Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-06
TWENTY-FIRST INSTALLMENT.

TWENTY-FIRST INSTALLMENT.
n n ISSIE did not see Kirby again
NH for three years. Now and
V then she heard of him, OF
4 course. He was one of the
first to make and drive a rae
ing car. He took an automobile across
the continent in So days.
Got a charmed life, Kirby" said
Tommy.
Maybe he doesn't care" Eileen
commented shrewdly.
But Tommy smiled at that. Women
were incurable romantic, even Eileen.
Men did not try to kill themselves in
racing cars for the MISSES of the
world.
Looking for thrills, that's ALL" he
said. If he kills himself we'll be out
q good engineer"
But he had no use for Wesley, had
Tommy.
Pooling around with women again, "
he said. II don't object to his drink
ing if he wants to make hog OF him
self But this other thing. Do you
suppose Missile knows?"
ANY woman knows"
Then why doesn't she get out?"
"She's got Eddie. Where's she to go?
The Colfaxes have nothing. Unless you
want her here!"
Il wouldn't object" said Tommy
placidly.
But Eileen changed the subject. She
had plans of her own. Already she and
Tommy belonged to the new aristocracy
of wealth. 1t smiled at the pretensions
of the old families, rejected their
standards of austere, dignified iv-
ing, demanded amusement and spent
for it lavishly. showed certain
ostentation. But it was this wealth
s,I, nsesY, f1,4 cfn
ards of the city, of the country.
It Travelled, collected, brought back to
America not only works of art but an
appreciation of them. 1t financed
symphony orchestras in unlikely places,
opera, picture galleries. Unlike the
earlier generation it did not hoard
it spent.
Tommy and Eileen to be shining lights.
Already they were planning another
house well outside of town.
Wen keep the town house" Eileen
told Missile 1.-THE country place is for
the warm weather. And, of course, we
can open it for Christmas and have
house parties there"
Missile drove out there with her some
times in Eileen's new electric, the chill
dren tucked in with them. Eileen talked,
Missile listened. She had grown very
silent, save when she was alone with
Eddie. She had lost Wesley again. She
knew that. Out of the wreckage OF her
life this child was all she had. Eileen
would talk, Missile would listen, her eyes
on the boy. One day Eileen said that
she and Tommy were going abroad.
Come to New York and see us on,
Missile. You need change"
I'm afraid to leave Eddie"
GOOD heavens, what's your nurse
for?"
She decided to go. She could get some
clothes, fix herself up. Maybe If she did
Wesley would stay around more. 1t was
bad for Eddie, the way things were.
Soon he would begin to notice.
She did not hate Wesley. She was
often sorry for him. He was prosper
ing but she knew he was not happy.
His infidelities were escapes from some
profound inner loneliness which sent
him into the back alleys of life after
forgetfulness. That was her fault;
she had not satisfied him. He loved
life and the good things of life, gayety
and laughter, good food, good wine. He
liked place, to be pointed out in a
crowd. He was intensely physical; his
body ruled him.
But whatever his sins of omission OF
commission he had given her this child
She even felt dumbly grateful to him
but she would not tell him so. He would
other ways, ordering his house as ne
liked it, his food, his drink.
II hope the ducks are right, Yves.
told her how you want them"
He liked his ducks raw. He liked tc
cut into them and see the blue-rec
flesh, the juices flowing out.
And she never locked her door again
This, at least, she could do. But the
boys crib stood next to her bed; wher
Wesley wandered in 1t was to look al
the child and to wander out again. They
had settled down to life together with
out love or passion and apparently i
was to go on forever.
In the end she agreed to go to New
York with Tommy and Eileen.
She went to her grandmother's Il
say goodby. Sarah was very feeble, II
bed a part of each day. And old Ish
rnael was dead. The COW had gone, thu
horses. AS she went in she noticed
once again the dusty smell of old car
pets long unified. Waiting to be sum
moned upstairs she stood at the win
dow, looking out. The iron fence, tn
deer, were unchanged but beyond then
the street had altered. There were bi
cycles, tram cars, an occasional auto
mobile Life was moving fast, Speedlni
up People even walked more quickly
Hurry up, get out of the way. "
no time to waste"
WuGu Sic HCI4L uP odld OH 40 AN
high-backed chair, shawl aroun'
her old shoulders and Adelaide was roll
ing spills.
So she went to New York. She knee
she needed a change. When she sa'
Tommy and Eileen off. she found her
self queerly emotional on the docl
watching the ship slowly moving Gu
into the river Years later she was I
wait for another ship to move dow
that same river, and to have again tina
sense of finality; the phantom carava
going on, and she being left. Ther
were tears in her eyes when she turne
away.
She found Kirby Phelps beside her.
missed them!" he said. We'll, sine
have found you-"
He looked older. There was strea
of white in his dark hair. but his eye
were still kind. He saw that she coul
not speak and, taking her arm, led III
out to a cab. TN take you 10 yot
hotel" he said And only later, sic
by side and jolting uptown: "Missi
Missile! What has happend TO you?"
Nothing. Maybe that's the trouble
She had no coquetry, no arts, even
desire to reclaim him. She was tren
bling, but she felt quite calm.
Are you as lost as you look. Missile
st have my boy, That's enough"
He had his old impulse to deny tn
Yor her tn take her into his arms ar