Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-04
INsrALLMENT XII.

~ NE day, as she was sitting try
ing to take dictation from Mr.
Delamater, everything went
blank in her mind. She sat
staring at him blindly.
'Why. my dear child" she heard him
say with concern, what is the matter?''
And she answered, staring at him
pallid and frightened. Il don't know
The words-I can't make them mean
anything"
Here, drink this" he was saying
making her take some water with spir-
its of ammonia in it, which surprising
" he kept in his desk. She sat back
and tried to smile at him.
I'm terribly sorry" she said. i
think can go on now. dlon
mean"
you've had a good deal of strain
Now, want you to do me favor. Let
vacation-just as if you were my daugh-
ter, as / hoped you would be. You are
not at all we'll"
IT couldn't, Mr.. Delamater. do APP
preciate more than you can know the
splendid way you've seen me through
all this. 1 didn't know anybody could
be so good and kind But couldn't
tafe-Tommy's fathers money"
she did not realize that she had been
cruel till she saw him vince.
Il cannot tell you how much 1t
would please me if you could feel like
doing it." said Mr. Delamater, almost
humbly.
win you let me think about it?"
asked Helen. her old desire to make
people happy coming to the front,
Though she didn't really intend to, in
her heart.
you are seriously in need of rest and
change" Mr.. Delamater said.
He made her go home after that.
She went. slowly. She couldn't be
ill-she couldn't. That was all there
was to that. She was shivering all
over. And she wished-oh how she
wished-that she was going home to
her pretty bed room at Nina's with
Nina's casual orders to the maids for
her comfort, and the maids affection
ate running hither and yon to see that
Miss Helen, whom they adored, was
comfortable and resting properly and
had a pretty tray with the right food
on it. and a spray of flowers. and A..
Helen pulled herself up. There was
the little ugly room with its golden oak
dresser and white painted iron cot, and
a good nourishing dreary supper, and
there was no use thinking about what
she couldn't have.
She came home, and picked up her
mail mechanically from the oval
mirrored walnut hatrack as she passed
through. 1t was only a letter from
Tacy, and a couple of circulars. She
locked at them idly-one was an
advertisement of furniture. She drop
ped it into the waste basket as if it
had pricked her fingers. The next she
dropped YEARLY into the red-howered
pasteboard thing without even looking
at it, Then she opened the letter from
Tacy It was kind, it was worried.
But Tacy was saying something-what
was this, about it being on her
conscience to tell Helen the truth?
You ought to know that that old cat
of a Mrs Delamater is telling it all
around that you bounded Tommy into
getting engaged to you, and he had to
go eff TO the West to break it. l should
have told you when I saw you, but I
hadn't the heart :"
So that was why poor old Mr.. Della
mater, only honorable member of a dis
honorable family, had felt so guilty to-
wards her; why he had wanted her to
go away -. F.. 1t was a final blow, Just az
a time when Helen was too nearly Ill to
stand anything more.
Thsre was letter from Jessica, too
full of fury at Tommy and little an
noyanCe at all men. Lester was so cross
because she'd bought such a beautiful
layette, as if you could do too much for
a babyl
Suddenly the room became unbsar-
able to Helen. and she rose desperately
to go out With the instinct which
makes a proud mother snatch every