Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-30

] tiently, at each other when PIN ana
4 Lily held each others hands at tha
table or exchanged love terms in. Ii
significant tones.
Phil saw nothing of ~
ture. He was In q seve
happiness. But Lily sa
| convince her Of Calls and
tempt and dislike, and,
whip hand, took her reveng
dred little ways quite invisi
imaginable to Phil.
I'VE can't stand It'll" CT
Edith. lunching with her al
| ans Exchange. Has Phil
What does he think we
with it?"
"Yo,: know what she
very first night. Reniep
came down to the lib
Phil and intend to get
! the first possible momen
Il remember But the
yesterday that the house
Pills as ours"
on like this"
7 don't know what we q
told me that the cheapesy
could move to, with the three
and ! dare say another con
oh. Gail, nor
Wen, wouldn't be one bit sui
re TOLD me that the only decent
ne could md were go and rs, and g.
ne simply couldn't pay 1t. They ran up'
; a Dill OF more than 200 at Muliers, you
know, When Lily's clothes were all
burned up. And now that Lily is get
ting nothing from her people, sup,
, pose Phil can't afford it. We never had
any too much, as It was, and Phil has
, SIMPLY aooed four more persons to the
ilst: try. l really do try to be decent
to Lily. I try to think up things that
Will interest her and be reasonable
when she's helping me in the kitchen.
6ut When ! hear q thing such as her
telling sam that Phil has as mu:h right
IN the house as we have"
Then Gail added very low, Some
thing rises up in my very soul and I
feel that ! could murder her!"
wish we could get away, Gail, you
"oh. I mean to! If we rented tn.
corner Tor a gas station and you and I
had that money we could live at
Carmel"
Then that reconciles me- to the gas
station!" Edith said fervently.
Il suppose" Gail summarized It
all soberly, "the only decent thing, the
only square thing. Is to make the best
OF 1t. It's one Of those things that
would be so darned easy-so picturesque
In book. And it's-So hard"
The voice that to Edith was always
brave and gallant faltered little. but
Gail wanted no sympathy This effort
to make the best Of it won't get US any
where" she said.
Yet Edith was quite keen enough to
notice the courage with which Gail
carried the whole situation that night.
The atmosphere. which IN the three
weeks since Phil's marriage had been
charged with dangerous electricity.
cleared. Gail was not only nice to Lily:
she seemed able. with her own peculiar
winning sweetness, to put herself In
Lily's place
For the first time. tonight, she spoke
Of the marriage, its suddenness and
surprise. If Lily suspected some linger-
ing trace of apology In this she gave no
sign, but she frightened visibly and the
dinner table was more like old times
than 1t had been since the Saturday Of
Edith's and Calls return
Phil, in the fatuous blindness Of love.
was radiant with satisfaction, and
Edith dolefully confded to her sister
when they were alone that the effect Of
their heroism would be merely that Phil
would feel now that they could all 20
on living together indefinitely: the
happy family in which men are so
pathetically eager to believe.
mo. he won't do that" said Gail.
For I'm going to talk to him tomorrow
and get everything definitely settled.
Then we'll only have to work toward
our goal Enough money for the small
est overhead expenses We can manage.
and then you and I'll get out, out Of
Clippersville forever"
II love Clippersville@" Edith said
dreamily 81 don't think any one could
love a place more. I always think Of
Clippersville as the sweetest place in
the world"
Just the same, I'm going to get out,
Edith Lawrence!"
And just the same, I'm going with
you. Abigail"
This on a Monday, the last Of Sep
TENDER. On Tuesday. on Wednesday.
Gail looked in vain for her chance to
talk to Phil. On Thursday Gail, going
home to lunch. found Edith and Lily
in q glory Of housekeeping. Edith
was at home because of the sudden
death of young Mrs. Muller, and she
and Lily were making the most Of an
opportunity to straighten out the only
half-occupied house. Lily and Edith
appeared to be working together har-
moniously enough and Gail walked
back to the library at l o'clock moral
izing in her own soul upon the de-
STABILITY Of making the best Of things
in this curious world. putting up with
what could not be changed, enduring
what could not be cured.
The early dusk was settling every
where when Gail returned from the
library. The two elder Cass children
were digging contentedly down at the
end of the garden. Gail saw their
faded blue overalls and dark rough
heads and waved at them as she fol-
lowed the uneven diScolored fiags Of
the path to the side door.
And then Phil in the kitchen chop
ping ice-chopping ice? Lily flying
down the back stairway. with terrible
face-a terrible face
Gail! Edith was hurt"
Edith"
She fell. She struck her head"
This was Lily She gestured with an
arm.
Gail ran through the dark dining
room into the sitting room-the little
sitting room with the books and the air
tight stove. Edith was unconcious on
the couch. her eyes closed. A girl
Mary Rumbold-was there, white and
concerned. watching. not touching
Edith. 'T thought you were the doc
tor. Gall" she said in a quiet voice.
Gail was breathing in great spent
breaths. She could not speak. Her
lips moved soundlessly.
(To Be Continued)