Evening star., 1929-12-21
FIFTH INSTALLMENT.

AMbERI CObrAA OlQ nOC appear
for the funeral, but for once there
was no difficulty about money.
IL 1t came freely, as though released
by the happy accident of Stella's
death, with Mr.. Macdonald as its
bearer. And there was O. SmugnesS
about the one-a rmed lawyer, relief
behind his decorols behavior, that Mis-
sic resented furiously.
Just keep him out Of my sight.
That's all I ask"
Don't be a little fool. what on
earth would we have done without
him?" said Ellen impatiently.
He took charge, that is certain. He
seemed experienced in such matters.
and when at last that strange aSSort-
ment of pallbearerS carried Stella to her
grave he was among them. So, too, was
Mr.. Elliott, who for once was not wor-
rying about the rent, and Tommy'S
father called in at the last moment.
And Stella would have been gratifled,
had she known, that the people who
had ignored her during her life made
what amends they could at the end and
attended the funeral.
It was as we'll for Lambert that he
did not come back. All that last day
MiSsie stood on guard beside the under
takers man at the front door. There
was in her a terrible anger. She would
have struck him dead, If she could. In
vain Ellen begged her to retire to the
correct seclusion OF the second moor:
You let me alone" she said. Hes
not coming into the house, not unless
he knocks me down."
But Lambert was in Chicago and in
tended to remain there. Years later she
was to learn that he had left town be-
fore it happened, that while Stella was
agonizing in that upper room he had
been blithely facing West toward that
new life which was not to include her;
alSo-but 1t was many years before he
told her this-that he had lost con-
siderable money on the train that very
night at poker. She felt her throat
tighten when he made that airy con-
fession.
And you felt nothing? You had no
regrets when you abandoned her?"
"You want me to say that had, my
dear, don't you? Well, I am no hypo-
critic. God forbid that should speak
i'll of her now, but you have lived your
life and made your own mistakes. No,
had no regrets. OF course, when I
heard"
She looked down at him, so tidy, so
unregenerate in his soft bed, and she
wondered. What had he done when he
heard, what had he thought?
"Of course" he said. 1T was q relief
to learn why she did what she did.
There was a man at the store who was
pretty we'll cut up about 1t. gather
from Macdonald that this fellow had
precipitated the whole thing; went to
the house that night and scared her."
She watched him. And you think
that's why she did it?"
what else? The fact that wanted
a separation was nothing new to her"
fl1of Hfn--fn
facts that hurt, to build up a defensive
mechanism against the truth. How
real was any one? Strip of the armor
of Self-delusion, the shame and self
hypocrisieS and what was left? A cring-
ing soul. unable to bear the truth about
itself. desperately drawing about its
nakednesS imaginary virtues and cover
ing itself fiercely with denials.
But that was years later, when Missile
had made her own mistakes and had
ceased to Judge any one.
They went back, the two girls. to that
empty house. its dominating personality
gone, a strange silence and order per-
vading 1t. It was odd how Stella's
going had changed it, as though It's
heart had ceased to beat. Ellen moved
about 1t planning to escape. Missie did
the work and then sat- her roughened
hands folded in her lap, stricken, daZed,
a.
and there was nowhere to look ahead.
And then, on the second day. the
doorbell rang. and Ellen, after a glance
at Missile, went to answer 1t herself.
When she came back to the dining
room she closed the door behind her
Its your grandmother"
What are you talking about?"
"It's your fathers mother" Ellen ex-
planned briefly. You'd better brush
your hair"
Missie had never known her fathers
mother was living. 1t came to her as
a blow. She stiffened, Strengthened.
I'm not going to see her"
Certainly you are going to see her.
And behave yourself, for Heavens sake.
She hasn't done anything to you. And
she's lady. There's carriage at the
door,"
Suddenly Missile laughed Historically.
"A carriage!" she said. shes come
In carriage, after letting MON work
and struggle the way she did, You go
in and tell her to take herself and her
carriage away from here or I"
Hush, Missie Hush, tell you!"
when I think of her poor feet at
night"
"Now listen to me. If you shout like
that I'll shake you. Nom would want
you to see her. She often said so. She
wanted you TO be friends"
Missie began to cry. She stood dab
bing at her eyes with soiled handker-
chief. her face twisted with grief, and
Ellen stood by tense and watchful.
you're going in and you're going to
behave like a lady. I've stood all the
nonsense I'm going to. What are you
going to do, anyhow? II you act prop
erly, maybe she'll help you. can't ask
Tom to support you, with your grand
mother driving around in carriage
while he walks"
There was something harsh and
strident in Ellen'S -oice. For the first
time Missile saw her as she was. little
hard, more than a little selfish. All
that day, sewing quietly. she had not
been grieving She had been planning,
thinking, contriving.
did you send for her?"
II told Macdonald she ought to do
something for you"
Missile looked at her, opened the door,
went out. In the narrow hall she hesi-
tated. Then she squared her shoulders
and went into the parlor. Mrs. Colfax
was sitting stiffiy on Ole of the hard
rosewood chairs. She made no move,
and Missile surveyed her coldly.
You are Marcella?"
Missile nodded. She could not speak.
She felt gauche and untidy before this
old aristocVrat, SO cold Of voice. so erect
of body, but there was bitter resentment
in her. Her eyes were hostile.
II am your fathers mother. am Mrs.
Colfax. caresay your sister told you"
"Yes. But l don't want any help
from you. Don't think that. can work
I want to work. don't want-charity."
Charity and duty are not the same"
What duty do you owe me that you
didn't owe to my mother?' Missile de-
manded uncompromisingly
Mrs. Colfax WINGED.
1T has not been easy for me to come