Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-14

OF Evelyn Layton lildl II
would be impossible for hel
~ to be unhappily married. She
had, he explained, the OPP
posite of Circe's gift. Instead of
being a fatal enchantress who
reused and infiamed warning and
discordant qualities she had the
home genius, the one gift which puts
q more than ordinary happiness with
in a woman's grasp. One could not
imagine her experiencing grand
passion, but one discerned the capacity
for a great love, something as nigh
as the stars and as useful as bread.
But then Chris Ellerslie was poet
in spite of being addicted to vers
lbre; also he was as much in love
with Evelyn as a calm and sef-cen-
tered nature permitted.
There was a letter from Mr.. Ell
lerslie on the top of the small pile
that was waiting for Evelyn at break
fast on the day after Manning's con-
versation with Sir Henry Prothero.
Evelyn looked at it with just the
very faintest contraction of the golden
brown eyebrows, which were shade
deeper than her gold-brown hair.
''My Dear Evelyn:
az bow to your decision, and will
not even say that l regret 1t, mas
much as l would a hundred times
rather possess the free gift of your
friendship than be placed in the in
tolerable position of demanding what
you were not willing to give.
my own feelings have remained
unaltered for the last 10 years. I do
not imagine that the future is very
likely to modify them. l am there
fore always, and in every sense of the
word. yours. C. E."
Evelyn finished the letter with a
look of relief. Then she frowned
again and Immediately broke into
little laugh. Chris was so reasonable.
He expressed himself so beautifully.
Perhaps that was why she was still
Evelyn Layton.
She turned back to'her letters and
saw a long envelope addressed in Man.
ning's hand. 1t looked as if it might
contain legal documents. AS she picked
it up she wondered what on earth
Monkey had sent her, and why he had
dragged her back to town to meet
him. Then she opened the envelope.
It was salt an hour later that the
telephone bell rang. 1t rang second
time before Evelyn Laydon heard it.
She got up from the chair in which
she had been sitting, rising with a
strange jerky movement and walking
stiffiy. AS she got up, Mannings let
ter, the long envelope, and the typed
sheets of Anna Blum'S statement fell
unheeded on the floor.
Manning. at the other end of the
line. said ssHuIlor' and did not recog-
nize the voice that answered him.
at want to speak to Mrs. Layton"
ST am-Mrs. Laydon."
sOh. Evelyn? It's Monkey speaking.
You'll say, my dear girl, have you
had my letter."
eyes," said Evelyn. She was feeling
It quite difficult to speak.
al thought you'd better have the
letter first. And then I thought I'd
like to come around and see you.
mean I don't want to butt in. But l
thought we might talk it over and
there might be things you wanted to
ask"
eyes"
"Shall come around, then?"
"Yes."
cat once?"
sYes."
EVELYN felt that she was quite in
rapable of more than that one word.
She hung up the receiver and turning,
Dicked up the fallen papers. Then she
went into the drawing room of the
little fat and sat down to wait. 1t
was a very charming room, with the
effect of being sunny in dullest Lon
don weather. Shades of gold and april
cot. warm Persian rugs with prevail
ing tones of orange and brown made
ND the background of this effect. But
the greater part Of it came from
EVELYN herself; it was her own sunny
atmosphere which filled and bright
ened the foreground.
Manning came into the room un-
heard, and saw her sitting in low
brown chair, her head a little thrown
back, her eyes fixed.
"Evelyn-old girl"
And she gave little shiver, turning
slowly round toward him. Manning
withdrew his hand after giving her
arm a friendly squeeze.