Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-03
INSTALLMENT X.

N the week That followed MargaISI
Yorke and Mrs. Cutting found use
for every particle OF patience they
could muster. Shirley Theobald
took complete possession OF Up
lands, and everything that occurred
there. was arranged with reference TO
her comfort or desire.
Shirley began by being everything
that was sweet, enthusiastic, apprecla-
tive. She was tired, she pleaded, she
didn't want to interfere with anybody's
plans, she just wanted to lie here In one
Of the great wicker chairs and rest.
After the first few hours, everything
that Shirley said and did Jared upon
Margaret; she found herself respond
ing heavily and with effort, her smiles
hurt the actual muscles of her face, and
her whole mental, moral and spiritual
being seemed to be metamorphoSed into
something unmanageable, irritable ana
strange.
Mrs. Cutting was at first in an equally
uncomfortable state, with her own type
Of heartache and resentment. She told
Margaret twenty times, on that firSt
Saturday afternoon, that II Shirley
Theobald was to stay at UplandS she
herself would go home. She disllkeo
the girl, and Stan must have known 1t!
How could Stan be so blind-how
could Stan be so blind+ she and his
aunt asked each other, asked them
selves in their souls q hundred times a
day. He was so big, SO clean and simple
and unspoiled. How could he think
this pretty, selfish little egotist every
thing that was admirable and flne in
woman?
Yet that he did think her SO, they
could not long doubt. Stan was at first
a trifie apologize at having brought her
down to them with only few hours
warning. But as Mrs. Cutting and Mar
garet rose to the situation, welcomed
Shirley cordially, the conviction that
he had done a wise and clever thing
grew upon Stan.
He was fitfully gay, too gay, fever
ishly eager always to have some plan
afoot, telephoning other people to come
down to Uplands and join them or rae
ing on with Shirley in the roadster to
attend some party or dinner. And be-
tween these spasmodic times Of hilarity
he was nervous, sensitive, silent. His
look was always moving quickly about,
as If he suspected pitfalls everywhere
in the conversation, in the domestic
routine, in the days plans. He answered
his aunt with yelled and restrained
politenesS worse than any abruptneSS,
and he quarreled openly with Hang and
Battersby.
For Shirley's conversation he always
had quick, smiling attention, but he
gave only an absent-minded. nervous
sort of notice to what the others said.
with Margaret he presently grew abSo-
lutely sharp.
II wish you wouldn't always oppose
my plans" he said, smiling patiently,
on the Thursday morning that seemed
to Margaret five months rather than
only I'VE days away from Saturday
afternoon of Shirley's arrival.
I'm not opposing your plans. Mr..
Crittendenl" Margaret answered, stung.
THE Riverses and the Cannons are
coming down today. and that's why I
told Carrie that we wouldn't want the
box luncheon for Santa CRUZ"
"Ohi" Stanley said, ashamed. "Oh, I
See My fault. I'm sorry!"
Margaret, putting glasses and . mix
ture of gay field and garden blossoms
into q glass bowl, did not answer. A
lump came into her throat.
I'm sorry, Margaret" Stanley said
again, ct her elbow, very low.
The look in her dark blue eyes, q
pleading, . sorrowful look, shone
through o sudden hot hlm Of tears. He
knew that 1t was excruciating to her to