Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-26

slow falling, sure and beautiful 1t
came. Taps Lights out! Sleep!
That was what this had meant for
Dabs' Not death. Lights out and
sleep.
Honey gave a little cry. stumbled
to her feet. In the half dark she came
10 Judy crying as a child cries. She
chung to Judy, shaking with her sobs.
And then she answered that bene.
diction. She turned from Judy, flung
one hand to the night. her eyes on
the stars she could see burning above
the apartment.
Good night, Dabs," she cried gal
lantl9. Good night and happy
Dreams
After her one little flare of bravery
Honey grew very quiet. Hour after
hour she sat ut her window. small
hands folded in her lap, her eyes out
over the housetops.
Judy found ii difficult to think Of
leaving her alone in the apartment
for even few moments, although
Honey seemed almost unconscious of
her presence. Sometimes when Judy
spoke to her Honey would give her a
little, vague, far-away smile, such
smile as she might give to soothe
child. This smile was terrible to
Judy in it's pathos.
Sometimes she knelt by Honey
caught her hands. I'm still here
Honey, Love me a little, won't your"
Always when she did this Honey
reached out, softly stroked her hair
and smiled, her dreadful, soothing
little smile.
Il must rouse her somehow" Judy
thought desperately. She cast about
for some interest for Honey.
While Honey slept she routed
around among Honey's squares of can
her paints about it,
Look she cried to Honey, when
Honey opened, unrested eyes upon
her. Il have put out your paints and
piece of canvas! Time to be getting
to work.
Honey shuddered back from the
canvas put her hands over her eyes
I'll never paint again" she declared
fatty.
Judy pulled down the thin little
hands Nonsense OF course you
Will she cried. Think Of your ex-
hibition! Think of your success. You
can't stop now
Honey looked at her steadily my
success" she asked bitterly. do you
call it that? My exhibition? IT was
all a cheat! / hadn't earned it. The
trouble was that ] wanted to be sue
cessful whether j deserved It or not.
And person gets punished for that!
Success grows from roots. 1t doesn't
just spring out of the air. She turned
as though the discussion was ended
But still Judy would not give in.
Think of-Dabs.' she said very
gently. "He would want you to go
on painting.
At that Honey gave n little cry,
pressed her hand over her heart
Didn't you see what | did to him?"
she asked. Didn't YOU see what sue
cess made me do to him? He must
have hated-mY painting-then"'
After a little pause she went on: And
he knew | wasn't worth anything.
anyhow; my painting, ] mean. Just
as / knew that his writing never
would amount to anything. oh, Judy,
Judy people have TO earn everything
in this world If everybody could
only learn that"
:"Everything but love" Judy said
softly.
Suddenly Honey Strengthened For
a moment life and beauty came back
to her face, touching 1t with some
thing golden and magical
"Oh. never think you don't have to
earn that" she said. and her voice
rang. More than anything else YOU
have to earn love, / earned Dabs'
love, and | earned it honestly. Just as
he earned mine. 1t has been the one
real reward I've ever had And now,
looking back, | know il was the best
reward l could ever have had"
Lovely little Honey More than
lovely now, stripped of beauty, bereft
OF charm! Like a shadow across
mirror, a breath, the hardness that
success had brought her. And now
the mirror was clear again, shining.
beautiful,
But oh, what a lost and lonely little
thing she was She tore at Judy's
heart. Her restless feet roaming idly
around the apartment, her empty
hands, folded in her lap. her empty
eyes, looking over the housetops, as
though she might find Dabs some.
where in the sunset or the dawn.
Daisy Wells, dropping in now and
again, spoke warningly to Judy
You've got to get her out of her
SELF" she said in her breezy way.
why don't you let the old crowd
know they are welcome? 1t might be
good for her to see some of them
again.
do you think so?" Judy asked I'M
certainly. "If YOU think it best, will
you ask them to drop in and see
her?'
~