Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-18


isn't much TO ask, surely. Judy
"no Nou love me. ToWnsNH'
| "Nou know / do want to marry
/ you. don't t.
| ''Oh. | don't know don't know
/ Judy twisted her hands re%tleSSiN,
| YOU'RE making IL 81 hard for me,
| Tommy" Her cry was a plea fot
| mercy.
1T isn't hard Ia say Yes is it.
| judy"
! 1T is for me--without love"
| Say 1t. Judy, Say Yes. Tommy, "
/ She looked up al him steadily, deep
/ into his eyes. Yves, Tommy" she
! said SLOWLY
Then she WINGED. fearing he would
| kiss her But he didn't lie reached
! over gently and caught her restless
! hands and drew them up To his lips
! and kissed them very gently.
Thank you, my dear, he said.
You won't regret it,"
And suddenly she laughed. almost
Historically. Il think this must he
the funniest engagement in the
world" she cried You know l don /
love you. and I'm sure YOU don't
love me-
Don't be too sure" Tommy said
warningly. And then he too. laughed
they laughed and laughed till the tiny
room rang with their laughter,
The Power of Gold.
Events piled thickly upon Judith
Strangely touched. strangely thrilled
she moved through the stirring day;
She had never thought of war as beau
tiful. but il became suddenly beautiful!
to her. What was it Dabs had said
of honor: "A clean and shining sword?
That was war, 1t was the clean and
shining spirit of a nation drawn from
the heavy scabbard of safety and Sc
curity. Drums and flags and blares
of music, A nation taking war as a
carnival, almost,
Women, busy. chatterinS, tense.
Men, boyish, boasting, excited. Small
boys drilling in the streets in imita-
ton of their elders. Honey, lazily
awake with excitement, busily paint.
ing types she saw on the streets. Dabs
more nervous than usual, a strange
Dabs with still. withdrawn eyes
She sat across tables from Tommy
in the Shoreham, the Willard; watched
his gay shining restlessness. Jokes
bubbled out of him. sharp little jokes
with a poignant flavor of sadness.
Pathos and mockery struggled to-
gether in him. At one instant he
seemed to her as old as the world, and
in the next moment he was like very
gay, very happy little boy.
Rather gives you something to live
for, doesn't it, Judy? Seems to me,
now. looking back. that I've never
really looked forward to anything be-
fore. Odd, isn't it?'' he would say, and
in the next breath cry to her re.
proachfully: Think what it mea ms
to live in Washington, You don't half
appreciate it, Judy. Think of rubbing
elbows with all the Big Boys when
things like this are going on
Perhaps. sitting on bench in Po-
tomac Park, he would say, with a far
away glance: This lovely, mellow
old city. Blue haze and silver light!
I'm trying TO fasten it in my memory.
Judy. There may be times that
shall want most awfully to remember
this smoky blue, this furnished silver.'
Or he would say, in a low, steady
voice. leaning to her with eyes touched
by shadows: will you remember me,
Judy? Always? As ] am now? No
matter what they do to me?
Sometimes, Judy, wonder If
you're right about the lastingness of
! love. Does it go on and on forever?
Is that true? Think what a queer life
I've had How can l know the real
from the false? I've had so little"
$50 little, Tommy? why, you've
| had so many things
And all of them spoiled by money!
bitterly. Sometimes think of money
as big, yellow shadow that gets be.
tween me and the things / want. Like
cloud, you know. 1t got between
my mother and me when I was lust
a little tike. / loved her so then. She
was so lovely. Judy. Like a picture
But she had such beautiful frocks and
was rough and mussed them I often
| wonder If she would have held me in
her lap if she had worn old dresses
| think she would have"
1t was at such times that the ghost
In Judy's heart was still. 1t seemed
to her, even, that perhaps it was
gone forever, such quiet there was
where there had been tumult and un.
rest before. 1t was only when Tommy
turned to personal things that Judy's
being flew defensive1y to guard the
small. secret door of her heart.
Let me kiss you. judy" he cried In
her suddenly on a mad night ride out
toward Mount Vernon. mo, I'll take
that back. | don't want you to let
NE kiss you. / want you to kiss me,
And do it as if you meant it, too
judy
She WINGED back. Please, Tommy.
she begged. in a small voice.
Suddenly his face twisted She could
| see 1t family. She leaned over and
laid her hand on his. gently. I'm
sorry. Tommy she said.
m never going to be able to hold
you, Judy" he cried Il see you slip
ping from me day by day. How can
| hold you, Judy?' He wanted to tell
her that she was like shadow to
him, a shadow of desire and that even
as she slipped from him he wanted her
more and more. If he could only tell
her honestly that he believed that love
would last forever. That might hold
her. But, above all things. he must
be honest with her. He could moi lie
TO hold her. Anything else he might
stoop to, but not to a lie.
Il made you a promise" judy told
him gravely. Il keep my PROMISES
oh. who wants an empty promise?'
| lie was shaken with sickening bit
| terness. Promises. What would they
mean If she once Weakened to love:
| why couldn't he make her come awake
| for him? Those sleeping eyes. those
| dreaming child lips? Time, Time was
all he needed. Give him time, Bur
, any day now he might be called ava,
| from her for weeks months, perhap>
| years. What would happen while hi
| was gone? If she only belonged t.
! him. If he only had the right to sur
J round her with the safeguard hi,
money could buy. If he could onlS
cage her by her loyalty,
Continued in Tomorrow's starr