Evening star., 1927-12-31

moon, too" she said. Then she gave
Laydon her hand and sweet. strang'
smile. and passed on.
"AIr. and Mrs Gaunt Mrs. Wealth
erby," said Lake at the door; and Eve
lyn became involved in greetings and
"a long explanatory Introduction.
Evelyn, my dear"--this was the
vicar--''it Is good to see you again.
And let me introduce our cousin---or
ut least Mnrion's cousln~~who Is stay.
ing with us, we hope. for quite long
visit"
Mrs Gaunt interrupted brislly.
Mrs. Weatherby--Mrs. Laydon."
Evelyn shook hands with tail.
ark woman in an extravagan antly fluffy
garment composed of bright pink
beads and bright blue tullc.
The lady showed Il good many
bones, and waved large feather fan
in rainbow shades of pink and blue
and green. She had d hard eye, u
loud voice and an overassured manner.
Nothing short of lifelong affection
for the Gaunts could have infused any
cordiality into Evelyns manner.
At dinner. up to "A certain point,
Mrs. Weatherby proved godsend.
for she talked with so much sustained
energy as to save everybody else a
great deal of trouble. She had been
to all the latest plays; she had read
all the latest books.
In the world of politics she knew
exactly why Soand.So had failed Of
q cabinet post, and why Somebody
Else had applied for the Chiltern Hun.
dreds
She sat between Laydon and Sir
Henry, but her conversation was ny
no means confined to them. IL she
dropped her voice a shade in order
10 acquaint I.aydon with the true
scandalous history OF Mile. Une Tella,
who had recently been gracing the
London stage, she did not drop it so
far as to deprive any one else of a
single interesting detail.
Mr.. Gaunt. vaguely benign, began tn
feel his vagueness invaded by a shade
OF embarrassment. Mrs. Gaunt. small,
brisk, precise made two or three at
tempts to stem the flood.
Her little dry cough and her Are
you quite sure, my dear Millicent. that
your information is correct" had no
other effect than to induce yet more
copious flow from dear Millicent's lips.
Evelyn caught Lacy's eye once. and
it said, II told you So" with so much
poignancy that she did not dare 10
meet 1t again.
1t was with the savorv, however,
that the worst moment arrived. Dear
Miliicent, having pilloried a bishop,
given reasons why at least two deans
should be unfrocked. and left judge,
three actresses and a very prominent
X. e. without a vestige OF moral sup.
port, suddenly flung Chris Ellerslie
name into the arena.
Ias-a Ia So f.rN teVfA
they say he'll gamble away whatever
IL is he makes out of one In a single
night. He's a NAH jong fiend, and
they tell me--of course l don't play
myself-that you can drop an abso.
lutely unlimited amount.
Not that that matters to Chris.
because / hear he's frightfully well OFF
outside his books, you know-and
he's going to marry pretty widow
with pots OF money. Some people
have all the luck. don't know her
name. but the man who told me de
clared she was quite pretty-the
golden.haired, blue-eyed type, II you
admire IT: can't say I do myself
Her hard. restless eyes challenged
compliment from Laydon. She fin.
gered the large false pearls at her
throat and paused for him TO take mis-
cue.
When he did not take 1t, she went
on talking with the comfortable con.
viction that she was being very bril-
liant and entertaining, and waking up
these dull country people for once in
their lives.
it was not to be supposed that the
manlcss half hour in the drawing
room after dinner would pass easily.
Mrs. Weatherby smoked one ciga.
rette after another and looked bored.
while Lucy talked about her fat, its
curtains. its carpets, the probable con.
dition OF furniture which had been
stored for six years. and a few more
equally exciting topics.
She was quite determined not TO
give that appalling person" any fur
Their opportunity OF displaying her
conversational talents and as she was
herself no mean performer she held
the staes until the men came in,
Evelyn. my dear. will you give us
a little music?'
Sir Cotterelis old-fashioned phrase
brought the suggestion OF a sneer TO
Mrs. Weatherby's face. She looked in
vitingly at Laydon. but II was Sir
Henry Prothero who seated himself
beside her while Evelyn moved TO the
piano.
Laydon watched her. She had on a
white dress with long. soft. floating
sleeves. Her arms showed through
them. and they fell away like a mist
az she lifted her hands to the key.
board
He wondered II 1t was the white
dress that made her seem SO pale.
Her eyes were like deep water. He
L. 81 L.. np
the surface color. sparkle. beauty: but
In the depths. what He could not
tell. The depths might hide ship
wreck or treasure.
She wore her pearis--.Ilm Laydon's
on her left hand. dark
against It's whtteness. was the emerald
Of Jim I.aydon's ring
She wore her pearls: she wore the
ring. What was In her heartr What
image? And what memories
4 burning fire OF jealousy rose In
him: the flame OF Il consumed him.
He watched her hands move on the
keys and listened 10 the singing. rip
ping notes.
She played something that was Ike
bright water. lie looked back into the
lost years and saw bright water run
beneath dark trees. Here the sun
shone on IL and II was bright: and
there the low black branches shad,
owed II and II was dark.
Anton Blum had known that water
well.
The nightmare evening was over at
last. MIR, Gaunt had said goodnight
with such AN affectionateiy troubled
look that Evelyn was moved almost
To tears.
Mrs. Gaunt wore the air of woman
who has made up her mind She had
She had decided not only that dear
Miilicent was tn 20 without delay. but
that dear Millleent must never be
asked again.
she has changed very mueh~-very