Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-31

Judy Sprang up from her Cha1
swiftly. Her lovely gown a gift OF
Mrs. Darien's. wrapped rosy folds
about her small figure till she seemed
for an instant to he whirling in a
cloud of pink fire.
Jack she cried. IF YOU only
knew. jack
And. as if the mere CRYING of his
name held salvation in II. she was
suddenly soothed. quoted. The dizzy
room Strengthened about her. Why
she was all right, She wasn't going
mad. She drew deep breath Of relief
How had she come To think that
dreadful things pursued her?
She was very gay at dinner. but
afterward. sitting with Honey in one
Of the wide windows. with the coffee
tray between them. she fell suddenly
silent again. The lovely scents OF the
formal garden poured in upon them
and a soft breeze famed their cheeks.
| And high above the tree tops, in the
murky blue of the sky. the first star
| of the evening was burning, SO high,
so clear and pure that it was like a
song.
Why should she he hurt by beauty ?
She who had loved beauty SOL Was
this a. part of the punishment? Was
| every star, was every fragrance TO
/ II have lost beautyr' she cried agon-
izedly. II have lost beauty"
Honey upset her coffee cup. Jude
she cried. and there was real solicitude
in her voice II can't ina CINE what s
come over you tonight! l think you
really must be i'll! Let me send down
to the village for a DOCTOR
She answered Honey now very
slowly.
NO doctors for me. If you please,
Honey. l hate to have doctors about
me. They would make me I'll il l were
well. with their solemn faces. l shall
be all right in the morning,
Don't drink any more coffee
Honey ordered her. And go right up
to bed this minute"
Judy smiled, but lose. Perhaps a
nights sleep might take away this
new. drea dful weight. She bent over
and kissed Honey and trailed away up
the lovely, shallow stairs to her room.
Stretched out, slim and taut in the
bed. she fought for sleep. She heard
! all the subdued noises in the house
hold. She heard, presently, Cotton
| locking up the windows. She heard
Honey coming up to bed, the soft,
silken murmur of her gown, her lazy
| little yawn. Presently everything
about the house was still and she
listened then to the small, strange
noises of the night, the rustic of leaves
In the trees, the little calls of animals
and birds. the soft pad OF wild feet,
| the snap of branches.
| Suppose she should never he able to
sleep again? Suppose that was to he
a part of her punishment? Cold fear
rolled over her in waves, each one
greater than the last. Did people go
mad this way?
Presently she fell asleep, to dream
that she stood bathed in a pitiless
white light that was like a great prob
ing eve. And somewhere in the
depths of that light a voice spoke:
you have lost it,
What have 1 lost?"
And the voice answered her, Your
soul.'
At that she shrieked
Mad people are always cunning"
she thought, with a thrill of terror
A gray shadow of herself, she crept
down to breakfast. She could not bear
to eat alone in her room.
viii you ask my mother to come
downstairs for breakfast?" she asked
the maid. Honey would watch her,
but anything was better than being
alone.
Presently very sleepy, very deli
cious Honey came down to sit with
her
II can't eat a thing. I'm too
sleepy" Honey told her, pouting
little. What was the idea of getting
UP for breakfast? Did you have a
bad night?"
Rather" Judy admitted.
Honey. stupid with sleep. nodded.
RAff 81 49, .,,5 Il
Don't try to do any work.
Jude could not have explained why
she refused Honey's suggestion.
II feel like work this morning" she
said.
Out of her fear one purpose was
da awning. She would do figure of
Mrs. Darien. If there was any hope
left for her the love she felt for Mrs
Darien would give her back her gift.
She chung TO that thought despera tely
and yet was almost afraid to put 1t
to the test. Suppose even with the
figure of the woman she so admired
and loved she should fail?
She confronted the thought steadily.
Then, indeed. she would know she was
lost: Twice she put out her hands
for her materials and twice drew them
back, shaking. II she did fail-then
what?
At last she began the little figure.
began 1t slowly, with q prayer in her
| heart It must he good, IT must,
This once. at least, i1er gift must not
fail her. Presently her fingers began
to move more swiftly. Love was going
into this figure. love and desperation
and a prayer for forgiveness,
She was carried out Of herself, lifted
above her lies, her deceits. She and
beauty were alone in the silence. Fas-
ter. Faster A fever of Great A
passion of joy and humility, She was
no longer Judy. She was an artist!
Minutes, hours slipped by her 1t
was finished! Here and there perha ps
touch might be needed but the main
work was there. She raised her
cramped arms above her head TO rest
| them, shut her tired ewes
She delayed the moment OF her Joy.
the moment when she would look at
the little figure with appraising eyes,
seeing 1t whole. Time enough for that.
| The WEAKNESS of her body was like
a burden on her soul. But that would
be lifted when she saw the beauty she
had created
AT last she relaxed, sighed. opened
her eyes. She picked up the small
figure, wet with paint looked at IT,
She looked at it steadily, unbeliev-
| IhkiH. Slafed anO stared. AND her
eyes widened with horror.
| There was no beauty in the figure,
There was no life! Or was there life?
| II 1t was life. then ii was horrible.
hideous life! 1t sneered up at her
/, from the tiny face. 1t shrugged at
! her from the tiny shouldersi Why.
| this figure was lie, An ugly lie,
| Continued in Tomorrow's Start
| The Greeks and Trotans nra ctica5