Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-03

the demon on the foot of the bed made faces
at him and laughed.
Now which?"
Take me-"
And the demon laughed and laughed, until
she leaned over and shook him.
Are you Sick?'
mo. Why?"
"You laughing in your sleep"
In the soft night light with her black hair
loose about her, she looked almost young again.
He groaned.
She did not notice how i'll he looked that
week. and he did not tell her about the fever.
She was busy making herself a gray hat with
pink rose on it, and gray band for her neck
He even continued to read to her, and one day
he finished Jane Eyre"
MY Master has forewarned rue. Daily he
announces more distinctly Surely I come
quickly! and knows I more eagerly respond.
amen; even come, Lord Jesus"
His voice broke; he sat staring at the page.
She did not notice, however. She was dress
ing to go out, and a heavy despair settled on
him. He saw that he had lost her again, that
the undying coquette in her had triumPhed
once more.
How do look? Am all right?'
He summoned his old heartiness. "You look
lovely to me. You always do"
On Sunday morning she put on the new
hat and a new pair of slippers. very tight. He
saw that they hurt her but he said nothing.
He had grown rather silent. She had brought
card table but he did not fall to work
He watched her instead, going to her APP
pointment at the bench. How young she
looked with her gay hat and her high heels
and her little bodyl How-undyfng! What
was it the other had written, after she
hal come back?
you will always be young to me, young
and lovely. have been a brute and a beast,
but something in me will always love you"
She had been a little queer with him after
that, for time.
He did not clean the revolver that nprning
His hands shook too mucA And he was
feverish. When he closed his EYES TIRE would
be not one demon but many. AT first they
were small but when he looked at them they
grew and grew until they were enormous.
Their faces changed too; one feature would
melt into another, and there would be
glimpseS of countenance he had long forgotten.
It was as though his whole past crowded the
little room, hung from the chandelier and sat
on the bookshelf, and as though it Knocked
him for his age and feebenesS; he who had
been a man.
"A mani" it said "You a man? A shell;
q SimulacrumI"
The demons shouted and it was as though
all the tragedy of all the old men in the world
was crowded into the small room. It echoed
with their futile cries, their feeble furies. He
covered his ears He refused TO join them. He
was still man: there was death in his hands.
Futile? Feeble? Nonsense. He could kill
He got up slowly, his knee being stiff, and
braced himself against the open window. The
gray and black dots were close together. All,
they were standing now. That was better.
Don't think. Don't stop to think Act. Be
man. Steady now Steady for heavens
sake. On the black. One on the black. That
was roulette. The black dot used to play
roulette; he would leave her to play roulette.
He stifened, aimed and fired, and with the
racket the demons rushed out of the room and
left everything quiet. Quiet and peaceful
Outside, too. The two dots had separated, and
each going its own way.
He locked down at the revolver and smiled
family. Then he Strengthened himself. 1t was
as though that futile shot had restored