Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-07

breathe the reek of the scattered
Right there where the wall Of Radley
Brainard's studio reared its solid bulkl
Or--or was she dreaming-had she
dreamed? Where was the real reality?
But she forgot even to question.
From behind that warm rock, glisten-
ing in the sun, with an entirely I'M
dramatic scurry, came girl-a living,
breathing, frightened girl--her bare
feet dark with clinging sand, strand
of hair unbeautifully dragged wet
across her face, her hands clawing.
needless of grace or hurt, at the great
rough stone, her body clad in a Scant
slip Of faded bathing suit, her eyes
haring with unstudied terror Of pur-
suit
Her fright reached out and caught
the watcher by the heart. Fright-not
its counterfeit!
A young man followed her, the
brute Of him showing heavy-muscled
shoulders through unaccustomed tai
loring,. his face distorted with an in
imitable mixture Of ruthless delight and
crude pretense at Precipitation. AS he
caught her where she stopped at bay,
she turned and struck at him with
clenched fist that reached his lip in a
strangely knowing blow--that had
force enough in 1t to bare his teeth
and make him vince from it. Effect
uncaiculatedl It threw blaze of re-
vealing light upon the character of the
cornered feminine thing that could
strike like that! Squirt of innate
ferocity-like a cats lightning clawing |
But he caught her by the extended
wrist, his fingers sinking into her flesh,
his blackened nails vivid detail
against its whitening, blood-striped tex
ture, and he twisted her arm till sob
was wrung from her that wr,lng the
nerves of listeners. A hoarse, rasping.
toneleSS breath that was like the very
extract Of despairing fear and paint
"Ohi Oh-ohl Don'tl My God
Waddy! Stopl 11l-oh, Waddy, for
She went down on her white knees.
her satin shoulders writhing, to re-
lieve the twisted arm.
Thought you'd made clean get
away-what?" the man demanded,
dropping to knee the better to twist
her down upon the sand.
But Mrs. Norman suddenly screamed.
"Oh-Johnl- Radleyl What-Oh, stop
himi I-where-oh, Stopl"
There was the sharp click Of an cleo
trio switch; the light dropped instantly
from the tone Of day to a rose tint.
The figures Of the man and the girl on
the sand grayed suddenly and went
out.
Sounds hushed, rock and shore melt
ed away into nothing. Darkness. Then
the soft glow Of artificial light in the
white room!
Illusion? The mind Of Phyllis Nor
man had forgotten to make concession
to it. What she had witnessed had not
been acting-she had not listened to
dialogue. What she had seen and heard
had been life itself! With a terrorizing
hot rankness upon 1t! She was breath
less with it--her heart throbbing pain
fully: fear, pity, horror had left no
room in her for remembrance OF self
and circumstances She came back with
qualm OF nausea to knowledge that
she still sat in the white chair, in the
white room. A sensation like that of
looking from: car window at a parallel
moving train till one believes himself
moving-and being dropped back into
dizzy stiffness when the other train
vaniSheS. Like that, multiplied to pain !!
They were all as much dazed py
the sudden cessation of the scene as
they had been erthralled by 1t. Carol
was the first to speak.
"And-you could stop 1t, Radleyl'
Radley Bratnard laughed. The sound
was at once reassuring and freshly
disturbing to Phyllis.
"Of course" he answered.
But" cried Carol, sitting up sud-
denly in her chair as II she walked from
a dream, its so-it's real, Radley!
IT'S not pictures-nor radio! It's
mo-" said Brainard quietly, but
with low ring Of triumph In his voice;
tits not pictures-nor radio. It's q
step beyond both-a long step!"
"But-such things. Radley!" gasped
Mrs. Norman. They're not TT
She stopped and stared back at the
white curtain, incredulous
Don't say you're trying to guard
my young innocence, dear" murmured
Carol. Il traded it In long ago for the
new model"
But, Radley," said John Norman
/ slowly. II don't get this. Are YOU
hoaxing uS?"
"of counsel" exclaimed Carol. "He's
got somebody back there who Is a
peach Of an actor-both of them are!
But" She paused, as If brash GER
tainty wavered.
There's nobody back there, Carol, !"
Brainard answered. He had come over
cigarette. To Phyllis the spell that had
held her was slow In dissipating.
; But somebody had to act that
scene" protested Carol.
Eyes" returned Brainard slowly;
"but the people who acted that scene
are-deadl"
What? Well, then it is pictures"
Carol turned again toward the curtain.
And If it is, then it certainly-is
pictures!"
But Radleyl" exclaimed Phyllis,
finding her voice at last. THAT shore
the surf-the sum- It's life-that you
turn on and OF, as you like!"
lTo Be Continued Tomorrow.).