Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-14

HE had turned back at last to go
into the house. She found a
dark figure opposing her en-
~ trance. It was Brainard. He
stepped down into the porch.
"I've been listening" he said. Nat
urally, eh? Eavesdropping being part
of my callingl"
He walked to the top Of the steps.
He did not invite her to accompany MN
or to Join him. But she followed MN;
she could not help 1t. AS she stood pc
side him, he turned and looked down
at her: that unbendsng quality was IN
him-that quality that made no con-
cessions, that demanded of others that
they come to him, all the way. But
the girl was not repealed by it now. 1t
was only his stubborn. unt1inching
front. turned toward hostility. She was
not hostile to him. She loved him.
Never more than now had she loved
him. Through all his indifference, his
| fiouting, his deep anger toward her, she
had loved him. She knew she would
love him, always, no matter what he
| did or was. She wanted to put her
arms around him now, in all his Stub
| born hardness, and cherish him.
Are you plying me?" he asked, a
bitter smile curling his lips. Because,
If you are, will show you that you are
wasting your time"
He regarded her narrowly, almost
Sneering. But there was something
about his tone that robbed his words OF
their effect upon her. They were like
hammer blows-but they were not even
aimed at her. They were aimed to
harden some yielding, weakening thing
in himself! He was sufficiently aware
of her; she understood that he was
trying to keep her from seeing that
depths. He was intensely aware of her
and trying to cover It, Perhaps he
hated her, but she was suddenly i'm
portant in his eyes. He seemed to need
to justify himself In hersl
I'm the car" he said, II have con-
denser. Shall we go and take look at
| what we left behind?"
The idea startled her. With all the
experience of that awful Summer to
create a habit of expecting to look
easily upon events distant both in time
and space, she had not even thought OF
the possibility here. Yet here was this
new factor in life even now at hand,
! like a new se--teleplastic- endowing
them with powers near to omnipres-
ence!
He had started down the steps, TAX
ing her acquiescence for granted. She
| followed him again. Heartsick weari-
ness filled her; after crisis, taking up
mere obligations againl
ST suppose you think that because
they could mob me they can crush
me-" he said. "You saw what hap
pened when they thought they had"
They walked together down the
pineneedle carpet toward the one car
that now remained in the mountain
road.
at has been shouted at us frequent
| ly lately" he went on, that no tyrant
has ever succeeded in holding down
the mob for long. But let's not over
| look the fact that the mob never rules
even as long as the tyrant does"
Still she was silent.
II should think you might realize, by
now, that they cannot touch me-"
Did this mean that he recognized her
concern for him?
Are you sure?" she asked him.
He turned to her and smiled again
| with that look of steel upon his mouth
and eyes. MY enemies have made bet
| ter tries to get me than they did to-
night. Not so spectacular, that's all
This was just-freworks"
Fireworks! Ending doubtless in fool
ish smoke because of stratagem-a
trick! Her mind rushed back to the
vision of man descending a glittering
staircase to face mob. Fireworksl
Tomorrow" Brainard went on, 1.-THE
whole world will be drawing morals
about me again. Aunt Relief has been
pil1ng them upon me tonight. You are
full Of them. no doubt-ready to un-
load upon my devoted head! But be-
fore you begin, just let me say that no
body gives damn about anybody else's
differences and convictions concerning
life. Everybody just wants to live. Al
least the Vicar1on has shown you thatl"
81 haven't any convictions, Radley.'
Everybody draws his own moral
every Tom, Dick and Harry of us all
There are as many morals as there are
people! But nobody wants you to picl
one for Manufacturing me-"
Strangely the old boyishness seemed
upon him. How like a boy, this at
tempt to forestall criticism of his doings
Every man draws his own moral! She
could have laughed but for the pity
of it.
Maybe that's what makes all the
| trouble-trying to draw morals for one
another" she said. Maybe we're try.
ing to upset the very law that back OF
evoluticn-every man his own noralist! I
Then what fault have you to fine
with me? The world is nothing but 9
| growing child. I've just given. it. 8
| picture book from which it is going tt
learn lot of things. Not fairy tales!'
He laughed.
She did not attempt to answer. TheS
| reached the car. He opened the dooi
to the front seat and she stepped in
He went around and climbed in under
| the wheel . !;
Aunt Relief has a lookout rock owe,
here" he explained, putting his foot
on the starter. 1.-THE night is clearing