Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-07
INSTALLMENT XIV.

Y VELEN rose from the walnut
chaise Tongue and pulled her
self together. She had forgot
Il i ten herself and her troubles for
the first time since they hap
pened. She smiled. Il suppose it's be-
cause mother would have loved it all
So" she said and found her coat and
hat and gloves and bag, and went down
the hall again under the round walnut
frame which held valuable engraved
reproduction of Thorwaldsen's Night
and Morning"
Some one stood at the head of the
stairs leaning lightly against the wall.
She saw, with a little nervous shrink
ing, that it was Ethan, but when he
turned to greet her there was none of
the covert antagonism she had always
felt under his manner. All the charm
and friendliness he had half hidden or
held out and snatched back before were
here now, with no hiding. Perhaps 1t
was because he was in his own house.
AS friendly, as human and simple as
his mother had been, he looked at her,
the curious long gray eyes narrowing
into a friends smile.
You are better? am so glad"
The words were commonplace enough,
but behind them we're warmth and
actually that Helen accepted with a
feeling of peace, At least this trouble
waS gone for apybnT v5o had been
Tilted. No, she wouldn't think about
that all the time!
She smiled back at him unconsciously
on her side, without any affectation Of
the stage aapper.
IT feel like a cool million. I don't
know when I've had such a rest love
your Rrandmothers room-wasnt it?"
Yes, it was. You'd either like it or
hate it. Her personality is so strong in it
still that / believe people who sleep
there might almost be calling on grand
mother. He spoke as to some one who
would understand his language Yes,
they were friends. He was taking her
in as one of his own kind
II felt as if were b1ck home" She
gave him back friendship for friend
ship in those simple spoken words. They
were not antagonists. suddenly.
Did you?" His voice was interested.
yes. You would" He looked at her.
suddenly, as if he had not seen her like
this before, as if he were seeing some
thing new. She wondered why; 50 far
as she knew she was just the same.
Then she realized that she had seen
some one different in him, though the
proud, easy figure, the strong grace and
the gray eyes were not changed. They
we're on common ground. They loved
and knew the same things. The Ethan
whose grandmother had owned the
same green cloth set of George Eliot and
put her feet on the same Brussels has
socks that Helen'S grandmother had,
the Ethan whose grandparents
had been simple and heroic and Senti-
mental about the same Civil War, and
who had told the same jokes about
President William Henry Harrison as
Helen's was more than her friend. He
was her own kind. He was her ally.
They had both known its underneath,
and fought for 1t. Now they were fight
ing no more.
She laughed, suddenly. Helen would
laugh till she died. She made him
curtSy.
IF you please, sir. I am the gov
erneSS."
Anything less like a goyerness, with
all that light and color, had never been
seen in the old KingsWay house.
He laughed too. His face changed
to the most helpless masculine relief
she had ever seen in him. There were
,, places where armored and invincible
Mr.. Kingsway was human, then! Helen,
! womanlike, liked him better for it.
Thank the Lord!' said Ethan Kings
way. You are really going to take
charge OF our little Wllo amman!
"Oh, you really do need me, them"
Helen spoke with pleasure. II was so
afraid your mother was making place
} for me. She is such dear"
Need you'll" said Ethan bitterly.
have done exactly one-half my work at
| the office since she came. and my polo
is rotten, what there is of it. l liked
my cousin John, but no man has any
business to die and leave a child like
that to a busy man and an invalid
woman! You are the first person besides