Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-03-03

time being, but it will come back. :"
In the amber gloom cast by the
/ shaded lights. Judy seated herself on
the edge of the big bed.
A curious tableau the shrunken
! form of the old woman and the girl
beside her-filmy skirt of her evening
/ dress spread over the old-faShioned
quilt Her face gentle and lovely with
compassion.
/ Now that Judy was here madame
was oddly content. She lay back
against the pillows and closed her eyes,
worn out by her own insistence of the
past half hour
dream sitting here in the upper
room of this great old house, watching
life snuffed OUT. The shriveled
| hand in the girls was unstirring. Mad
anne was breathing so lightly that the
| folded sheet seemed not to stir and
more than once Judy felt a catch in
her heart as she thought the end had
come
/ In the other room Martha shifted
and mended the fire. The doctor did
something with a test tube which made
the light ring of glass on glass.
The clock ticking up there on
the mantelpiece a mahogany
clock which had licked away so many
minutes of madames long busy life as
the dry rot Of old age was ticking
steadily, ineXorably to the end. The
. End The End Tick
=. tick .. The End. -.
The fire in the other room was re-
f1ected here in this quiet bed room
filled only with the ticking of the clock.
1t darted up in silent bursts of fame.
sending the shadows Of the old-fash-
Toned chairs and tables, leaping up
81 10 MIA u-a1i HhaTniny
animals.
Vera came in. Not the commanding
Vera of welfare committees and golf
Journeys. Vera, huddled in a heavy
brown bathrobe, looking swarthy and
dowdy without her usual smartly tai
lored clothes. Vera-afraid to glance
there at the big bed with the shrunken
little figure.
There's no need for me to stay, is
good in sick room. I've been like
that ever since 1 was q child. But If
you think 1 should I'll sit out here
untll-until she goes. It's my
No need, the doctor told here. little
CURLY He had known Vera Carter
all his life. Had never liked her and
knew, as well, that the old lady had
never liked this granddaughter. That
slim Judy-girl in there worth q
million of these Veras and Anys |
No relation but she was genuinely fond
of the old lady-a blind man could
see that.
Vera went, with no reluctance. TN
be within call Mother, too. But she's
just like I am about sickness. doctor.
And her heart .. if We can't do any
thing might as we'll spare her. ="
The door closing behind Vera The
~ Ttz.a
stairs. The little figure in the bed had
lain motionless with closed eyes while
Vera was in the room but now the grey
eyes opened with a snap and madame
spoke vigorously in her thin voice
-Harpies! I'm on to them e. Rob-
ert was fool to marry that silly wom-
an. Her children are fools, tool Oh"
She turned that sharp gray gaze on the
girl. II remember what I wanted to
tell you. Now heed what I say, Judyi
depend on you. It's about Nicholas
=. my son Nicholas. Hes on the sea
sailing for China. But he'll come back.
Never forgets his mother, bless
him He sent me a shawl. Fine boy
judy"
yes, dear?"
My son Nicholas is a fine boyI Ad-
venture always one for adventure,
he was Now Robert, he only cared
for figures. =. Banks and figures. -.
But Nicholas-ah. fine figure of lad
in his officers blue. Judy, you
must look after Nicholas. :"
Judy realized that the bright old
mind was clouding Nick had become
merged in her brain with the image
of the dead Nicholas.
The frelight-the shriveled old face
on the pillow swan for a moment in
sudden tears while she answered ma
dame softly.
I will, madame I'll do as you
wish"
promise me, Judy! You're all
have to leave Nicholas to when I go.
These others-they're pack of fools!
But you'll look after my boy Nicholas"
YES. darling. Yes, l promise"
My boy never forgot me .
Never too much . trouble -. trou-
bic to come sailing over the
sea. My little sailor lad. . In
blue-I dressed him in blue, Judy :.
with a little sailor hat. So proud.
U. S. S. Glendora-on the band so
proud he was The voice trailed OF,
rose Immediately to sharp JUDY"
Yes, darling!'
You won't go away?"
mo. darling"
Madame's eyes closed. Now and then
she reused to humble but quickly fell
into silence again. The doctor looked
into the anxious blue eyes of the girl
and nodded Not long now" his lips
formed. Probably peaceful. :"
Sleep-that strange state which MINI
les death. Sleep, at the end of long
day . at the end of long life .
So lightly the sheet lay over radame's
shrunken chest that Judy felt her
heart go cold with fear. Madame
caught her breath at longer intervals.
Hours the girl sat there. FER mind a
floating, benumbed thing-now with
Nick somewhere over there on the
other side of the world. ignorant that
this beloved old grandmother was
be there to comfort him when he
learned the news. But it would
comfort him TO know that she had been
here at the end. This much she could
do for Nick
Judys mind touched the earlier
scenes Of the evening. That hectiA
party at Eunices. Had it really
been this same evening? Stan-walk-
ing INTO the tank and Wilson'S
brooding face. Danger there but
she couldn't make Stan see that The
man loved Eunice in his breeding pos
sessive fashion-Eunice and Stan were
fools to stir his smoldering jealousy
like that. But no one could tell Stan
anything
Martha came on her felt-soled shoes
and slipped a cushion behind Judy's
aching back. The woman's face was
puty. her eyes bloodshot from crying.
long interval-Martha and the
doctor looking in. That little ivory
face--so still. Martha putting back
the curtains-and Judy saw that day
rad broken. A saffron streak in the
eastern sky
Then the doctor was bending over
the bed. His eyes-strangely solemn.
His faint nod. chilling her blood.
Martha's sudden loud weeping. Ma
dame mad gone out with the night
On the floor below, at the head Of