Evening star., 1930-12-01

n met stanley in San Francisco
IN for luncheon. He reminded
"A himself of her history, but her
insidious charm began to win
him in spite of himself; and he found
that her constant invitations ana her
importantly made it unusual LOT nun
to live for twenty-four hours without
at least glimpse Of Shirley,
One night, when he got nome, ne
found that Margaret and his aunt hao
unexpectedly remained at the farm, 10
which they had taken Jim and lew
small friends that morning, for an all
day party. Stan stood with a tnougnL-
fri face. considering the message. IL
was Just six o'clock; he could telephone
Uplands and be there IN an hour
He could run over and see Shirley Tor
five minutes and still be az tne Aarih
for q half-paSt-seven dinner.
So he ran over, Just to see her for a
few minutes before he telephoned 10
Uplands. She was alone.
stan rushed back to the house at ten
,cinutes oast seven and dressed Tor DIN
ner. and he and Shirley had 1t alone
in her exquisite dining room.
After dinner they went into the az
ioinins room, and shared the nre WIN
their coffee and liqueurs. Shirley aC,
I1aitted that she had been depressed an
dav. she was very silent, drinking her
coffee with half-shut, speculative eyes
"stan. I've often wondered sne
~and presently. "I know how they an
blamed me! But, I've often wondered
did you blame me?" -
stan answered only with laugn.
"No, but did you?" she perslsteo' q
% :p,ane youp I don't remember. Shir-
lev. I guess was pretty well cut up.
He ALWAYS felt uneasy, lately, WIN
zhiTlev. in spite of his incessant desire
for her company. It would be eooo 70
get TO Uplands and find MS aunt III
The aniable, sleepy mood sne alWsyS aye
felt In the country, and margaret 1ie4
simple, self contained ssn.
"Stan"- said Shirley, out Of another
silence. 'I want to tell you something
I was more Of fool than most glrH,
stan I'n not defending myself, put l
crew up too quickly. had an oner o.
marriage before was IS, and TWO more
before I was 16!"
kids" Stan suggested. -. -
"KidsI One was Foster FrisS'-N
"And who were the others?" Stanley
asked interestedly, for he had known
her and all her circle then:
"Joe Pope and Blake Pond--afterwaro
Blake married my sister Cora, sne sup
"Then YOU came along, my dear, and
I adored you-except that l was always
liberated quickly as Stan laughed in
creduIously. "And then we had tne
Randolph theatricals. You remember
that Tom Duncan drilled US ana tnaI
I had the leading part? KNOW
know she interrupted hersen qulckIy
as stan, at the mention OF Tom duncan. ;s,L.
made q mouth Of distaste, I olont nkS
Rraf he HnOT-
raoIIsiy rich, YOU know, and ne had that
Air OF always having everything his own
way- And I was 49, ] always thougnS
of him as an old mamie was AZ.
"Well. anyway, he showed me that ne
admired me tremendously. knew apoue
his wife and children was mao aoouI
you--I didn't want Tom Duncan, nevet
who was buying my trouSseau, you
know. rot into horrible money troubles,
and yol weren't a rich man, Stan,
Shirley broke OF TO say pleadlngiy ana
frettf1y. "One day I cried ana Uoio
Tom about It, and he gave me a thou,
sand dollars in bills-imagine III Ia
never seen so much money in my me.
didn't give mamma all Of it, you may
be sure of that! Well. after that, 1
liked him. And so, two weeks before
our weddinR-yours and mine-when
was all excited and tired, anyway ne
came TO me suddenly
She paused. Stanley, who was look
ing down at his locked hands, did not
"He came to me-" she went on, "and
honestly think he mesmerized me,
StanI He said was to leave with
hirn for the East next day, and he gave
me tickets--I simply obeyed him ike
wei. the glamour didn't last long.
He had promised to put me on the stage
YOU know, and buy big play Tor me
yelous story, like "Outcast."' I didn't
know ANYTHING about the way plays
were bought; believed he might launch
HE did give me money" she added
thoughtfully, and something deep down
inside Stan WINGED and revolted. But
what could ! do with money! cnlio
my age in New York hotel? l cried
for weeks, and that made him FURIOUS:
Finally. he said we would go abroad; l
never had been And few days later
he was taken i'll; We got doctor ana
a nurse-tl1ey both thought was ms
daughter. And he gave me a check Tor
Sl0,000-it had Just come In; tnlnk
he knew he was going to die and leave
me, and his wife still refusing divorce'
So that was all of that.
"My mother came East. and we went
70 Europe. I met Cuyler Theobald in
ItaIy--he had been getting divorce in
France. He was sport, Stan, a heavy
eater and drinker and gambler, but ne
was handsome, and he liked me from
the start. I married him TO try to
make q success Of my life, and his, II
it was possible.
"It wasn't possiblel had almost
four years Of it, Stan-four years in
hell. And then, suddenly, this Spring.
Il didn't seem to me worth while: i
gave up! I told him I'd had enough
I couldn't stand any more. So 1 came
home.
"I'm not going to try TO convince
most people that I'm not simply a bad
woman, running away with one man,
and then divorcing another But you
know better, and am going to try TO
convince you. I want you to know that
II ever q silly, blind girl paid for her
folly, am that girl! And the tragedy
~Tne tragedy Of It all is." finished
Shirley, very low, that I have come to
see, Stan, what threw away. Too
iate!'
The eyes with which she suddenly
faced him were smiling. but there was
q fash of tears on her lashss.
my dear girl" Stan said awkwardly
ending It, "I don't blame you, God
knows. or any other woman who gets
I'd Of a brute. You've had rotten
fav,aa I only hone that in time youI