Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-03

| The dream began to fail away.
| After all, she had not come to the end.
She had to speak, to tell him. Up to
| this moment she had not moved at
all. Now she lifted her hands and laid
| them on the arms of the chair.
"He didn't tell you--what hap
pened?"
"No, he didn't tell me- He said that
| YOU would tell me.
Evelyn sighed. The long breath
! seemed to shake her. Then she got
up and stood quite near him. facing
| him, her eyes on his.
Anna gave me the disk she said.
Evelyn"
she took hold of the edge of the
mantlepiece to steady herself.
"No--wait. She had II all the time.
She gave 1t to me. l didn't look at
it,"
Evelyn" He spoke in voice
dropped to its lowest note, shaken,
hardly audible.
II didn't look--I didn't want to
look. left it for them--for Sir Cot.
terrell. didn't want to look at it,"
There was very. very deep silence.
It was broken at last by Layton.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Evelyn smiled. This was really the
end. They had come to the place
where they could speak the naked
truth. She said in n still, effortless
voice:
II want to ask you something"
And as she said the words she
knew that there was no need to ask.
The answer was in Laydon's eyes.
Evelyn, who am II"
II think you know"
"But you? Do you know"
''Oh, yes. You are-you. Isn't that
enough?"
She saw his face become rigid.
MOI" The word was loud and
harsh
Evelyn came a little nearer: her
hand touched his arm.
why does the past matter? why
do you care about it,"
"It matters"
"Why?"
His hands came down heavily upon
her shoulders.
II must know. You cared--I must
know whom you cared for. Evelyn
who was It? Was it Jack?"
She felt the strength Of his big
hands, the iron force with which he
steadied his voice. There was pity in
her eyes.
Does a girl Of IS care very much
for any one but HERSELF"
you cared"
II thought I cared for Jack.
cared for what he stood for--all sorts
Of romantic dreams. / thought my
heart was broken when woke up and
found the dreams were gone"
He said. Lacy was right" in dull.
toneless voice.
"Was she?"
She felt his grip relax. His hands
fell to his sides.
Yes. I've been a fool. She said
you cared for Jack"
I've told you what I cared for. /
married jim"
Yes Why"
II think"-her voice shook a little
II think because he made me feel so
safe"
He made a sharp movement. seemed
about to speak. then turned to her.
Eve"
Evelyn put out both her hands. She
had begun to tremble very much. She
said in a whispering. sobbing voice:
1T doesn't matter-it doesn't. Why
do you let 1t natter"
She felt his arms close round her.
Are you safe-now?"
She laid her face against his. and
did not speak.
who am I, Eve?"
The man l love. Oh. no one but
you has ever called me Eve"
"Who am II"
"Do you love me?"
Eyes. Eve. who am I? Say II.
Say It! want you to say It first.
before any one else does. It's 10 years
since any ones said my name.
Eve, thought I'd lost you'll
thought I'd lost everything. I saw
that damned paragraph. and thought
what could ] think? Ten years
and you-how could / Just came back
as IL nothing had happened?
II thought you were gone--T was
trying to let you so. can't be.
1ieve-"
His voice broke for an instant. and
then rose to the old eager, boyish note.
"I can't believe it's true. Say II Eve,
say II quickly"
40 Evelyn put her lips against his
cheek
Jim" she said. "Jim.'