on silket
pillow, Mrs. Darien, delicate, fine
white.
AS she heard the sound OF Judy e
footsteps she looked UP and smiled
Judy, my dearp she cried. 'Why
on earth are you stopping in the door.
Come in at once, foolish child, and
sit down"
Judy came over swiftly and bent
and kissed Mrs. Darien's soft cheek.
81 loved 1t down there she said
gently.
What brought you back so
quickly? And why didn't you tell
me you were coming?"
1T sounds as though you weren't
welcome when l say that, doesn't
| it?" she asked. But I didn't mean IL
| that way. / think you know that.
| don't you. Judy?"
''Of course" Gently Judy released
4
| tell you"' she said in a hard, strange
voice.
Mrs. Darien smiled at her encourag
ingly. What is it, dear?" she asked.
| The sweetness of her smile caught
Judy unawares. 1t was knife in her
| heart! Oh, how could she go on? How
could she? But she must! Dishonest
| had robbed her of beauty. of the abil-
| ity to make beauty She must be
honest! She must stand out free and
| clear of hes and deceitsl Then, per
haps her gift might be sent back to
| her!
| One of her hands crept up tremu-
lousy to her throat. She shut her
eyes. How hard 1t was to say Just a
few simple words!
Still with her eyes shut she cried
suddenly, chokingly, II am a liar and
a cheat I'm a. living liel I've come
to tell you that! / had to tell the
truth-at lastP'
1.-The truth, Judy? What on earth
| do you mean?" Oh. that gentle, kind
voicei Tears rose in her eyes. slipped
down through her closed lids. She
could feel them on her cheeks. could
| taste their saltiness as they touched
her lips.
II was not engaged to your son, ]
was never engaged to him! The letters
the letters my mother brought over
| were letters he had written to some
| other girl! OH in a sudden passion
l of fear, you mustn't blame my
mother! She came across the letters
and the ring and Of course she
| thought just what you did.
| Il tried to tell her the truth, but /
| couldn't convince her! And when /
came over here the first time i meant
| to tell you the truth, but when I
knew how lovely and kind you aud
Mr.. Darien were-well, / felt as II /
| couldn't lose your love. lit meant
something to me that / can't describe
know that sounds silly-but it's the
/ truth
| mop+ipYod A., IT, -----I- g..