Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-10

ness. Alice Rodleigh gave a little
shiver, and started suddenly to banl
the fire, then stopped, and, as though
drawn by an invisible force, turned
slowly and crossed the room to an ole
desk, fumbled frowningly for a mo.
ment with a secret lock, and drew open
a drawer.
She thrust her hands into the drawer
and drew out Verona Leeds keepsake
package-letters, apparently, and tiec
with a flaming tiger -lily-colored ribbon
Idly for a moment she sat and weigh
cd the packet in her hand.
Heavy" she admitted. With a littls
shiver of cold, she turned the package
over and stared at the date and the in
scription Verona Leeds had scrawlet
on it.
1t was only to be expected, of course
that any n leaving treasure-trove ir
another's hands should leave also some
request concerning the same, in view Of
possible contingencies. Verona Leeds
had fairly screamed the measure of her
orderings. A great, blotty date-"Au.
gust 28th!"-a defiant affirmation. Emo
of the world!" And the single I'M
perious ultimatum: IF anything hap
pens to me. destroy instantly"
Alice Rodleigh sighed.
Poor little Verona Leeds" she said
so absurdly vehement about every
thing. At first in such a dreadful
hurry to live. and then in such a dread
full hurry to die. And yet-and YET
AS Stolworth himself had expressed it
she had been such a pretty little red
haired kid, always dancing her way
In or out of dark-green woods, with 9
bunch of tiger lilies in her arms.
Alice Rodleigh glanced at the pack
age. Here, right in her hands at this
very minute, all tied up with tiger-lily
ribbon. was presumably the answer and
the explanation. But one must not
read it.
Suffering the irony of it, but not the
temptation, she jumped up and. cross
ing to the fire, threw the packet into
the smoldering Goals.
Impudently. for an instant. the metal.
lie strands of the tiger-lily ribbon de.
fed the devastation. Then the whole
packet blazed suddenly into nothing
ness.
But, out of that nothingness, all In an
instant, more defiant than tinseled rib
bon, more resistant than fiimsy paper
the photograph of a man rolled into
the ash, quivered an instant, Kissed
like a serpent. curled up in incredible
contortion-and was gone.
oh" gasped Alice Rodleigh. THAT
that was Jimmy Stolworthi"
Like letters of fire, the confirming
date scared across her senses. EAU
gust 28th!"-Stolworth himself had
quoted that day as the date of his de-
parture sever years ago! August 18th,
the end of the world!"
The room went black before her and
hn6Qn fN cNfn Tir,Naxr CA@Y~-As ~
roma Leedsl He-he-that was why
oh, the poor little childi She proned
for a chair, and it fell with a clatter.
She found the hall, at last, and started
very Slowly, very laboriously. up the
VAGUELY, in the half Lighted heights
above her, she sensed the peerine
figure of her husband.
What in the world?" he questioned.
who in the world?"
More surprising even to herself than
to him, he heard the oldest little laugh
slip from her lips.
'Why-it's Alicei" she said. "Alice
- Then, quite suddenly, a voice that
didn't seem to be her voice at ali
snatched the words from her lips and
used It's W voice, instead. your
Alice!" said the voice. your brand
new Affect"
WHAT" cried her husband bewil-
deredly.
Strangely stark in the half light, her
white face lifted to his.
II must have been asleep" she par
ried. "and had a dream"
Rather a short s1aer - Ia,,chaS -
husband.
But a very long dream" said Alice
"Humphl" said Rodleigh. "whati
Walking In your sleep, Ell? Well. real
~, you know, you've not the slightest
Idea how funny you look, floating up
the stairs hk this, with your eyes half
shut. like a person in a trance. What
In the world do yGa, think you see?"
leigh.
only me?" laughed her husband.
Wen, whom did you expect to see?"
For the first time. then. Alice Rod
leign opened her eyes widely and stared,
with a curious sort of scrutiny and sur
prise, directly into her husbands face.
But, you see, I never really saw you
before" she said.
"What?" shouted Rodleigh. Then ne
reached out and drew his wife into
his arms.
why. honey" he accused her, you're
crazy! Gone utterly batty! Why-why
honey, you're cold!"
In the Shiver that struck across his
own massive frame, the woman In his
arms sensed what seemed to be the ulti- |
mate note of her doom.
H does know" she reasoned. Hes
always knownl Underneath all that
tenderness. that love. that unfailing pa
tience-" 1
Almost with a cry Of pain, she yielded
her finching face to her husbands
hands and suddenly searching eyes.
"Alice-how could you?" he said.
II didn't" she wanted to scream.
Didn't! Didn't, I tell you! Neverl
Not really! 1t was just a trick Of fate
An obsession! / didn't choose It'll II
never chose It'll"
But, out of the habit Of her life
the poise, the self-control-she stifed
each ~betraying scream as It rose,
Clenched her nails into tha rairoe NJ |