Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-28


r UDY saw what it was the instant
it came to rest on the Uttered
desk before her. A diamond
~ ring! An engagement ring! The
great diamond in it glittered
like ice.
Then Jack Darien had been engaged
to this girl, What had happened be-
tween them? They had quarreled
Her heart leaped. He was free! Free
And then with big sob she buried
her head in her arms on the paper
covered desk. Free? All, yes, free as
the birds are free! Free with the
binding freedom of death! He was
dead. Free forever! No love of hers,
not of this girls, could bring him
back. nor bind him downl
Presently she raised her head. OF
what use was it to grieve? She must
go on living. She gathered the letters
up gently and put them carefully into
the box with the handkerchief. On the
top she laid the great diamond, look
ing like a bit of frost. Slowly she
closed the lid, laid the box back.
OF course, she could not keep the
ring nor the letters, but she must wait
until she could think what was the
honest and straight way of returning
them. She would perhaps get courage
enough to take them to Jack Darien'
parents and tell them the truth.
Or. perhaps, if she hadn't quite the
strength for that. she would just
bundle them up and send them with
out a word. But that seemed cruel TO
do. Perhaps day or a few days would
give her power to think straight and
true.
And now the problem of her every
day living returned to her. What
could she say to Honey after her reve-
lation? She could not bear to discuss
the feeling she had for Jack Darien,
even with Honey. And yet, proudly,
she would not deny it. To deny 1t
was to belittle it and it was not a lit
tie thing! A strange new pride had
come to her with the knowledge or his
death. She had loved him and loving
him. had been better for all living.
She opened her door and went out,
cheeks burning, to meet Honey. But
there was no rush of small, eager
feet, no cry of a low voice. "nere
was Honey?
"Honey!> oh, Honey" she called.
and when there was no answer she
was shaken with terror.
"Oh. / cannot bear anything more!
I cannot" she said to herself desper-
ately.
And then she found Honey, just
over the threshold of her room, lying
in a little, disordered heap. her race
very white and thin, the blue circles
under her eyes like the painting OF
ghostly fingers!
r. u-os her turn now to bend over
Honey. to dabble water on her white
small face, to cry to her coaxingly, In
an anguish OF fear.
Presently Honey's eyes opened AFTER
a faint fiutter as though something
deem in her rebelled at being. recalled
tn the tiresome business OF living. she
looked at Judy blankly.
what happened" she cried.
AZ don't know, daring: 1ounu
Won here on the floor just moment
ago" 80 y,,a,,,s
arm and put a hand up and brushed
her head with it. ooh, / remember!
she cried. when heard you fall
before, it frightened me dreadfuliy
and lust as you went into your room
everything went blank before me. i
must have fallen then"
I'm going to call DOCTOR! judy
said sternly.
The doctor when he came had little
to say. He listened to Honey's heart
and felt Honey's pulse and looked at
her with keen. clear eyes. She ooeyeo
his orders with childish promptness'
but her glance upon him was slyiy TIL
umphant.
After the examination was over the
doctor drew Judy aside in the hall as
he was leaving.
'sDo YOU realize that your mother
wants to die?" he asked her calmly.
"She is spending all her time waiting
To die. She is not strong woman,
but there is nothing serious the mat
ter with her except that she has made
up her mind to die. And no doctor
can combat that determination alone.
But there must be something we
can do"' Judy was fiercely deter
mined. She felt strong enough to
fight off even death.
whatever is done she will have to
dow The doctor made a helpless ges-
ture. "She thinks of nothing but
death. Unless she thinks Of some
thing else she will die. The mind is
stronger than the body and when the
mind wills death the body yields"
"She must he made to think OF
something else" Judy cried angrily.
"She must be made to take an inter-
est in things.
ut will need something great to lift
her out of herself"
"she used to paint. If could make
her take that up again that would
help" Judy offered.
The doctor shook his head. I'm
afraid, unless it was an abiding pas
sion with her. you will have to find
something stronger than that to lift
her out of her depression. I should
say that she could be reused through
her sympathies. It is possible that
even that would not help her. But
il might. Say, for instance, IL you
an -I.A ;oIak ha fGSl0
her anxiety for you. Something like
that, you see. OF course, where the
mind is concerned it is all guess
work"
Judy stood for some minutes after
he left her with her hand on the knob
of the door, her head bent in deep
thought. Wild expedients fioated
through her mind. She could feign
illness. But she dismissed the idea.
The strain of a long pretense would
be impossible to her.
How else should she rouse Honey's
sympathy, her interest? Something
| must be done at once. She wrung her
hands silently. 1t seemed hopeless.
Slowly she went back to Honey.
eagerly.
"He says there is nothing serious
the matter with you" Judy told her,
| picking among such truths as she felt
were due Honey. HE says you are
not strong, though
mo" said Honey, and her voice
held low .contentment, I'm not
strong" 1t was as though she Rugged
| the thought to her. Judy shuddered.
| Suddenly Honey put out hand and
| laid it on Judy's. What made you
| faint this evening"" she asked, child
| ishly.
THE widest CLEAN of hone flooded
Judy's mind Desperate cases required
desperate measures! Could she rouse
| Honey with sympathy for her in her
| I,....o ho NOD Tall IIaraa. xnnflai1, G.