Evening star., 1932-02-21
Spite Wife 1,. % 1:,..,:; ~

Judy of the sweet, grave eyes, the warm
lips. Here, better not think OF her
lips!
The moon rosa flat, white moon,
floating clear of the black peaks. 1t
flooded the small clearing with cold
silver. Trees were masses of inky shad-
ow, and the tinkle of the stream had
an icy sound.
Nick called Judy to look at it. and to-
gether they stood in the flood of moon
light just outside the cabin door.
The girl had pulled one of the
army blankets about her to protect
against the biting cold. She looked,
swathed in its folds, her ruff1ed head
squaw, the man thought, with a flash
of tender ridicule. He folded his arms,
as though to keep them from going
around the slight, absurd figure.
And the tension they had each known
III there was doubled out here in the
magic of the mountain night q =.
Standing close to NickS elbow, Judy felt
the compelling force of the man, felt
an almost irresistible desire to creep
into his arms. Instead, she moved a
little apart and rushed into nonsense
to ease the tension.
THE moon in the sky is custard
pie" She laughed. What do you see
in the moon, Nick? Only mans face
There's a girl. too. A pretty girl look
ing up from the lower right hand cor
ner, if a circle can have corner! dis
covered her when I was about ten years
old. Her name is Dorothy. Don't ask
why Dorothy-I guess it was because
I liked the name best"
Did you ever see the birds in the
moOn?" Nick asked. And there was a
queer tightness to his voice when he
tried to speak lightly. Look at the full
moon through a telescope some Sep
tember night. You'll see little specks-
and after a while it'll dawn on you that
they are birds flying across the face of
the moon. Birds, migrating. mile
above the earth"
I've never seen birds in the moon,
but once 1 say a bird man fly out of
the moon" Judy was beginning lightly
Suddenly she stopped. Her eyes going
s.jwly up, found Nick's eyes fastened
on her face. Their gazes locked and held
and then again, conjured up by her
words, the magic of that Summer night
IN the garden was upon them. Upon
them with the terrible, devastating
force of Spring freshet
Their desperate barricade of casual
ness was swept away. leaving them fac
ing the hunger of their love- Leaving
them faced with the thrilling fact of
each other-With the dangerous isola-
ton Of this mountain night
hunger, like pain, sharpening
Nicks face. "Oh, Judy. :" His
whisper was like sigh. And she was
in his arms, his lips hard against her
own.
Fire rushing through her veins. and
a warm rush of tears in her throat.
Loneliness doubt of the last month,
dropping from her like shabby cloak,
leaving her glorious in the freedom of
her love.
Her arms crept around Nick's neck,
Darling. . My darling :"
when she fell asleep.
Darling I can't help it. love
you so. :" Nick's words like a
groan as he gathered her to him
Hush don't talk. E" Her
arms gripped him tightly, Words would
drive them apart again. His arms about
her-his lips on her lips-this was all
she wanted. Nick-holding her closely
Giving in at last to the love he had for
her. This was what she wanted.
And. strangely enough. in that mo-
mert of sweet glory Judy was subcon-
sciously aware of the murmur of the
stream. To her sharpened senses it had
taken on a deeper nOte-a clamor as of
many voices-alarmed voices 1t had
gotten into her bodybuilding through
her viens-singing in her ears-a rush.
ing uncurbed stream, clamorous with
alarm-sWeet with danger
She seemed to hear it even when Nick
pushed open the cabin door and drew
her into the room.
TomWroW-The Reckoning