Evening star., 1932-02-14
CHAPTER XIX.


| - EORGIAS bitter words dropped
n into the quiet room like a
II I bomb.
each other in silence. There
| was hectic flush on Georgia's thin
cheeks. Her eyes were frightened, but
spite was goading her on. Spite at
Eunice for this public slight in exclud-
! still. and more deadly was the feminine
| jealousy which she had always felt
fer Judy since the first night Nick
Carter had shown his interest in his
pretty sister-in-law.
Judy's face was white and sharp
ened. Her heart was hammering until
it shook her body. but she spoke with
all the poise which she could summon
at the moment. That's funny thing
for you to say to me, Georgia"
The other laughed, mirthless, short
laugh. Its time some one said 1t to
you. You act as if you were blind
it's time some one opened your eyes"
Excitement was turning Judy weak
| and a little sick. She felt a physical
! revulsion against the woman opposite.
1 The tense, thin body burned by its
own violent hatreds. The pitiful fin
| cry. That was it-she was both
hateful and pitiful
Judy drew a long breath. Spoke de-
liberately. Il don't know what you
mean, Georgia, and I'm not sure that
| want to know"
| "Well-some one ought to tell you!
She-Eunice Wilson's got away with
| murder long enough. And you play
right into her hand! Letting Stan go
over there all the time Carrying
on a secret love affair right under your
nose! Secret" Georgia gave a hard
little laugh-"nothing secret about it!
All Lockwood's in on the secret She's
! as crazy about Stan as she could ever
be about any one but herself! She's
always been. And Wilson'S on. He's
going to blow up some of these days,
anG then God help you all! Who does
Eunice think she's fooling g?-sneaking
out to dinner and meeting him up in
the city"
Judy rose. Her eyes were blazing,
but she kept her voice low.
Georgia, don't want to hear any
more. II wish you'd go. please"
| The other woman had risen, too, her
face thin mask of hatred.
"Oh-very noble! But you're going
| to hear! For once some ones going to
talk straight to you. They're carrying
/ on in way that's disgrace to all of
| us! Why-all this last month-when
| YOU were so sick. He was meeting
her about every day And the night
your baby died-he was out with Eu-
! nice. He smashed into another car
and got pinched for speeding and for
| having liquor in the car. He sassed the
cfncer and they put him in jail-over
| night! He couldn't get out until he'd
| got some one to put up bail That's
dy' nj hi
There! You didn't know that, did
you!"
Georgia stopped in frightened tri-
J umph at the stricken expression on
Judys face.
That night of anguish when her
| baby had slipped away from her That
night-which remained in her memory
as nightmare of horror. The nght
which had left scar on her heart,
deep-hidden but never to be effaced.
How she had wanted Stan that night
Grcping out in the black despair. feel
ing for his hand to help her struggle
through 1t alone, while Stan was rid
! ing with Eunice Wilson.
Judy" Sharp alarm in Georgia S
voice: She had gone too far. The
ferociouS despair on the others face
|
she could withdraw the words. Judy,
don't look like that! I'm sorry! May
be it isn't sol was mistaken"
Judy spoke thickly as though her
throat muscles were swollen will you
please go before I kill you!"
Before the blind white fury in her
| face, Georgia scuttled from the house
1t was dead-the new and wistful
love she had felt for Stan since the
birth OF the child. Stabbed to death
by Georgias words. For Judy never
told to make mischief. designed to
send Judy to Eunice Wilson in anger
but certainly they were true.
Judy buried them deep in her heart
Never once did she mention the Incl
dent to Stan. What was there ia
say To drag it out. to talk il
over, was unthinkable 1t would mean
the end between them. 1t would be
somehow disgraceful to talk of that
night.
Judy grew Indifferent and a little
hard. Life held such sordid tragedies
II let one down so. Accept it-laugh
at lt-dont feel too deeply about any
thing. She had been too intense. Siilv
people weren't like that any more
Inc light touch in life-that was the
| ledTnP0
to laugh-and to compromise.
| Stan noticed the change in her man.
ner and a touch of defiance came into
MS own. He was uneasy in her pres
ence. She felt him eyeing her over his
newspaper in the morning, black eyes
half puzzled, kalf resentful.
| But what Stan thought or felt was
suddenly unimportant. Better to drift
along like nis-indifferent.. idle on the
surface OF life. Tragedy lay under
Days, filled with little things. Teas
and matinees. Junior League theatricals
| Coli tournaments at Pebble Beach
Del Monte. Week end parties in Mary
Lockerbee's cabin in the redwoods.
Judy was discovering the whimsical
law OF opposites. Now that she didn't
care, now that she made no effort to fit
In or court popularity, she found her
| self sought after and deferred to. She
| charged clothes to Stan recklessly. Why
| try to save money-She knew that she
and Stan would never have that separ-
ate home she had so intently longed
for in the first few months after their
marriage. Stan would spend the money
on himself and his clubs; she might
| as well put it on her back, thought
Judy. with that new found hardness.
| Eunice hated and feared her now.
Judy, timid and anxious bride, flung
In strange environment, was different
from his poised young matron. Judy
had been taken up by Mary Locker
bees set and though she called them
"stuffy" and professed to despiSe them,
Eunice was secretly awed by this older
set who looked at the Wilson's as rank
upstairs.
On the last of August, Amy startled
Lockwood society by announcing her
engagement to Billy Sumner. No one
expected it-perhaps not even Billy
who found himself rocking in the har-
Dor of engaged men without being quite
certain how he had arrived there.
A wealthy grandfather in the east
had accommodatingly died and left the
bulk of his large estate to his only
| grandson Since the old gentleman had