Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-16
The cAmazing Chance
By Patricia Wentworth
Copyright. 1897 by J. B. Lippencott Co.

A note of concern crossed the eager
ness.
You're all right?"
"Oh, yes"
ut was beastly for you this after
noon" Tone as well as words were
boyish.
| Evelyn hung up the receiver with a
quick jerk. She could bear no more.
The voice did not belong to Layton;
| IL belonged to her memories, and 1t
played on them, calling up the hopes
and Joys and tender anticipations OF
10 wears ago. They were gone. they
were dead and buried. and the past
had closed down on them. 1t hurt
most terribly to have them called into
hooking semblance of life again.
| When Laydon came into the fat
next morning it seemed to him that
he had stepped out of Winter into
Spring. He shut the door on grayness
and a tearing northeast wind, and
stood looking into a room which sug.
gested sunshine even when the sun
was hidden.
A small table had been pulled out
into the middle of the floor, and stand
ing on it was large wooden tray
covered with punches of Spring flow
ers-wood violets. primroses, Lent
lilies and bright blue squills. Evelyn
stood Just behind the table. She wore
green dress. and her hands were full
of primroses.
As Laydon came forward she let the
flowers fall, and gave him pale smile
and a cold, wet hand. 1t was rather
chilling-to look like Spring and be so
wintry cold to touch.
You must have had an icy drive"
said Evelyn. Aren't these lovely?"
She took up the primroses again and
bent her face to them. "Jessica sent
me a great box of them this morning"
Laydon took the obvious opening:
who is Jessica?"
"Jessica Summing. We share this
fiat. She's an artist; she has a studio
just round the corner. We've been
here six-no, seven years
ST think you'd like Jessica. She's
visiting her people in Devonshire just
now, and when she's there she always
sends me heavenly flowers"
Evelyn turned from him as she
spoke, and went to the hearth. On the
white mantelshelf were half a dozen
delicate china cups-turquoise blue.
apple green. rose pink, primrose, blood
red and lilac. She put primroses into
the lilac and violets into the turquoise
cup. Then she came back to the
table for more flowers.
Laydon's eyes followed her. She
picked up a bunch of squills, talking
all the time:
"Jessica has one real virtue-she al.
ways ties up flowers as she picks
them. I've cried over the flowers
some people send one, all mashed up
and huddled together. Now Jessica
never does that"
She put the squills into the apple
green cup and heard Layton move be.
hind her.
Won't you come and sit DOWN."
he said. 81 want to talk to YOU"
ers before she turned. She came slow.
ly back to the table and stood there,
looking down at the Lent lilies, but
not touching them.
"All right" she said-"talk.'
81 don't know where to begin," said
Laydon. except that / wanted to say
how frightfully sorry was about
yesterday" He came and sat down
on the arm of the other big chair.
quite close to her. my hat. What
a show! 1t was bad enough for me,
but it must have been perfectly beast
ly for you"
With the most extraordinary sud.
denness the relationship between them
had changed. COnstraint had gone.
The need to save the situation was
gone. Evelyn nodded and said:
THANK goodness it's over!''
That's one thing-however beastly
things are. you don't have to go
through them twice. expect we were
all glad when yesterday was over.
Evelyn"
Evelyn stopped him with quick
gesture, the color bright in her face.
Yes, I'm Evelyn-but what are
you? I mean. what am to call you?
That's the first thing we have to set.
tie. What am to call your"
81 thought"--his voice was eager
and confidential-"I thought perhaps
you'd call me Anthony. You see,
that's what I'm calling myself"
Evelyn said Anthony" once or
twice. frowning little over it and
hesitating. as il she did not find it
easy to say.
why Anthony"
Layton did not answer for mo-
ment