Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-17
JTLT'ED


l. even, took up the conversation.
There was tension in the air,
IL and DR.. Gaynor, who felt some
thing but did not know what,
began to move little uneasily, ana
crumbled bread on his plate. Helen
noticed mechanically that one of the
candles was guttering, and of old habit
signaled to Matte to get fresh one.
II hope you haven't made Kingsway
at large feel that he's quite parian,
Nina" he said carelessly. That's the
impression seem to get from people.
Nina's voice was little sharper and
louder SIS she answered.
II am not to blame If ne does things
which make him one. He is, so far as
am concerned"
She had thrown him, quite DELHI
erateiy, then, into the hands Of the
KingSway gossips-Nina, who owed
everything she had or was-to the boys
old father.
Hell never be a pariah to me-" said
Helen, speaking on passionate impulse.
Ethan looked at her steadily across
the little luxurious dinner table. He
could not know that it was out of her
own remembrance of how it felt to be
Inundated in all Kingsway's eyes that
she spoke To him it must seem a
championship built on affection-Ethan
who must be sensitive still, jealous still,
because of Nina's own treatment of him
10 years before. Helen wished he would
speak. But he said nothing. He only
watched her cut of those immutable
steady gray eyes. They could be cold
eyes. They were now.
Nina broke the silence with light
little satisfied laugh.
But. of course. child. Anybody knows
that. Ethan will always have to share
your heart with Ronny I suppose, even
If the first fine careless rapture's over.
Never say you weren't warned, Ethan!
The buttons were nearly off the foils.
Helen, hurt, surprised. at bay, did not
know what to answer. Ethan! was
all she could find to say.
for help. His face changed to care
less expression of amusement, and he
answered Nina as if they had beer
laughing over some veriest trif1e.
Naturally" he said. I've decided
that the only thing to do will be tc
keep her so busy that she'll have nc
time to respond. Patricia is my scheme
for occupying her most of the time
have to be gone, you see, and from nov
ule for her after hours. We're begin
ming with golf tomorrow afternoon"
Nina answered him in the same ligh
key, and the evening ended in {
pleasanter note. Nina had said al
she had to say, and was her mos
amusing self until the end. which
Helen made as soon as possible. There
was nothing out of the way in tn
farewellS. Ethan was silent after TIT
door had closed behind them. Silentl!
he put Helen in the car. 1t was no
for full five minutes after they wer,
alone that he spoke-urgently, almos
angrily.
Helen. promise me to have no NOR
to do with the boy"
Ethan, I can't quite promise that
I'm the only person he has to turn T.
for sympathy or help, And ! know
what it's like myself to feel that no
body has sympathy or belief for you
Ronny needs that in me"
And he's half in love with you"
Nina's virus had worked.
"Oh. Ethan. not
You haven't any way of knowin
that" he said.
Ronny. She was silent. After fey
moments. Ethan spoke, with an OBJ
vious effort at control.
Look here, dafling You say h
needs belief and sympathy and help
If you'll leave the boy alone-pass hin
over to me when he's In one OF nj
scrapes next time-I promise to TAX
over the charge of him. A man littl
older than he is can do a lot NOR
with him than a girl. / promise b
be everything that is kind and under
standing to him"
It seemed a simple promise to make
Helen felt distinct relief, indeed.
Il promise" she said. smiling lit
tie. TITS no treat to me. Ethan, ex
cept that am fond of him. "
lived in the house with him on and OF
~ Il nTratN "a
him a forlorn little boy Of IA when
was IS and Nina brought him dow
to visit mother"
"You can remember me as a forlor
little boy of all ages" said Ethan NOR
lightly. Mother and Marietta are al
WAYS giving you data-I've heard then
And trust me to handle youn
Higginson."
He kissed her, and they laughe
Helen let her burden drop with a ligh
heart Surely, after so many yeal
of taking care of people, she wa
entitled to be taken care of q httl
herself
She was beginning to learn to kno
Ethan better She liked the man sh
discovered even more than the ma
she had supposed she knew. But h
was very different
The steadineSs, almost GOODNESS I
manner, was not in the least the re,
Ethan As he had told her once.
was simply a method of managin
very headstrong and emotions
temperament. Under the control thei
was too great intensity Of feeling.
tendency 10 dash to extremes and tai
things too hard. which he held in chez
only by his ability to laugh at hin
self and his knowledge of the nece'
sity of control.
And so the happy days went on.
was nearly decided now that Helen ar
Ethan would be married in the Sprin
In the middle Of this letter can
from Helen's sister JeSsica. JeSSica hs
planned to come up for the weddin