Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-12
SYNOPSIS

father deserted heT and her mother, dnC
Stella, after futile attempts at reconcil
iat5on, killed herself. Missile Uent t.
lite NTH her grandmother, old Mrs
Collar, who adored her son, Lambert
tolerated her daughter, Adelaide, dnC
he'd dtStnherited another daughter, Ce.
c$iy. When Missile tCuS TO- she iC1s mar.
Tied of to Wesley DEXTER. She did moi
lore him, and hts affection for her tCd,
short-hved. Only the birth OF son
Eddie, Kept their marriage from going
completely on the rocks. Kirby Phelps
iUho Missile met seuerdl years after hei
marriage, t0as deeply in love tcith her ana
she returned his feeling, but because OF
the boy she determined to forget Phelps
Derter'S infdelitieS and brutality caused
her to Leave him, but her lore for Ed
die brought her back. After the death
lot her grandmother and Cectly, Ade-
7aide made her home in the DEXTER
household. where Mtssfs 'cas trying to
forget her Unhdppiness by deDottng her
self to her son. Kirby Phelps, after
hoping for years that Missile mould de-
eide to obtain her freedom, had finally
married Missile tried desperately to
keep all iDord of Derter's escapddeS
from Eddie and had succeeded. But
every one else kneW. OF them, pdrticu-
larly Missiles stepsister, Eileen, and
Tommy Wilkins, her husband.
TWENTY-SEVENTH INSTALLNIENT.
n ISSIE was still under forty
N when the European War broke
VI out She had no prettiness
but a fine evasive beauty. Hell
hair swept softly up and back
from her wide forehead, the forehead
that Kirby Phelps had loved. She was
still slim. Her hands were beautiful,
her eyes were as candid as ever, but
not so luminous. They were the eyes
of a woman looking out on world
which puzzled her.
Eddie was still away, almost ready
for college, and Adelaide was more and
more aloof. Missile was very lonely much
Of the time. Her own life seemed in
crediably narrow Wesley had finally
dinners, got himself into evening clothes
under protest. He still ate and drank
heavily, but without zest. He went out
less at night alone.
Eileen told Tommy one night that
Wesley was sick man and didn't know
it.
Whats the matter with him?"
Hardening of the liver, imagine,
His nerves are bad, and he's bracing
them with alcohol"
"He's makfne a lot of money" said
Tommy mildly.
And he's drinking lot Of liquor"
said Eileen.
you can't stop him doing that"
Eileen was right. The strain was
kelling on Wesley. He spent more and
more evenings in the library. He had
commenced collecting books in fine
bindings; he liked the sensuous feel
Of fine hand-tooled leather, but ne
read very little. He had collected some
of the more decadent Of the classics,
and with one of these on his knees he
would sleep through the evening. Some
ime later. Missile would go down and
rouse him, and he would climb ponder
busly up to bed.
She thought perhaps he had wearied
pf his old life. There were times when
he reused him. before full conscious
ness was restored, when he would smile
I'D at her boyishly, and that smile,
pn that prematurely aged face, touched
her.
Don't you want to go up now,
Wesley?"
The smile would fade, and he would
lift himself slowly.
"All right I'll put out the lights"
One day Adelaide came to her weep
ng.
missile, I've letter from your father.
He's sick, Missile. He's been sick for
get we'll"
Suddenly Adelaide was crying, slow
awful tears. She made no attempt to
wipe them away. i've hated him,
Missile. It's dreadful. my own brother.
And now he is dying"
He may not be. You know he never
eculd bear to be ILL.,"
But Adelaide was certain. Moreover,
she was moved By the instinct of
y4a, ~ hn 1,o1- fr1 70. ~
End take care of him. He was all she
had. And Missile saw that it would
be better for her, to 60, that at last
wen Adelaide found that she was need
I'D, and that for all her tears, it was
neat and drink for her.
Missile helped her to pack that after
boon. She took an incredible amount
pr stuff with her; she would wander
around uncertainty with something In
her hand, eliminate it finally, and then
desperately catch 1t UP and put 1t In
bne of the trunks.
When she had finally gone missile
Fettled down to her lonely life. Once
he had liked to sleep, to dream. While
6he was awake she had shared the
world with others, when she slept II
had been to enter a world of her own
But of what could she dream now?
Of Kirby Phelps, with another woman
n his arms? OF Wesley and herself
ocked up together, growing old to-
Eether, and Eddie out in this young
mans world which moved so fast, Sc
errihcally fast.
Two months after Adelaide's depart
are Wesley collapsed. They found him
wing on the floor Of his private Office
unconscious, and called her by tele-
phone. -
What is it?" she asked. What sort
bf an attack"
Its hard to say yet. The doctor,
want to know whether to bring hin
home or take him to a hospital? Hi
may be sick good while"
Then bring him home"
It was apoplexy. For weeks he la,
merit. Eddie came home. He hung
around the door Of the sick room, ask
ing his worried questions, watching
every one who came out for some
answer TO them Eddie was difficult
He was resentful, without knowing VIII,
ne was resentful. His god had beer
tricken down and he was furious a
he injustice.
But why? Why?" he demanded O
Missile. He was as strong as an OK
Where's the sense of it?"
He had been working too hard
This war"
II wish the war would get over
killing good men because they try Il
lend the things it needs!"
Missile suspected him of wandering
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