Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-13

Is 1t worth giving up all the things
want to give your"
Judy made a little helpless gesture.
I've often thought Id like to make
toys free for the children in hos
pitfalls so that when they were in
pain they could look at my toys and
laugh and forget to be hurt!' she
said very low. "But-but, of course,
1 can't afford to do it! So many gen.
erous, beautiful things l can never
afford to dol"
you wanted If you would marry me.
Judy! You could make all the toys
you wanted, free.
Il would want you to do that. 1t
would give you something to do, and
something that wouldn't take you
away from me! Won't you marry
me. Judy?"
Judy wavered. She put out a hand
against the glass, softly, as though
she wanted to reach through and
stroke the queer little animals. She
bent her head thoughtfully. What
was the use of struggling?
Just at that instant some one ap-
preached the window and paused be-
fore It. Startled, Judy looked up.
What she saw was a tall man with
a light, smart coat thrown back from
immaculate evening dress, a man
with a strong, arresting face. 1t
was the sort of face to draw a wom
an, cold, almost cruel, and yet with
suggestion of a wealth of tender
ness hidden some place under all the
GOODNESS and cruelty. Just now the
face had heart breaking WEAKNESS
to it. There We're bitter lines about
the mouth, a drawn look about the
eyes
Who is that man." Judy whis-
pered softly. intently to Tommy. Her
fingers closed unconsciously on Tom
my's sleeve.
who is hep" she repeated
strangely.
Tommy looked past her. stared for
a moment
That's Jack Darien," he said care
lessly. Then he laughed. Wonder
what he's doing here alone? He's
rather gay bird. you know, usually.
Late parties and all that. Always
being arrested for speeding"
Judy hardly seemed to hear him.
Her dark glance had fastened itself
upon the mans tired face. She
traced the lines of that face slowly.
wistfully.
Suddenly the man looked up, met
her glance. For an instant he stared
at her as strangely as she had stared
at him. Then he looked away. back
at the animals. And suddenly he
chuckled! Then he turned away.
He liked my animals" Judy
breathed.s They made him Taught"
She turned toward Tommy with
shining eyes. He liked my ami
mals!" she cried, and her voice was
dancing.
Tommy turned and looked after the
man. Damn him!" he said under
his breath.
He turned back to Judy. you
haven't answered me, Judy. Are
you going to marry me?" he asked.
'Oh, I couldn't" she said, and
there was surety in her voice that
had been absent when she answered
him before. Il couldn't marry any
one If l didn't love them, Tommy"
a hidden, secret joy.
Outside the magic of Spring
night in Washington. Dogwood, JON
quils, yellow tulips. And sprays of
, lilac plumes turning family purple,
and the slow majesty of the Potomac
slipping like a soft gray ribbon be-
tween the willows of the Speedway
and the woods of the Virginia
shore. All this Jack Darien had
sensed keenly as he drove to the club
with Cecily.
Inside now there was heat Col
ored light, the bare shoulders of
women, the sharp black and white
of the jazz orchestra, noise. con-
fusion, the soft slipping OF dancing
feet! Gorgeous. Unreal. Dazzling.
What was this room to him? 1t
was like his life. gay, artificial,
gently ordered. upholstered. 1t was
all he had known. Why couldn't he
be contented with it?
He swung Cecily laZily but with
a sure and practiced carefulness
through the stream of people. Deli
cate, lovely little Cecily. His heart
ached at her beauty. Her nearness
moved him. A long time they had
been engaged, secretly. He shrank
from the shabby sound of secretly"
Dariens did not do secret things!
And yet what was their companion
ship II 1t was not an engagement
that neither wished just yet to ac-
knowledge? 1t was an understand
ing, matchmaking understanding be-
tween them. Some day, Of course,
they would be married. Cecily his
wife? Cecily? What, after all. did
he know of the real Cecily? All, and
he wanted so much to know her.
too Strange that people could be
together as much as they were and
still be so mysterious. so unknown.
To her, no doubt, he, too, was