Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-02


thing like that you don't notice any
thing else except very dimly.
But looking back long after, Helen
was able to see how kind people were.
Helen never liked to remember the first
day, that day she went daZedly picking
up all the threads she had dropped so
gayly. Because in place like Kings
way people are interested. The station
master wasn't a nameless official he
was Mr.. Wentworth, who took up the
collection at the church she went to.
He knew what the ticket was for; he
said, Changing your ticket, hey?" with
friendliness, but also with keen curl
osity.
Changing my plans little, too" she
was able to say with fair imitation
of her naturally gay smile. She took
the money back with vague relief.
Now the thing was done; now she could
do the next thing, which was to get
back her position at the bank. She
telephoned Mr.. Delamater. He was
everything that was kind, and, she saw,
unhappy. So he'd heard, too.
I've been trying to get you at the
house." he said.
Its locked and haven't the key"
she said. He made little shocked
noise.
You must come and stay with us
till you can turn around" he told her.
-. Which seemed browning horror.
But it wasn't. He dropped everything
and met her on the deserted porch at
Nina's. He put her suitcaSes into his
car and took her to his house. And for
once he had asserted himself, for Mrs.
Delamater neither purred nor scratched.
Helen had braced herself for both or
either. She knew that Mrs. Delama-
ter had not wanted her to marry
Tommy. She supposed, therefore, that
she was none too sorry at what Tommy
had done.
But she was incapable Of anything
but paSsivity. She had heard always
of Mr. Delamaters weighty personality
and kindneSSeS, too. She had never
seen much of anything but the kind,
worried, rather henpecked man, pri-
marily Tommy's father. Today Helen
saw with a dimmed surprise that he
could take the reins in his own hands
even at home.
Helen had been in the house before,
of course. The last time she had en-
tered the house 1t had been the
engagement party -.
Nina, always lavish in the right
places: had insisted on buying her a
dress for the occasion. They had been
driven over In state, she and Nina, by
Hiram. It had been perfect day, cool
and yet sunny. There was long mir
ror at the turn of the stairs, where
they went up to put Helen's hat and
Nina'S coat and fur on the bed of the
guest room. And Helen had seen her
self, with Nina like a maid of honor a
little behind her, as they descended.
The white chiffon with its patterning
of black roses, fitting cunningly and
R1nCn waist
flaring out In an eXtravagant swirl Of
yards and yards down to black satin
slippered feet. The quaint close short
sleeves, the French toss of wide green
satin bows and long ends at one side
of the waist, where she pinned the big
knot of small yellow orchids Tommy
had sent. The long chain of black and
white crystals Nina had lent her. And
above 1t all, her own bright excited
face, her short burned-gold curls fill
eted in by q twist of the green satin
ribbon around her head, so that her
hair, not yet long enough to pin up,
made a frame for her face along her
neck behind.
The girl in the mirror, in the blue
suit and blue shoes, holding hand
bag very tightly and abSently, had a
face from which all excitement and
color had been taken. Her eyes stared
and were dull, like a dolls. .Her mouth
was closed tightly, as II she was afraid
she would cry. And behind her the
little black thin figure of Mrs. Della
mater had its powdered insignificant
face composed to an expression of de-
cent mourning. Was there an express
sion Of qualification under the air Of
superior pity?
Mrs. Delamater was being kind. Re-
member that. Kind -.
III Ia &I1a Nd M
guest towels. Four hand towels en-
broidered in forget me-nots and two
bath towels with guest on their bor-
ders. The bedspread had been fussily
thrown back before she lay down, three
neat folds. There was a system OF
curtains like a layer cake, at least
three sets at each window. There
were very ennobling notices about.
"sleep sweet within this quiet room
o thou who'er thou art,
And let no troubled yesterday
Disturb thy quiet heart"
Commanded the bed, and there were
others by the pier-glass and the bureau
Evidently lots of people bad troubles
or they wouldn't sell so many notices
like that.
Presently-it seemed like a very long
time and no time at all--MrS. Dela-
mater came up TO fuss over her.
8. A pity you announced 1t 50
publicly" she was saying from far on
but young people are always SO precipi-
tate!"
TT was Tommy who wanted to-
Helen said with dry lips.
"Ah-my poor boy-he was so young
Helen didn't know how much more
she could stand of this sort of thing
Mrs. Delamater was wriggling the blame
for TommyS behavior slowly but surely
in HelenS direction. In a few min
utes Helen would be made to under.
stand, too furtively TO face and deny 1t
that she had entrapped Tommy.
Mrs. Delamater, it's hard Tor III
both, my being here" she said, sittin(
UP, with her head aching intoleranly
Tommy asked me 70 marry him ant
then threw me over, and your HUSBAND
had me come here because 1T was bette
for people to see that you both and
were friends. But we can't talk abou
Tommy, because we can't look at wha
ne did the same way. oh, Tommy s.
despicable and so obstinately dear yeti
Mrs. Delamater arched her thin
powdered neck looked first inSulted ant
then forgiving. She evidently remen
bered in time that Helen had to be pro
pitiated into helping shield Tommy
name. That she had urged him int.
breaking the engagement Helen believes
but had no way of knowing.
"Well, we must just love each othe
and be, kind" she said, smoothly, pat
ting Helen's reluctant hand. Helel
hated her But after that she was bet
ter. because she talked about the thin
She had really come up to talk about
what face to put on this to the village.
She and Mr.. Delanlater thought
seemed that the thing to do was to tel
every one that the marriage was post
poned.
gwen If he marTies Kay Hefne
mann?" said Helen, though the word
cut her lips TO speak.