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

slowly about her, her vision unpleas-
antly tried. Even the door, past which
she had come in, was white, covered
with the same material that lined the
loom. The studio was high, rectaneu
lar at the end in which she stood, but
curiously, deceptively unsquared at the
farther side, as If the walls, ceiling and
floor all cOnverged Slightly toward that
end. And as she looked inquiringiy at
this feature. Radley crossed over to that
side and swept aside with his hand the
half of dividing curtain-a gauze
curtain. sheer almost to transparency
but which, because of the light falling
upon the nearer side, had screened
the space beyond it and so had ap-
peared to be the limit of the. apart
ment.
"Oh!" said Phyllis invoIuntarily.
For here was further material for Curl
Osity. Beyond the curtain the converg-
ing walls actually drew together in
form like funnel with its large end
toward her, and terminated in a black
spot strikingly conspicuous in the other
wise universal whiteness, where cleaned
what looked like great, unwinking
eye. Absurd fancy, perhaps But the
awakened Cyclopean orb, fiaring I'M
lidded, grotesquely like and unlike
something alive, at once Subtly Sug-
costing and denying mystery.
We'll, ] don't know what you are
staging for us, but your room gives
visitor the most ridiculously uncanny
sensations, Rad. Are you designing to
make us comfortable here? I don't
know what mother will say"
I'm going to entertain your mother,
Phyl," answered Brainard, smiling with
that quiet new masterfulness which the
girl had steadily recognized in him as
a thing that was growing Radley had
been utterly reticent as to what he
was doing, but the signs of achieve
ment and Of a corresponding inner
growth were upon him.
Your preparations suggest a show.
1 should call this a ghost room. Do
you plan to show us a .ghost?"
She crossed to him and put her hand
under his arm. She loved this fiery,
intense young man, whose purposes
were like his hard, firm-muscled young
body, hard, firm, quiet, controlled-with
a sort of unswervingness about them
that sometimes frightened her little.
He put his arm around her-his power
ful young ARMAND held her close to
his side. But his eyes were on the
great eye in its shroudlike setting be-
yond the curtain, and his thoughts
were not on the sweetness of their
contact
Scientific study had not made Rad
ley Brainard conform to a desiccated,
bifocaled type. He was very much a
live young man. There was red blood
in his lean cheeks and in his square
hands and in his straight lips There
was vigor in his quiet step and in the
way his hair stood into pompadour
despite custom and military brushes
welded with military rigor. Light in
his eyes sh0ne from a fire within him
that was not an intellectual bonfire
blaze only, but constant, steady burn
ing of vital powers besides. When he
looked at her-when he had time to
look at her exclusively, and not merely
through her at some visioned goal to-
ward which he was thinking, his gaze
lighted fires in Phyllis. She believed
then, what he oftener said, that he
also loved her. He had said it times
enough. He had asked her to marry
him, and she expected fully to do sc
when June should come--unless hc
ceased to see her at all before the
happy day arrived.
Il think you are growing far-sighted
Radley, in one sense at least" she tolC
him. You may need glasses presently
TO see the person who should Away:
be nearest to you"
She was not deeply resentful of hi
absorption in his work: but sometime!
she was vaguely apprehensive. She
quelled her misgivings and was con
Scious that she chose to think as sh,
hoped that the interests that distracted
him when he might have attended K
her only seemed to absorb him becaus'
they were on the surface
You must have something remark
able TO exhibit to the assembled fam
ily," she said snothering jealousies anC
trying to indulge his immediate pre-
occupation. I'VE haven't foregatlleret
in such solemnity and with sucl
weighty purpose in many long da.
as you seem to have imbued us with
even Carol and John are going +
take time to be here. And dad! IN