Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-08

your old garden, anyhow, I think
you're a sissy" The tears began 10
fall. But gallantly she mimicked him.
Marie Marie, That's right Sissy
Sissy, Run and tell, Run and tell.''
a heavy hand fell on her shoulder.
The hand jerked her roughly to the
gate and thrust her through.
Get out You're a dirty little rat.
What do you mean by coming round
respectable folks? Get out" And tho
gate changed, closing her out of what
had seemed paradise little while be
fore.
Through her tears she watched the
maid retreating. Hate filled her.
hate black and terrible, Dirty. Sud
denly she flung one arm across hey
eyes. Sobs shook her. She turned and
fed, blindly. desperately. The bread
lay, disconsolate and forlorn. where
she had laid IL before she went into
the garden.
When Honey found her she was u
huddled heap on her bed.
II want to be clean, | want to be
clean was all that she would say
Some fine and delicate thing was
broken in Judith. Some place in her
soul scar burned crimson and pain
full. Back in her eyes hate lay, coiled
lhc iIthy SCI ipEHt- NV WI itt NuS
never going TO be quite the same for
her again.
The lovely. gay. careless life she
loved had turned upon her. struck her.
How could things ever be the same
again?
Over and over i'm her ears. Get out,
You're dirty little rat, What do
you mean by coming round respectable
| folks"
A dirty little rat? But people who
came to see Honey and Dabs said she
was beautiful. Was she beautiful or
was she a dirty little rate" And who
were respectable folks? What did
| respectable mean? Weren't Honey
and Dabs respectable? Why did they
| live differently from the Dariens?
Were the Dariens respectable? And
was it because they lived in a big
| house?
Strange questions for child Ques-
! tions that burned.
The lovely green. misty Spring
| turned into hot, dry Summer. The
town was like great deserted village
All the big houses were shut tight.
and the stores were sleepy and
empty All of the great and famous
| world of Washington was away at
play.
1 IHc OIHeG NOTtu, IHS WOIlu WnPTF
! Dabs and Honey and Judith had their
being. went right on living in Wash
| ington all through the hot. scorching
weather. They grew tired and irri
table. They were cross with each
other. Even I1Oney's pretty mouth
had fine. small lines around il. And
her pretty eyes went to sleep in beds
of purplish shadows.
Judith. sturdy little Judith. wilted
and wilted. But she was clean. Oh.
terribly. horrifyingly clean! She
scrubbed and scrubbed in the tiny. old.
| fashioned tin wash bowl in the dark
bathroom. She cOmbed her hair and
kept the tangles out of it. And at
night when Honey and Dabs had their
parties she crept into the bathroom, q
small ghostly figure in her nightgown.
With bundle of clothes under her arm
and there in the dark. in the old tin
bowl, she scrubbed and scrubbed the
clothes. till her knuckles were red and
raw. She did 1t with a thin-lipped and
unchildish determination.
| Dabs. coming suddenly upon the pa
thetic little garments spread out. over
| the rails to dry. was seized with re-
/ morse.
Look here"' he said to Honey
We've got to pay more attention To
that poor kid, / never realized be-
fore how much we leave her to herself.
Do you know what she's been up TO?
Come and look
They tiptoed into the bathdoom and
stared at Judith's funny little wash
ing.
Prom now on" said Dabs virtu-
ously, Il mean to give dab Of my
time to her. 1 mean to get acquainted
with her"
Dabs was as good as his word. To
ward the end Of the Summer he de-
voted himself to amusing Judith. She
was bewildered but delighted, and her
tender and almost maternal feeling
for him changed to a worshipful adora-
ton. He took her over into Virginia
with him for tramps in the country.
Sometimes they made picnics of their
excursions and ate their thick sand
witches under the trees.
Sitting under a tree, after n lazy
luncheon. while Dabs smoked his pipe,
Judy began digging in the soft soil.
She gathered up a handful of the cling
ing earth and almost unconsciously
began molding one of her small dolls.
Presently, as always. shs Hame alb
sorbed in her task, forgok ~, for
got herself.
Dabs was beginning to be bored by
his strenuous attempts TO be a propey
parent. He had a wild desire to be
free of his responsibilities. And Yet hs
dreaded TO break the news to Judy
that their playtime was over.
CHANGING under the brim of his hat
he watched Judy idly. In a moment
he sat up.
What are you doing, Judy?" he
asked.
Making a doll
"Where'd you learn to do that?'
81 didn't learn any place. used
to make mud dishes and then 1 made
the people to eat out of them"
Partly it was enthusiasm. and partly
ii was the glimmering OF an idea how
he might end the situation he had got
ten himself into, that moved Dabs to
say: That's clever! | didn't know
you could do that. See If you can
make a doll that looks like me;''
Judy was thrilled. She was Always
thrilled when Dabs was interested in
her. She set to work earnestly with
a fresh handful of mud.
1t was very quiet under the trees.
Far off some place a dog barked. Judy
worked away. In little while Dabs
fell asleep.
Presently Judy touched him gently
on the arm. Here it isr' she said
shyly.
1t was a crude little figure. but un-
deniably it was Dabs. And a humor-
Gus Dabs. The little figure lay with
its mouth open, a hat cooked over It's
eyes,
Dabs laughed aloud. Darn cfsv~~i
Darn clever!' he said enthusiastically.
Judy. you've got talentt'
Hopefully. wistfully Judy brought
out. Can I paint beautiful pictures
like Honey and be famous?"
Dabs crushed her carelessly. "Oh.