Evening star., 1928-06-16
THE EVENING STORY

loosed the longing, the agony. OF his
being.
Rosy" he said. II can't stand tht5
any longer Either you're going 70
marry me before week is over or
I'm going away where I'll never see
you again"
"oh, you don't mean that?" she
quavercd.
Il do mean it. Either you marry ne
next Thursday morning or leave. IT'S
up 10 you"
He dropped her hand. caught up his
hat and was gone, with great sound
Of heavy footsteps and slammed door.
White. stricken, Rosy gazed in his
direction. Then she sank down upon
the "o>r and hueeed her knees and
nfoaned.
She had receiyed her uItirnatum.
There vas no escape from IL. Either
she must marry Edward next THURSDAY
morning or lose him forever.
Staring up at Rufus grim visage, she
rocked her small body and Wept. She
had not believed in widows marry
ing a second time. but, of course, she
had also not believed that any man
could get into her life and persist
staving as had Edward Baxter
II he went away could she bear tt2
She covered her face with her hands
vIsualizIng all those Sunday nights
when he had come. She had grown TO
look for him, 10 expect him, to want
him. He was dear to her, desrer than
Rufus had ever len: she admitted Il
with shame 10 herself. Rufus had been
kind and good, but Edward was more
than that On. If II were not for her
silently sworn fealty 10 her dead hus-
band! IL only there we're some way IN
So 4eats ~
sanlDering with her loyalty TO RufQsl
After a while she arose and went
Upstairs 10 the room that had been
Ruius In it and the closet adjoining
we're all his things-his clothes as he
had left them hanging carefully pre-
served from moth. In the desk were
MS personal papers.
She turned on the light and began
TO rummage among those relics Of the
past, irving 10 create a fresh impress
sion Of her husband. trying TO get soma
thing 70 hold to which should perhaps
stiffen her resolution. Among Rufus
private papers she hoped to find what
she was looking for He had kept every
letter. every account. His neat hand
writing was everywhere visible
When he died Rosy had gone over
these papers hastily and cursorily, look
found. In ii he had left everything 70
her. But now IN bundle Of old letters.
carefully banded. she found a paper
she had not seen before. She opened
It. glanced at it, shuddered. It was
written in Rufus own hand and con-
tanned what was at once a confession
and an apology. Rosy remembered that
Rufus had esked for paper and pencil
and that he had written something on
his sickbed He must have got out OF
bed and hidden IL away. In her bereaVs-
n1ent she had never thought OF II from
that day to this. And now here vas
the message scribbled so long ago. In
it Rufus laid bare certain facts Of his
life. He had not left 1t for somebody
else TO tell her; he had told her hin1sSN
Reading those painfully seribbled
Lines, Rosv met with that absolution of
spirit which sometimes GENES to the
troubled one Rufus had been a mere
erring man: beside him. Edward Baxter
/ loomed like a hero. And. In spite Of
her disappointment. she felt a growing
thrill Of satisfaction.
II was past midnight when Rosy left
Pu4us chamber and went TO her own
She had closed the door on a host Of
retaTdinz emotions. Rut she could not
sleep. She lay awake until daylight
thinking over the two things that had
happened to her-the love Of Edward
ami. TAa h0nFsty of Rufus.
~ Z o'clock she went downstairs TO
the telephone and called a NUMBER.
Edward answered Immediately.
Edward she could scarcely manage
her voice. This Is Rosy. Edward. L
yca' mustn't 90 away"
Biward's voice bcoraed so joyousIv
loud through the telephone that 4.
nearly deafened her.
RosylH, il ,sajA I'm coming over
shall run Al. Jhe SaS."
The End