Evening star., 1930-12-10
The Secret of
MARGARET YORKE

Packer, was one Of the first 10 90. !
lltifsed her, fretted over my boy.
was afraid. Stan. and GOT the puhish-
ment Of people who fear"
that's your sorfow?" Stanley asked, In
husl1ed voice.
'No she answered slowly, not meet
ing his eyes. But one day I knew that
"Tell me, Where is the child, tnens"
Stanley asked.
"iieip me, she faltered suddenly, her
strange look leaving his face slowly
and fastening itself upon the sleeping
me sorry told you'll
"Jiml" Stanley Whispered, In stupe-
faction.
Margaret did not answer in words.
But she rested her young cheek against
the childs splendid mop Of hair and
shut her eyes, and Stanley saw bitter
tears start from beneath the lowered
thick lashes and that her beautiful
mouth was quivertng
Her violence had half-awAkened the
child. She rose and carried him to the
| big couch beside the fife.
Then, meeting Stanlsy's gase for the
fifst time, she came back to her chair
and sat down in 1t again.
Now you knowl" she said simply.
"Jin1's mine. He's what has kept me
here-what would have kept me here
through fire and wateri"
Her voice broke and stan came over
to kneel beside her chair and put his
arms about her.
"You see, / happened to know old
Mr.. Trowbridge, Mrs Cuttings lawyer, 7"
| Margaret resumed. "Af1d ne had told
me once of her anxiety to adopt q
child. So when knew how desperately
| Ill 1 was / telephoned him, He came
at once. Jim was fretting in his crib,
poor babyl-he hadn't even been fed,
and signed him away-I had to.
thought that in a few hours I would
be gone where ! couldn't feed him and
sent his housekeeper to get jim that
night and to see what she could do
| for me. but had sent Jim to O neigh
boris and she found him there. and they
told her that had been taken of I'd
the hospital, unconscious and dying
' Il ' hardly VI srasped It All. as 1 began
to get well. Something had snapped in
side me, and dragged on for. weeks
alive somewhere, but too weak and too
SAD TO care much-to make any eff
fort. But. after while I did drag my
self to New York, and saw Tfow-
bridge, and we talked. There was Just
one thing in the world I wanted-my
baby. So Trowbridge arranged that !
was to come West, and he gave me
p letter to your aunt. He said that he
knew me to be q gentlewoman and able
to do her secretarial work and entirely
accustomed to small children.
"It was Just what she wanted: I'd
hardly hoped as much as that. got 10
San Francisco here on a Thursday, and
on Friday came down to see Mrs. Cut
ting. My baby was asleep in q gorgeous
perambulator on the side porch. we
talked, and It was arranged, and then
she walked with me to the coach, and
I saw my JIM hadn't seen him fof
four monthsl She didn't tell me that
day, or for weeks, that he was adopted
80 the next night found myself
putting him to bed, Stan. / ilevet
dreamed Of keeping the secret 50 long
But to tell 1t would have been to break
my oath to Trowbridge and to bfeak
| your aunt's heart, and perhaps to ex-
pobe Jim to his father again, and
didn't dare risk that"
HE doesn't even know there was 4
baby?" Stan asked, after a pause.
"Oh, no; he never willl" Margaret
said fervently.
And for a few minutes she remained
thoughts far away, her breath CROWNS
quieter and quieter and her eyes abb
sently fixed upon space.
You know, used to think you were
so horribly uf1appr0ae aehable, Mafgafet,
Stanley said, In the delicious first stage
of intimacy at last. II had no idea
that you would ever really like me OF
yqui," -. CO..
| him fv1 fIna gASsn6 Rs.cav1a-~Ill~@ AS,aa
had used before. "And I hope we will
always be friendsl You see, your being
Jin's euardiaf-"
"And he's yoursl" Stanley marveled,
rnusing.
That's what has kept me here, Of
course, in spite of Shirley's hints, -
Margaret explained, anxiously watch
ing him.
'In fix hsrzshe's awfully good-na-
tured, really" Stan assured her.
Once you are married, you could
arrange to have us stay here at the
farm, perhaps?" Margaret suggested.
She won't want to be here, very often.
Or Jim and I could go away? He will
have that magnificent allowance until
he Is a, ana we can. live anywhere"
Stanley reached for her hand and
held 1t again.
ct think this baby Is waking up"
she said neryously. anxious to escape,
better tonightl I'll get Nora"
She went away, and after few min
utes Nora came in, to find Jim climb
ing over q chair like q marmoset, and
carried on the child. Margaret did not
return. Stan threw himself on the
couch and dozed for an hour, and then
wandered out to the sunporch to find
the child busy with stone blocks.
where's Miss Yurke, NofA?"
"She laying down. Mr.. Crittenden.
She's asleep, I should say. She asst
would tell you good-by," said Nora
"f'rii not going UP to townl' Stanley
said shortly. He went to his room and
started fire in the alright stove. He
felt delightfully."- thrilled by those muir
INJURED condolences, BY that hoiif Of fes
Taxation, by Margaret's extraordinary
story
Continued In Tomorrows Starr
RESORTS.