Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-24

for Rose; and Rose had certinly told
the man to whom she had spoken with
agitation that she would meet him at
4 o'clock "at the old place" Whom
but Rodney was she meeting? And why
had Rodney wanted to meet her today?
Was it about the man who But 1t
couldn't have been Rodney to whom
Rose had talked in that tone of plead
| ing, of despair! 1t must have been the
other man, the man she loved, the
man who loved her without the right,
the man she had taken from some one
| who knew nothing of his detection. But
| if
Sara caught her breath sharply and
| hurried into the apartment. Rose had
certainly been talking that morning to
the man she loved. She had promised
to meet him at place they both knew
from other occasions of meeting. But
Rodney was the one to whom Rose had
talked, and Rodney was there with her
now, deep in conversation, oblivious to
the rest of the world. What other man
could it be? No, it was Rod whom Rose
| loved and if Rose loved him, then he
was the man who loved Rose, this man
| whom she, Sara Wardc, was to marry In
September.
ION, how could you?" she moaned,
and did not know whether it was to
Rodney or to Rose she had cried out.
She found her way out OF the rear OF
the apartment and hailed cab on a
side street. She must think this out
before she could speak to Rose or Rod
ney. She couldn't pretend with them
as they had pretended with her. But
what was she to say? Tell them that
she knew now of their love for each
other? Blame them for it and their
disloyalty? Sic hadn't blamed Rose
when she hadn't known that she was
the one whom Rose had robbed OF love.
Could she blame her now? And Rod
thought of what his loss was going to
mean.
"Oh, Rod, I've always loved you! I
always WILL" she sobbed.
But if he loved Roce, what was she
to do?
Her heart told her that the two she
had seen in the park were sure OF their
emotions. 1t was not like this that
Rodney looked at her. Perhaps, though,
if she held him he might in time forget
this infatuation for Rose, might return
to that older. tenderer, more solid love.
"I love him enough to wait" she
thought. But have the right?"
CHE must, she felt, calm the storm of
~ her feelings. AS the taxi turned
into the avenue she caught sight of the
spire of st. Martins and hailed the
church as a haven. She could get In
the door from the choir room, she
knew, and she changed her order to the
driver and made her way into the empty
edifice.
Out of the force of old habit she
entered the family pew, sinking down
to the place where she had listened
yesterday to the letter which DR.. Stoner
had read. Forgiveness No wonder
Rose had sought it. Memories Of all
she had done for Rose, care, kindness,
generosity, crowded over her. How
dared she repay them with this?
Weren't there scores of men whom Rose
might have loved instead of Rodney?
Hes the only one I'll ever love-"
Sara groaned, and knew 1t for truth.
How could she trust any man when
Rodney, who had been her pillar and
ground of faith, had fallen? IT don't
have to give him to her" She gritted
her teeth. I'm hold him"
Rodney was hers, she reasoned: hers
by right of her love for him, of his
older love for her; by right of his
pleading, of her given promise. She
was wearing his ring. She had told
him she would be his wife. What right
had Rose to come between them? But
Rose was trying to run away from 1t.
She wanted to let them alone. entirely
alone. She didn't want to be at the
wedding. Rose would eliminate her.
self from the situation as soon as she
could do it without telling her that
Rodney was the man she loved. She
could marry Rodney as far as Roses
efforts were concerned. but after she
married him what would the situation
be?
Alone in the sanctuary of her child
hood and maidenhood, Sara faced the
issue squarely, seeing herself as If she
were another person.
IF they love each other like that"
she reasoned, 1.-The one who isn't loved
hasn't the right to keep them apart.
I can't do it. though" She fell back
for a moment, then braced her spirit.
him if 1 knew I'd forced him into
something he didn't really want to do.
They didn't mean to hurt me. They've
tried to spare me, but their love Is
bigger than their kindness. bigger than
everything else. I must free them
both"
But how? They wouldn't take free
dom from her If they knew what the
giving meant to her
The shadows were lengthening on the
avenue as she left the church.
She went back down the avenue,
making her way quietly into the house
to find that Rose was not yet home.
She went upstairs to her room, and
there at the desk drew out once more
the paper for letter to Rodney. With
out preface she began 1t:
I'VE made a mistake, you and I, and