Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-14
INSTALLN1ENT XXI.

HIRI,EY was curled in her cushions
and rose-colored cover; she loved
to preside at the 5-o'clock cere-
- mony and often said that tea was
her favorite meal. But to STAN
lev it only wasted the incest hour of the
day and spoiled his appetite Tor dinner;
ITO get up and put your boots on and
come out for a walk would do you lot
more good than this mesSl" he could
not resist saying.
"Oh. darling, let's not develop our
characters!" Shirley pleaded, dirnpling
at him naughtily. Who went?"
Jim and the Hyde Browns and
Margaret" Stanley answered.
And yole wish you were with them,
Mono. But I do get so darned
stupid, in the house all day!"
well, you're going to stay with me
now!" Shirley said. "Stan," she added,
suddenly serious, biting into damp lit
tie sandwich, 1--WE been thinking, all
day. You don't know what this means
go on to New York;"
60 on to New York;" he echoed,
astonished. "Why should you?"
ITO see poor Cuyler," said Shirley
Solemnly.
"To-God, what an ideal"
mo, but listen, Stan. If he loves me
and If he wants me?" Shirley asked,
almost in tears. 'It's just got on my
nerves." she said pathetically. That
poor boy, alone with a lot of nurses and
doctors.no one that belongs to him or
cares If he lives or dies!"
MY dear girl, you're just working
yourself UP about this" Stanley said, in
disapprova1.
Eyes, but that's not all, STAN" shir-
ley said, discouraged, but not diverted.
"There's-there's all that money!"
don't see what that has to do with
you" Stanley said.
You mean as your wifep Yes, of
DEAR" begged Shirley. IT know how
you feel, STAN" she said. But just
listen to me. There are millions there,
or million anyway. If I go on and
see the poor boy, and explain to him
exactly why had to divorce him
there's no reason why it shouldn't mean
a comfortable slice Of it for me. Now
is there? You know, having her own
money Is a mighty nice thing, for a
woman, Stan. Six or seven hundred
thousand, say, would be nothing to him
and 1t would make a diference-now
wouldn't ito me? It would mean
that we were really rich and you have
to have so much nowadays. Stan-I
won't lie about it, hate lies. I've had
two thousand month, and the minute
marry 1 haven't cent-it isn't Roir 2
to be easy for me, my dear, or for you,
either. And this is so simple, and /
know Cuyler so well, and 10 to there q
some other woman there-he might
even marry her the last minute. So
truly, do think the wisest thing would
be for me to CO." She paused, all rea-
sonableness and appeal. What do you
really advise, Stan?" she asked.
Il should suppose that of all persons
In the world" he began coldly.
That I'm the last one to be there?"
dear, you're young. I never felt that
way about Cuyler. If it was some other
man-some man I'd never been married
to, say" Shirley explained, then II
would be out Of the question! But after
all I'm Mrs. Cuyler Theobald. Stan,
you're a business man, you must see
that It'd be absolute madness for me
not to go: When you consider how ter
rfbly hard it is to get money in this
world and how frightfully expensive
everything is now-honestly 1t seems to
me it would be perfectly silly"
And then your idea would be to come
back and be married?" Stanley asked.
well, what else" she asked, family
alarmed. "But there is just one thing
want you to promise me, STAN" said
Shirley, jerking herself a little nearer
him. "And this you must promise me,
because my entire life depends upon it.
Now, I'm, not going to say a word
against Margaret Yorke," she began
in a mild tone; "She doesn't like me and
am absolutely indifferent to her; that
is all right-the world is big enough for
both of usi But-listen to me now,
Stan, and then you can talk, But didn't
you ask me to marry you, Stan, and
haven't you written me dozens of notes
and sent me tons Of flowers, and didn't
your aunt approve, and don't our friends
know all about it?" demanded Shirley.
"Now you propose to get out of It or
you act as if you didl" she went on ag-
grievedly. You want to make me the
laughing stock Of my old friends; you
want this whole crowd-iust when I've
come back here so simply and so quietly
to somehow make my own way again
and you want to give them all q chance
to gossip about me again, to say that
Shirley Wilson ran away with one man
and divorced another and was Tilted by
Stan Crittendenl"
Stanley'S face had flushed darby
and she saw from the look in his eyes
that she was gaining ground.
''Is it fair, STAMP" she asked agitat-
edly. You can do it If you like, of
course, but is it fairP what have I
done-and what can I do? Nobody1l
believe that you had no ground for it,
except your fancy for this other
woman"
But here you are talking of running
of to Theobald!" he protested, weakly
deserving the main issue.
THAT has nothing to do with i'll"
Shirley reminded him promptly. stan,
do you think you're in love with Mar
garet Yorker" she asked frankly.
I'm glad you asked me that, Shir-
ley" he said, because it would be very
easy for you to misunderstood the
whole situation. In any case, whether
you and I were married or not, I
couldn't marry her. She is not free"
Married, eh2" Shirley asked inter-
estedly And he's Iving?" she added,
as Stan nodded. IT see. But, of course,