Evening star., 1930-12-07
INSTALLMENT XIV,

porch steps, Stan looked about
for Margaret and almost Immediately
her tall, swiftly-moving graceful figure
appeared on the porch, and she came
She greeted the big cattle man un-
Smilingly, but with all her usual sweet
ness and compoSure. TO Stanley she
gave hardly a glance; it was evidently
one OF her serious days, when she with
drew so mysteriously into herself.
'T think Mr.. Crittenden has to go
right back, Mr.. Kent" she said. But
win you walk about the farm with me
while the light lasts2 Your aunt Is not
well, Stan," she added to Stanley
''Win you go in and see her?"
Right awayl" Stan said, concerned
". But where do you get this got-to-
go-back stuff?" he asked. He had tele-
phoned his aunt this afternoon that he
would have barely half an hour at the
farm, but now he felt entirely unwilling
TO 60 away.
Margaret gave him temperate glance
and shrugged her shoulders slightly
Stanley felt that she declined to argue
with a fool, and set of upon their tour,
6ve minutes later, in a somewhat un-
sympathetic mood.
But the charm of the place rapidly
restored both to friendliness again, and
when they came to Battersby's white
cottage, around the hill Margaret's
face frightened into positive radiance
"Oh, Stan, your aunt told you about
the baby?" she explained to the Wis
itor, two weeks old today! Wait q
minute"
She flashed into the cottage, whose
walls were not so sturdy but what the
men on the porch could hear q GER
tain murmuring like the warm COO
ing Of doves, within.
Immediately Margaret reappeared
with the infant upon her arm. Old
Kent bent interestedly over 1t, and little
Jim pushed his brown face close against
the aggrieved little pasty face
You love children, don't you?" STAN
ley asked, curiously teased by some in
her desire to make her talk
"Oh, yes!" she answered simply,
smiling at him and then down at Jim
Shirley says this one is spoiled and
needs discipline" he told her, with an
amused glance at the little boy.
"Jim?" she asked sharply. And she
paled little, an odd look coming into
her dark, brilliant face. In what
way9"
he's the corkingest little kid I ever
knew-he's never under foot!" Stan
doesn't know him. She'll like him bet
ter later onI"
TITS to be the twenty-seventh." Mar
garet said, reminded by his last words
Of the approaching wedding.
"Or thereaboutS," Stanley answered
And sudden cool doubt assailed him.
He walked along in silence, busy with
uneasy and troubled thoughts. "I have
o silly feeling circumstances" he
confessed suddenly. after a while.
But you're here!" Margaret said,
laughing.
Yes, know. But I'm homesick Just
the samel" Stanley repeated. And quite
without premeditation, in the protect
ing twilight, his swinging hand caught
hers.
"PIeaseI" she said. in a suddenly
I'm not being silly" Stanley said, in
cohereItly.
you know you are" she said, in a
low, shaking voice.
But why do you carer" Stanley
asked, his arms about her.
81 don't knowI" Margaret whispered
Immediately she pushed him away,
ran up the steps and followed the others
: into the plain old spacious sitting room,
Stanley. coming in after her, sank into
. chair and amused himself by trying
to catch her eye.
Her color was flaming, her beautiful
mouth set; she had q thousand things
70 do She moved about, talking to the
guest, to Mrs. Cutting, to. Jim and to
old Miss Porter, but she never looked at
Stan, and his heart began to beat in
pleasurable anticipation Of the moment
when she must meet his steady gaze
Perststently evading him, with q stead
ny heightening color. she mounted q
chair to pull down q refractory window
curtain. she pushed another chair into
the hreSide circle, she knelt before the
nre and encouraged 1t with chips, and
when little Jim asked her some uues-
ton she encircled him with her arm
and thoughtfully kissed the top Of his
golden head twice before she answered.
And all the time she never once glanced
ut Stanley.
Ten minutes later, with incredible
reluctance, he tore himself from the
homely comfort of the scene
Well. he and Shirley would live here
sometimes, he thought. But it was not
6hirley's natural setting. Shirley liked
only to rest and be idle here or to en-
tertain Just as she would entertain any
where else.
Driving north, in the chill Autumn
night Of the high mountains, he
thought Of Margaret Yorke again.
There was q woman hard for any man
20 conquer She would fight to the
last dttch-but. an, the proud fineness
OF her surrender when she did sur
renderl It would embrace everything,
he thought: old-fashioned, tender, un-
9shamed, w1fely love and trust; old
fashioned, prayerful welcoming of chill
dren; 1t would embrace gardens and
flowers and little clean aprons, and
cribs, and ice cream freezers, and
yes, and goodness.
But not for mel" he said, with q
sudden deep ache in his heart.
~
hear me7"
Stanley. his whole quiet ONCE sud
denly metamorphosed, nodded to Miss
Blake to shut the door and concen-
trated upon his telephone.
Certainly hear you. Where are
you-at the farm?"
mo, We are at San Mateo-we came
home this morning. Stanley, you had
better come down at once, think.
Your aunt is very ILL.,"
Aunt Hattiel" His voice was
amazed. What seems to be the mat
ter?" he asked, IN concern.
We don't know. DR.. Pullen has sent
3cr Carter and White. She seems"
TN be there in IS minutes" he said
quietly, hanging up his telephone.
Less than half an hour later he
was tiptoeing upstairs in the Bur-
ungane house. Margaret came out Of
his aunt's bed room door as he ap-
preached it and drew him quietly
down the hall and into her own room.
The doctors are here. Stan they're
m the upstairs sitting room. I've got
four nurses here; they think they viii
have TO operate"
swhat Is it," Stanley asked, his
fingers gripping her shoulder.
'1t's-1hey fear q broken appendix"
the answered They're afraid that 1t
is pretty late 70 operate-they aren't
sure"
How IL she7 Is she suffering now?