Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-29

she said coldly. And if you think II
is nice lust because of your silly pride
to go over and hurt those two old
people-why, all l have to say is. GO
ahead. I'd be ashamed to go on deny
ing it when it means so much to
them. Wait till you see them! Then
we'll see If your pride means so much
to yOu!'' :.
1t seemed to Judy as IL her deceit
had turned into a huge monster.
There seemed no way that she could
| escape from il. So easy it had been
to build that tiny tissue of lies! But
the tissue had become steel chains to
bind her! Before the easy acceptabii'
ity of the deceit, the truth became I'M
real How would she be able to make
herself believed? What if the Dar1ens
should refuse to believe her? What
| would she do then?
And this would hurt them! The
| only way to ease their hurt would be
| to find the girl to whom the letters
| had really been written! And there
| was no way to find her! She was
| lost, swallowed up. How silly she
would sound explaining that these
letters belonged to another girl, IL she
could not name the girl. And sup
pose she told them about picking up
the package in the bake shop? After
all this time, no doubt, the woman IN
the shop had forgotten all about IL.
And it would look like a foolish at
tempt on her part to manufacture evil
dence!
While she dressed. the weary round
of dazed thought persisted. How could
she escape from this dreadful situa-
ton? Surely there must be something
somewhere in some of Jacks papers
to prove she was not the girl. His
engagement to the other girl must
have been known to some one beside
himself and the girl.
BY the time she and Honey stood
at the door of the Darien house Judy
was in a sick panic.
I'm just tell them the truth right
out, Then they can turn us out for
imposters, If they want to, The sooner
get it over the BETTER over and
over in her brain those thoughts
drummed
For an instant after the door opened
on the quiet beauty and luxury of the
house she was carried out of herself.
Her being seemed to expand in the
loneliness. why, this is Like coming
homer she thought. If this place
had really been her home! II only
Jack Darien really had loved her! If
only she had not been little i'm
poster!
The maid who took their wraps said
softly to Judy. Mrs. Darien is in her
upstairs living room. She would like
you to come up there, please"
Very. very slowly, every step
martyrdom, Judy moved up the stairs
with Honey behind her. At the head
of the stairs another maid waited be-
side an open door.
I'm here.' she said with a friendly
smile.
Judy moved forward, trembling,
shaken. She had forgotten Honey.
Now, alone in her desperate hour, she
relied on something within herself to
carry her through. II will begin be-
fore they have time to speak to me"
she thought.
She opened her lips. II was not
Two arms EMBODIED her, and she
found herself looking up into what
seemed to her the gentlest and sweet
est and saddest face in the world!
And this is the girl my Jack loved"
The voice was as sweet as the face.
but suddenly it broke, and as 1t fell
into a sobbing end the sweet face
melted into tears. All its loneliness
was marred and broken.
Tears came to Judy, too. All this
and more she deserved, but 1t was
dreadful to think how she must
wound this woman! Oh, she couldn't
do it. She simply couldn't!
Very still she stood in the circle of
the clinging arms. And there came up
to her from the other side a tall,
white-haired man. And he patted her
gently on the shoulder. smiled down
at her. And she saw tears in his
eyes, tooi
so this is Jacks grip he said
to her, gently.
Judy opened her mouth. "I-T-''
she began. and then she stopped. She
couldn't do It! That was all there
was to it! Whatever came she couldn't
do it! After all, what did it matter
to her? And II it gave these two old
people any pleasure she would endure
whatever punishment followed her de-
ception.
One truth she could speak! ct loved
Jack" she said simply.
From the night Of her visit to the
Darien house there began for Judy the
sweetest and yet the bitterest expert.
ence OF her life. Kindness and care
and luxury surrounded her. Each day
ono OF the Darien cars called for
Honey and herself to take them rid
ing.
Perhaps it would be a bit of lace
that Mr.. Darien had seen.
ut looked like you, Judy. I thought
perhaps you could use 1t on some of
your frocks." At the sight of her
troubled eyes he would say, There.
child! You deserve all the pretty
things in the world! And being Jacks
father gives me some privileges"
Sometimes 1t would be a book, or
some souvenir of Jacks Childhood
from Mrs. Darien.
Jack liked this book. I thought
perhaps you'd like to have it. dear"
Sometimes she cried at their gentle
ness. knowing herself thief of their
love and confidence. When she did
this they petted her, were troubled
nodded to each other understandingly
over her bowed head.
Confession trembled on her lips a
hundred times, but she could not force
herself to speak the damning words
for she realized that cheap and dread
full as the imposition might be ii had
made three persons happy. For Honey,
as well as the Dariens, had found a
| certain sort of contentment in the
situation.
i've got to go on with it! I've got
to- she told herself sternly. TITS a
punishment for lying! I'll have to go
on this way as long as / live"'
In her turn she made them such
gifts as she could. She brought Mrs.
Darien the little figure of Jack.
II made this after ! heard of his
death" she said. Would you like to
have it?'
Mrs. Darien took it, held it in her
| two hands silently. Suddenly she
looked up at Judy. You knew him
| better than / did, she said bravelv.
when look at this understand nv
boy better than l ever did. But it took
you to make me do it,"