Evening star., 1927-10-23
MIDDLE-AGED

two different stories. one from Arthur
Proctor and one from Tikky.
whats plain to you?" Mrs. Proctor
| demanded, quite ready for a shindy
with her host and determined to toler-
| ate playful nonsense from nobody.
Il will interpret this dark matter,
lady. And you shall see a great light"
Jackie smiled.
| Mrs. Proctor raised warning fin.
ger. II don't mind what you do. as
long as you don't try to be funny"
, MY dear Tikky," said the owner,
"let me say that never thought more
highly of your phantom friend than
do at this moment. She is evidently
wise woman. She thinks as l do
that to search out a friend whom one
hasn't seen for quarter of a century
is an act of madness. Why were you
kept so long at the front door? Obvi-
ously because Elizabeth haprened to
see you coming up the street. She-'
"Ridiculous! observed Tikky. "She
wouldn't have recognized me-"
Not recognize you, my dear
Tikky? I've known you for more than
a quarter of a century. and you
haven't changed in the least"
Mrs. Proctor told him not to be
absurd. but, in spite of herself, she
He went on: ITO resume, Your
Elizabeth saw you from her window,
That's Trikky" said she to herself,
horror-struck, and. ran down to her
husband to tell him to lie to you. She
had grasped in an instant that it
would be fatal for you and her to meet
again. She taught her somewhat stu.
pid husband exactly what to say to
you, and in what tone, and then she
fled upstairs again, and no doubt
leaned over the banisters to peep at
you. And now she's making her hus-
band repeat to her everything that
you said in the garden and congratu.
lating herself on having preserved her
dearest illuSion-yourself. For 25 years
you've been growing more and more
perfect in her eyes. just as she's been
growing more and more perfect in
yours. And she was bent on keeping
you perfect Yes, a wise woman, Eliz.
abeth! l should have liked to make
her acquaintance. OF course, her illu.
sions about you may have been a bit
damaged by what bit she saw Of you
and heard of you, but. speaking
broadly
The grafton was cut short by Mrs.
Proctor snatching a handful of cigar.
cites from the box and wildly flinglng
them at her host.
Never mind, Tikkyw Arthur Proc.
tor soothed his wife, benevolently.
The owner laughed. Husband and
wife retired to their cabin. But, in
the middle of the night, Tikky re-
fiected: did she keep out of my way
on purpose? Did she keep out of my
way on purpose?"
The next morning was marvellous.
Tikky, lying on her bunk, watched
spot of earliest sunlight wander up
and down the wall of the cabin as the
yacht swayed very gently in the
water. There, in the opposite bunk,
lay Arthur sleeping like a child.
WELL, Tikky had to get up. Why?
Foolish creature, she wanted to
gaze across the water at Elizabeth's
house. She arose. She contented her.
self with a cold bath (for the routine
of the yacht must not be disarranged)
and she dressed in an athletic or
sporting fashion. She sat down in
the deck-house. Then she gazed
across the water at Elizabeth's house.
Later, glancing below, she saw Bill.
the senior steward. on his way to her
cabin with tea and a plate of bread.
Here, Bill" said she. "J1l have