Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-21

bravely on, happy in her love and In the thought
that she was contributing in no small degree
to the making of the great o. Henry.
The frequent pictures we have of Ath0A In
his stories, vivid and pleasing, show distinctly
what an impress she left on his Life. He
sketches her lightly but lovingly. In Sisters
of the Golden Circle" he introduces you thus:
But beg of you observe Mrs. James VIII
nams, Hatty Chalmers that was-once the belle
of Cloverdale. Willingly had the moss rosebud
loaned to her cheek Of its pink-and as for the
violet-her eyes will do very well as they are,
thank you"
o. Henry knew very little about clothes. as
he himself admitted. Some one asked him
once why it was that he always dressed his
heroines In dimity. Why, it's the only ma
terial 7 know anything about" he replied.
"Athol always wore dimity. 1t always looked
good to me-"
A NYTHING Athol wore, or anything. she
possessed looked good' TO win Porter.
He particularly admired her hair that she wore
in bobbing curls when he first knew her.
Do you recall Dellas hair in '"The Gift OF
the Magi"? It fell in ripping, shining cas-
cades" he writes. Had the Queen OF Sheba
lived in the fiat across the airshaft, Della would
have let her hair out Of the window some day
to dry just to depreciate her majesty's jewels
and gifts"
Della. as you may remember, sacrificed that
hair to give her beloved husband, Jim, Christ
mas present-a foolish fobchain. Athol sacri-
feed far more than her hair to give her be-
loved husband q Christmas present when he
was fugitive from justice in far-away Hon
duras. 1t was q foolish little present as Dellas
had been, but 1t was costly.
Night after night tired and III, she worked
on a point-lace handkerchief for which o
friendly merchant had promised her $25.
With this sum she bought VIII Porter the Mt
tie niceties Of toilet that she felt he must
tn hot sSnn
ing glory of the Christmas box was q small vial
of extremely expensive perfume that she knew
would carry to him message unexpressfNEe
in words.
It was this box that brought him back to her
side, there to remain until her loyal spirit took
flight and left him. abject alone. He made
no defense against the accusation Of embezzle.
ment that he faced. What was there to fight
for, now that she was gone? Let injustice have
its way. He cared not at all. That was the
attitude that he took. That the altitude
that he maintained throughout the trial. BY his
attitude and conduct he aided and abetted the
jury in their verdict of Guilty." Unprotest-
ingly. he went to Columbus Ohio, sentenced to
five years in the penitentiary, conscious of his
own innocence, but not caring what the world
might think. It was only his own soul and
Athol that he cared for Athol was dead that
half Of him was buried, buried where they had
laid 10 rest their first-born, son, that was to
have been named William Sidney Porter.
MO wonder Austin became to him in after
years "city Of silence" In his still quick
memory the past always lived, but "as i'm q
shrine. hallowed and hidden" But as we read
thu incompatible stories from his pen that We
term "hction," we get frequent glimpses Of
that shrine One Of the most beautiful and
characteristic bits is this paragraph in which
Ataol is recognized Enthusiastically:
"The scent of the flower, the booty OF the
bes. the primal drip of spring waters, the over.
tuxe Of the lark, the twist OF lemon peel on the
cocktail OF creation-snch ID the bride Holy
the wife, revered the mother, galliptious ID the
Summer girl-but the bride IL the certified check
ameng the wedding presents that the gods ecnd
Inn when man In married 10 mortality"