Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-12-02

And there was Barbara, only 40, no
| longer beautiful. All that wiStful golden
beauty was marred now by drifting
| brown shadows. Shadows under her
ewes. in the hollows of her cheeks,
shadows of fear that came hauntingly
into her glances. She slept fitfully
and kept vaguely trying to get the pitch
of life again, which, since she could
only key it to her shattered beauty,
| always remained untrue. And the
little girl, Mary, who was bony and
unhandsome, like her father, stood by
and wondered.
It seemed to be Pamela's business to
| look after them. Kermit was kind. He
did what he could. But his eyes were
occasionally hard when they rested on
his sister-in-law and worried as they
| turned to Pamela. Finally, one night,
he asked his wife about 1t.
docs she know we're sailing next
month";"
Pamela looked queer. He had never
seen her look like that. AS II she were
actually trying to conceal something.
''I haven't told her yet. She's been
so nervous"
"Will she live here?"
"She must" said Pam. "She Shr1nkS
from the very thought of the place they
lived, and from all of his people.
There's lots of room, Kermit"
"Oh, yes. I wish we could sell the
house, but, If she wants to stay and
keep it open, it only means We'll have
abroad we can manage"
'She has a little money. Alfred left
her an income"
why doesn't she take it and go to
some new placer" suggested Kermit
I'D talk about that to her Pam. Any
way, you must make our own plans
clear to her."
Pamela did. She went to Barbara
that afternoon. Barbara trying to pre-
| tend to herself, in the midst of litter
| of powders and creams and photo
| graphs, that she was still beautiful
She was rather amazing in her way,
| thought Pam.
would you like to keep this house
open." she asked, while we're away?"
You're going away?" asked Bar
bara incredulously. Where, Pam?"
| "Oh, it's not too. definite" said Pam
I'VE just thought we'd go abroad for
a while"
And leave me here!'
| you'd have lots of room"
4
don't leave me alone just now! Put
off your trip for just a little while. ]
won't live long, I'm sure. But don't
abandon me and Mary! I'd lose my
mind! know I would"
She fell to shuddering and then to
violent weeping, releasing every re-
straint on hySteria. They called the
doctor at length and put her to bed.
She's not entirely normal" said the
doctor, land this horror of being left
alone seems to be preying on her mind.
| think would humor her as much as
possible. She needs company you
know-people who understand her"
Aren't there sanitariums?" asked
Kermit, in stiff, cold voice.
"Oh, yes. Yes. But they might prey
upon her. Cheerful, normal company
is the thing"
THE plain little girl went by in the
hallway She was a child who had
not been taught to smile, but she was
wheeling Pamela's baby happily.
WELL" said Kermit, coming back
after showing the doctor out, "that
means a sanitarium for Barbara"
ooh, we couldn't" answered Pamela,
I'VE couldn't do that"
pam, we're just getting caught" he
warned her. you're the kind of per-
son who attracts responsibility as il
you were magnet. Its been the baby
and your father and now Barbara
That's not what we were going to do
when we were married. Pretty soon
II we wait to clear this up, theren be
cnVp1ofINiv1n ole UJofvo eOf crat
started, dear, if we're ever going to
get around the world"
ST know"
"And still you say we can't do the
obvious thing-put this child In a
school and Barbara in sanitarium."
''We couldn't afford that"
Barbara could do some Of it.. And
we could sell the house. A man asked
me about it today. You'd get fair
price for it,
cts a nice house." said Pamela,
slowly and regretfully.
VERY nice But not nice enough to
cheat you into becoming a drudge.
That wasn't what I offered you when
married you, Pam, dear"
She looked at him with that touch
! OF fear he sometimes saw now.
"You come first. If you're so I'M
nappy mere, you mustn't stay, Sne SalQ.
I'm not unhappy"
"You hate being tied here. Why
don't you go-alone-for a while, Ker-
nit? Then perhaps. when things clear
up. could follow you. Anyway, I've
had this much"
She had flung her hand over her
face, with the first gesture of despair
he had ever seen in her. But he drew
them down gently, and suddenly held
her against his heart with a new as
surance.
why, Pamela, you don't think it's
for myself want to go? It's only for
you-to make you happy. Places are
all alike to me, if you're in them.
Don't you know that yet? Except as
they make you more or less happy"
Are you Sure?"
IT have never been so sure of any,
thing before. You're my world now"
"Then I'm happy here! want to
stay here and take care of the baby
and Barbara and you, as much as I
can. It's fun for me. I'm used to it..
like keeping house and taking care
OF furnaces and babies and men. I
don't want to be Margery, with a
postcard in every port and a hung-up
family, until it's convenient. I don't
even want to be clever drifter. the
way we've been planning"
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