Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-25

firearms AS a child she had hated the
Fourth of July with its firecrackers and
* torpedoes She had often been ridi-
u cued about this failing. That was the
reason she said nothing of it. But
silence does not lessen fear
ONLY once did she tell her husband Of this
particular dread It was when she saw him
handling the shining little pistol that he kept
IN the top drawer of his chiffonier
"Oh take care!" she exclaimed
He glanced at Ter with amusement that
ehanged to establishment at her pale face.
"Why darling. surely you are not afraid of
o revolver"
"No-of course, not" she tried to lie, re-
membering with shame the ridicule of her
childish days. "Only-somehow dent like
pistols"
He kissed her.
''Then we will put it away" he declared. But
it is really a very handsome revolver, darling"
"It is an unusually small one, too-and looks
almost like toy" She managed to smile, yet
she breathed more freely when he wrapped the
weapon in square of white flannel, laid it
in the box from which he had taken it, then
placed the box in the drawer.
THAT had been three years ago, when she and
! Tom were first married. And now Tom had
been dead for a whole year.
whole year! She still living in the
little apartment they had taken at the time of
their marriage Her brother. Fred Villas, had
suggested at first that she might be happier
somewhere else.
1.-THE associations here must be sad" he
warned her.
She shook her head. "They are sad-but
sweet, too" she insisted Erred, have enough
money to keep this little place. Please let me
stay"
She must do as she thought best, he said It
was evident that he uneasy about her liv-
ing alone. Yet there no help for it. Be-
ing with other people would not make her sad
ness less Tom had been her world-and he
gone. Somehow she had never thought of
his dying. 1t was all so sudden and inexplicable
ct see solution to my life" she said pitt
fully TO her brother THE only way I can
ever be with Tom again is to die-and, Fred.
am too much of a coward to try to die!
do not See"-with a shudder-"how any one
dares shoot himself
why speak of shooting oneself?" the brother
asked. There are other ways of committing
suicide. You haven't pistol here by any
chance, have you?"
How silly of him to fancy she would touch it!
"Tom had one" she answered frankly. He
showed it to me and told me to use it If
ever needed to defend myself. have never
touched it from that day to this. 1t is there
in that top drawer"
''Let me see it." Fred commanded
She handed him the box without opening it.
He took out the small pistol and stood, turning
it over and over in his hand, as if studying It.
There were some cartridges in the box with
Lne weapon ana ne dropped them into MS
pocket.
''Why do you do that?" she asked
"Ill get you others better than these" he
replied lightly. "1ll bring them the next time
come.
He did bring them to her the next day, ana
put them into the box with the pistol. She
noticed that he read the directions on the
lid of the box before closing it.
Where are you going to keep this?" Fred
asked. Il suppose you'll move Toms chifronier
now, won't you?"
YES" her voice broke she replied. 1.-THE
chifTonier be taken out of this room now
AS for the pistol shall keep it in the bottom
drawer Of my desk-where," with faint smile
u need not look at it again. I have old
letters and keepSakes in there"
She locked it away out OF sight and dropped
the key into of the small upper drawers
of her desk.
1t had lain there for a year
She remembered this tonight she dressed
for the evening. 1t was her birthday Fred
had asked her TO go to the theater with him
When she declined, he suggested that it might
be pleasant for her if he brought few friends
in TO spend the evening with her.
1T will be just little celebration for you"
he remarked. you mustn't sit and brood on
your birthday night"
She did not care especially about having anv
one come in, but she did not like to wound her
brother
IA /HAT dear he was! For a whole year she
w had kept him from suspecting all her
hideous loneliness. She did not want any one
TO live with her. Better-far better to be in
her own little hlme by herself than share it
with some one else. There was only one per-
son she wanted-and that was Tom. And she
could not go to him except by getting rid of life
vbar he u,Sc SadF3 ecf /, ioly