Evening star., 1930-12-11


in the sitting room when he
came in at half-past 8, but no
other light. Margaret was In
. big chair telling Jim q bedtime story.
Instantly Stan came to his senses.
This was just commonplace scene,
and all his half-formed dreams were
bubbles. The placid glance she gave
him, the unruffled calm with which
she continued her story made him feel
suddenly foolish.
When dinner was announced, Jim
curveted away to bed, and Margaret
took the head of the table. Stanley
noted the firmneSs of the thin, brown
hand that served the soup.
Il thought you were going back to
the city" she said presently.
i don't often go back Fridays, {"
Stanley said, nettled.
Margaret did not answer. She knew
that by mere silence she was playing a
trump.
Shirley is coming down tomorrow,
said Stan, scoring a point in his turn.
He was gratified to see her look a
trife dismayed and surprised.
I'm sorry If you mind" he said
politely.
The girl flushed hotly.
quickly. Il was just thinking Of get
ting list to Tony before he goes down
with the milk tomorrow" she added.
II see," Stanley said, smiling, and
lighting a cigarette as Hang carried
away the dessert. 1T occurs to me
that you and I have never been down
here alone before" he said after Q
pause.
II can't remember!" she said, leaving
the table. She went through a. swing
ing door into the kitchen, whence
Stanley heard her voice and the hilari-
Gus accents of the cook.
Stan got out card table; this was
the signal for Russian Bank, and Mar
garet entered into the game with char
aeteriStic ardor. They were finishing a
third game when the clock struck 10
and she would not begin another. But
she fingered in her big chair while
Stanley put the table aside. "Ycu got
a good sleep this afternoon" she re-
minded him. But I'm dead-after our
terrific dayl"
Still, she did not move, and Stanley
dropped into the chair opposite. He felt
deliciously relaxed; he felt he could sit
forever in the presence of this black
| clad woman, dreaming beside this fire
The memory Of the afternoon came
eyes, he tried to imagine her moving
through the trying and terrible times
she had described to him.
Stan studied the relaxed slender fig
ure, the locked fingers, the slightly
dropped head and the seriously drawn
brows. Here in the quiet of the old
sitting room she seemed in exactly the
setting that fitted her. And yet he
thought he would like TO see her in
black velvet, too, in some long, splendid
drawing room-one might build such q
the house in Burlingame-with Aunt
Hats pearls about the brown, round
beautiful column of her throat.
Suddenly he had put out his hand
and, one of her own being laid for a
second on the arm of her chair, his
fingers covered hers.
She looked up, startled.
"Why?"
Gust thinking-how proud you make
me by all that you told me this after
noon2" Stanley said
Margaret answered only by a rather
strained smile. She did not withdraw
her hand, but Stanley felt sudden
motion in the captured fingers.
Instantly sort of heady excitement
touched him, and his own hand seemed
to be thrilling as If with electricity and
all the air family ringing as If 1t might
ring after the silencing Of bells.
Indeed, Margaret knew, and he knew
that she knew, that there was utter
madness in lingering here in this Sc
ductive hour of freight and warmth
and solitude and pleasant wearineSs.
Margaret" Stanley said, out Of a
silence, "is there anything in the world
so wonderful as friendship"
"I was thinking that!"
my dear" the man said, with a
great sigh, "if we had met each other
years ago-I've no right to say this,
I'm not even letting myself think Of it,!
But if we had"
II knowl" Margaret sent him
glimpse Of her eyes, half fearful, half
smiling.
Life isn't ever as simple as that"
Stanley said.
mo, ] suppose notl"
"But do you ever think of it-of you
and me, here, with just ourselves and
our lives to plan for"
He stopped, and after pause she
answered him seriously:
If could stop thinking of It'll"
There was silence, then Stan said
resolutely: