Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-11
INsrALLMENT XVIII.

r TELEN made herself and Patricia
with excitement. It was the
ii first time she had seen the
group except for an occasional
encounter in the street with Patriots
by her side, or occasionally Marietta
since it happened She dressed with
more care than usual. She had a little
new dress, soft ivory satin evening
length, quaint and charming. She had
bought the satin and made 1t herself
in some of the time she always seemed
TO have such quantities of now; mad:
It with Patricia looking on and helping
run seams excitedly whenever Helen
let her. Patricia's valiantly set I'M
even stitches, over-and-over1ng ths
selvage inside, we're the whole length OF
two breadths, and Helen smiled, think
ing of. them. She had bought red
high-heeled shoes to wear with all the
whiteness. It was a little too much
dressing for a party where half the
girls would come in long-Sleeved frocks,
but Helen felt she needed all the cour-
age her loveliest dress would give her
She stared at the Helen In the long,
shabby mirror Marietta had inherited
from the big house and saw that they
could not say she was worn and I'M
happy because of Tommy. Indeed, as
she leaned to the glass the girl she saw
there was more lovely and alive than
she had ever been, What Doris called
her "conqueringness" was back. She
felt alive. The goldenbrown eyes, the
darkly gold curls, the slim graceful
lines of her body were charged Win
more than the vitality she had had~be-
fore anything had happened. II only
well, she'd cross that /bridge when
she came to it-going home by herself
while they remembered how Tommy
used to march her consciously of
Patricia, bless her little loyal fierce
heart, would be comforts Would II
be SO dreadful, she wondered, to keep
Patricia till she herself went home in
stead of having Andrew come for her
at in the Ford as they had ar
ranged? :. No; she mustn't be q
coward ~. :,
AS the two-Patricia dancing with all
excitement Helen was trying not to
show-came down the steps Of the gate
house, they saw the Ford waiting for
them. But It was not Andrew who was
at the wheel. That soft hat and THAI
loose gray English overcoat was Ethans.
He stepped from the car and came
TO meet her, his eyes dancing. There
was a conqueringness about Ethan, too,
tonight
"T'fn taking you," he said, land I'll
come for you. we mustn't tire poor
old Andrew"
Helen turned to him with frank de-
light. One of the great comforts about
Ethan Kingsway was that she didn'l
have to pretend with him. That firs'
day when she had. in her franticness
and illness, cried out on him and re-
preached men for what Tommy had
done made a sort of little island Of
understand sometimes where they were
together and now that he trusted
her!
"oh. Ethan, you don't know how
happy It will make me-" she said Xix:
q child. I'D hated so seeing the crowd
alone. and-and especially leaving
alone"
And I'm coming for you. II may
I would even ask to be allowed to stay
and watch the Gay Young Oysterman
live by the riverside (you see YOU CAM
expect to keep anything from me that
Patricia knows) If wasn't being 8
city father. But there's something that
win go through tonight if don't squash
: it.
He would always be lord of the
manor. Ethan, whether he admitted Il
or notI
What is .it?"
"Are YOU really interested?"
"Of course. Please don't go on acting
as If was an orange happer."
IT didn't know-there's such lots to
learn about you, Helen. It's about the
Village green, as matter of fact. One
or two idiots want to abolish it, and by
the rule that the people who are most
interested in a thing can always put
it over when the rest aren't looking
they'll get their way unless somebody
stops them
what do they want to do that fori
The lovely golden-green grass, and the
spacious feelingl"
"Well, it's complicated. but there
would be some money in 1t for a couple
of the selectmen in a roundabout way
And you're going to be the SOMEBODY
who stops them"
They aren't going to get away witt
doing q thing like that to the com
rnunity while I have any capacity fol
fighting" said Ethan quietly. Then
more lightly, LET me see the ivor,
satin dress that Patricia made sucl
lots and lots of She's a talented
dressmaker. You're lovely In it."
She twirled on the porch, slipping hel
coat on and tossing it on bsnch fol
the moment.
you look like a Velasquez Infanta
didn't know girls wore dresses lik'
that"
For evening they do. An Infanta-
why that was the King of SPAIN
daughter, wasn't it?" She gave, httl
light laugh. Were all Of US haunte,
with your mothers nursery rhyme
aren't We? I can't forget it either
She pulled her coat on with his hell
and crossed the road with him, gettinI
into his car. He spoke, behind her, a
they began to go.
ST don't want TO-" She heard hi
voice, deep and moved, through tn
dark in the moving car. Heller
:. you are that to me. The King o