Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-24

her. and turned away.
She stood up and watched him go
down the length of the room. Then
she looked at Van Wrinkle. He was
standing, poised as if to do anything
she might ask But he did not move
or speak. He did not quite look at her!
She left him. She almost ran from
the room and into the hall. She found
Ushigi there and told him to call his
master. The Jap told her Brainard
was in the small studio and was not
to be disturbed!
Call him. she insisted
The man hesitated. then went to the
studio door and knocked. There We
no answer. He knocked again. No re-
spouse followed. He looked back at
Phyllis and half shook his head. Then
he turned to the door and called:
Mist Brainar'! Missy Norman, she
call you come out!"
After a moment he tried the door.
1t was locked. He turned back to the
girl, his face full of anxiety.
Phyllis ran to the studio door and
beat upon 1t with her knuckles.
"Radley!" she cried. cts Phyllis
Let me in!"
Only silence answered her. She beat
again-till her hand was bleeding
Fruitlessly!
"Phyl! Phyllis! What's the natter"
IL was Carols voice beside her. Phyllis
turned from the door on which she was
breaking her hand. and realized that it
was frenzy and not reason that mad i'm
PEELED her.
Ushigi was disappearing 'discreetly. If
ne mad human curiosity in him. he had
also a human willingness to relinquisd
responsibility.
"Oh. Carroll" cried Phyllis-and then
realized that she had no words in which
TO explain What was there to explain?
Panic again! She covered her face with
her hands.
Don't you know RAIDS had the door
OF the studio muffled so he won't be
alsturbed?" asked Carol coolly with the
tone OF superiority one takes when ob-
tions.
Phyllis raised her head. Have Won
seen John?" she demanded.
Not today" returned Carol easily.
""I-thought you saw him every day."
Dear, mol"
Carol! Don't you care?"
Carols eyes narrowed. Whats the
matter. Phyl? Pull yourself together.
awning happened to John?"
Phyllis tried to answer. But there
were no words in which to put the
things that crowded for expression.
get YOU" said Carol, smiling
slightly. Hes been handing you soma
OF his talk. And you. being his dot
Ing sister, are naturally shocked to
discover that he's grown UP. I. being
IN his confidence. have suspected for
some time that he was-adolescent!"
"Hes-changed!" was all that Phyllis
found to say.
"Of course he is But he's iust
IKE tne rest. Ever been out with the
gang. Phyl? A gang of college men,
mean? Little supper part!esP Talk
tests behind doors?"
Phyllis stared at her.
"Oh, don't look at me like that,
You're the one who hasn't grown
up. IT you must know where I got my
dope, I'll tell you--part of it. Rad gave
me some university student life stuff
the other day. Supposing it was safe for
young girls consumption. 1t hadn't
been expurgated."
She laughed. Then she reached out
and shook Phyllis by the shoulder.
my child" she went on. you are
cut to the Pilgrim model--or our notion
OF what the Pilgrim model was. And
that's something I'm going to get line
on. too! But you hail from farther
back even than Aunt Relief! Don't you
know yet that the most insufferable
animal on earth is the human-par-
:icularly just when it reaches the stage
where it begins to think it is sophisti-
cated?"
Phyllis found herself nursing her
bleeding hand. The thing that had
been too poignant for her, against which
she had flown into wild rebellion. began
to ebb out of her like the shock and
pain Of violent fell. She found slow
ly that she could struggle UP, and
walk-albeit limping.
Carol watched her UNDERSTANDINGS
You simply illustrate. Phyl, in your
truly pleasing person. the folly of COM
ing up to the adult state without getting
wise to the things which are! You are
the stuff of which reformers are made.
A nice name for it is inexperienced No
body who knows the cruel world ever
tries to reform anybody. Better go
home and patch up your hand. and let
the rest of us bark our own knuckles
when it's our turn"
II was-frightened," admitted Phyllis.
Then she looked suddenly at the
younger girl do you remember what
you said to Radley, Carol, the first night
we saw his-discoyery? About Frank
! enStein?" 5,
rs that what's on your nerves." re-
turned Carol We'll. just bear in mind
that everybody belongs to the Frank &c
enStein family. Each of us has little
monster of his very own. But the thing N
that really makes me feel better about,
mine is that I know you've got one!
Have you a little monster in your
home?" OF course you have! And one
touch Of monster makes the whole world
KIM" ~
She laughed. enjoying the bubbling
of her own thought. Then she regarded
Phyllis quizzically :,
"Of course. you're still wondering" I,
she added. what saw the day I drop
ped to the mat. Well. if should tell
you I'd blight the fair flower of your
innocence. too. And that's not up TO
me any more than it's up to you to
guard mine! The way I dope out this
fifty named human game is that I'm
not divinely delegated to play anybody
else'S cardSl"
Carol put an arm around her and led
her toward the outer door. Phyllis
went. feeling like fool. and wondering
why she had not arrived at convictions
about life-convictions, not conventions.
Carol went down with her and called a
! taxi Their good-nightS were simple
enough. Carol turned back into the
| Bonmar. And Phyllis drove home, her
mind phraSing her own wonderings i'll
Carols own lazy drawl: why, convic-
tons. anyway? Drive as cautiously As
you like if you don't care for speeding
But don't try to play the traffic cop
| yourself!"
She found her mother had telephoned
not to expect her home to dinner. Her
father was at the club. Nobody ever
| expected John till he came. She pre-
tended to cat. to satisfy Charles. then
went to the library to look into the
papers now for the worlds opinion.
She was amazed at the space the
papers devoted to the Vicarion In .
deed, in the evening editions there was
little else. First pages were virtually
covered with stories from every inas1-