Evening star., 1932-03-14
Spite Wife Any. % rs,.,,.,

! Oub Ol Tie question: LAldL hddIbila
should be left out Earlier that morn
ing she had conflded to Judy. ITS for
all the world as If madame could know
and see you. Miss Judy. Lands sakes,
wouldn't she be pleased II she could
be here watchin' you an Mr.. Nick get
! in married." Something fine and
simple would have been missing,
thought Judy, II the old servant had
not been present at the ceremony.
And Judy Carter was being mar
ried.
She wore a tweed sport suit Of
browns and tans. A brown and orange
| silk scarf. A small brown felt hat pull
ed down over her brown hair A plain
travelling ensemble. for she and Nick
we're sailing for China on the after
noon steamer. 1t was net even a new
suit-she had bought it earlier in the
| Spring, never dreaming that she was
buying her wedding suit.
Judy found herself remembering
| girl in a white crepe wedding dress.
| A glamorous, romantic girl who had
stood under a white tissue paper bell
and promised to love and honor a
| at all save that he was handsome and
fascinating and could stir the young
! untried heart of her.
| A strange pathway In which she had
set her feet on that other wedding day
long agol A path which led to pain
! and shame, to ecstasy and tears and
death A path which led-in the end
to Nick and happiness.
| Dearly beloved, We are gathered
here today" The deep voice of the
minister waking soft rumbling echoes
| in the carven arches of the vaulted
roof.
NEo--;ol .bo WA, hog,~ ,,aar-io5 -
Nick. No doubt about this marriagel
| No lurking fear or sense Of mystery.
This was Nick, good, kind. dependable
Nick, who would always see her
through difficulties. Nick-true as life
| itself.
"I. Judith, take thee. Nicholas"
Her voice firm and warm, her eyes
sweet and unafraid meeting Nicks
steady gaze. Her heart leaped in
answer to that understanding look.
| Oh, she and Nick were one alreadyI
This ceremony was only a ceremony.
Their hearts were already welded.
voice as she spoke the words; a note
which flashed Mary Lockerbee's eyes
to her husbands face with glad II
told you sol" expression.
1t was overl Nick was kissing her
warmly, tenderly-and for a brief mo-
ment Judy's mind brushed the thought
Of that other ceremony and STAINS
savage defiant kiss.
An almost heady sense Of hghtness
and freedom had seized her when she
and Nick sat down to a wedding
looked radiant, vivid as Mary had
never seen her. 1t was as though some
sparkling wine ran through her veins,
glowing through her cheeks, trilling
through her laugh.
"Oh, da1zGg child. It's glorious to
see you liKSsthAI" Mary conf1ded as
they talked = dafI q few moments be-
fore the lununeon ended.
TITS glorious No be like this!" Judy
said happily. E~HI feel as though I'd
moved out of the shadow into the sun
shine. Mary. Or as though a weight
had been taken OF Of me- Nick al
and escape And now that I have him
share in 1t. Mary, IT'S true-Nick
and really have each other at last!
It's perfect. Everything's perfect
even Marthav' she finished, trihe in
coherently.
But Mary understood her. Martha,
the faithful, was going into Mary
Lockerbee's household. Everything was
as it should be.
The white and gold China steamer
Flags flying. Bands playing. Pas
sengers and visitors crowding up the
steep gangplanks. Crowded docks and
milling decks. The excited feel of the
far ends Of the world. Sadness and
joy of departure.
walking up the gangplank ahead of
Nick, following q deck steward carry
| ing their grips. The cabin-already
overhowing with the roses for which
Mary had secretly telephoned. Judy's
new steamer trunk and Nick's pigskin
grips.
Judy found herself remembering a
heart-broken girl who had tried to run
away on this same steamer, and
terrified and pleading old woman. oh,
madame had been right Better by
far to have waited like this, when they
could have their happiness as a rightl
And in her heart Judy sent up little
prayer to the memory Of the old auto
crat, "I'll be good to your boy, madame.
Oh, promise you I'll be good and
make him happy"
The warning clang for all visitors
ashore! That sound which had once
stricken Judy's soul with the chill Of
disaster. As though he, too, had been
touched by the memory, Nick's eyes
flashed to hers and they exchanged a
lOIlkt Wal 4OOh OClOAc O00y woo III doR-
ed and kissed good-by by Mary.
Standing at the rail beside Nick, wav-
ing good-by to Mary and Tom down
there on the wharf. Seeing the water
widen In streak Of bottle green be-
tween the pier and the white side Of
the steamer.
Swinging out into mid-channel, flags
flying bands playing. The crowd on
the dock a streaked blur now. Goat
Island-Alcatraz like castled fortress.
clipping by. Yellow Angel Island
and the Golden Gate ahead-truly
golden gate now, for the sun was set
ing path Of gold for the proud white
steamer.
But the sweetest time Of all came
several hours later. The steamer was
riding the high seas now. Land had
dropped behind them and on the hori-
zon was the great golden disc of the
Out on the deck, Judy and Nick
leaned on the rail and watched it ris-
ing out Of the dark water. And she
spoke of that long-ago night In the
Lockwood garden when Nick had come
flying out Of the moon to her.
THE night I first really knew I
loved you, darling" she said softly,
her cheek pressed against the shoulder
of Nick's coat, her eyes fastened on the
moon. Now we're in the moon to-
gether-foreverl Now isn't that a nice
thought, my husband!"
"a nice thought, with an exception
ally nice word, my wifel"
Whats the word-forever?"
Though her eyes were still fastened
on the floating golden bubble, she
could feel Nick's grin in the dark, feel
his warm gaze on her face. mo. To-
gether!" said Nick.
(The end.)