Evening star., 1932-07-24

Pretty soon-Im likely to want to-let 60.
almost did-a while back. Don't let me-
Got to-haye time"
Again and again in the terrible half hour
that followed, as she did her pdtiful bsst for
the patient named John Helm, Christine mar
veled that against what he was enduring,
months-years-a lifetime could weigh with
importance
There were intervals-brief, inexplcable is
lands Of partial relief in the whrlpools Of
pain. In one of these the opened his
eyes and spoke.
II know what you're thinking"
Now that the pain had monentariy sub
sided he wus talking on doggedly, as If to out
wit the next assault by q counter attack Of
words
You're thinking, Here's an old fool who's
outliyed his best usefulness anyhow. hanging
on like dog with bone, to a problematical
few months Of Hfe-because he's afraid to take
a plunge in the dark
You're dead wrong girl. That plunge is
going to be the greatest adventure life has to-
offer me-now. This old earth loses good
deal Of its star dust by the time you're g.
II know" said Christine I mean," she
plunged on, appalled, at the enormity of her
betrayal, "you get to wondering when you're
all alone in ward at night with everything
going wrong and suffering all about you Life
is such a ruthless business sometimes, at best.
Why struggle and suffer, just
An, but It's the fight that makes II worth
while That's why your milk and honey heaven
has little pull for My
life has been fight of a sort I'm hoping
that the plunge, when it comes, will land me
in the plumb middle of the sweetest scrap ever.
THAT fellow Browning had the idea-'Speed
fight on-fare ever there here!' Only
it will be new kind of fight. Life in new,
undreamed-of dimensions is my bet.
Say! Columbus steering into the west
couldn't have conceived the thrill I'm going to
get when my turn comes. 4. But it can't
be yet
He was speaking rapidly now in a feveris1
with the devastating tide of pain which
rushing in upon him.
There hasn't been day in the past six
months when couldn't cheerfully have stepped
over the edge-until now
Perhaps you don't read the papers? 1t
wouldn't make much of noise, anyhow-this
crash of ours I wasn't swimming with the big
fish. Our stockholders the small investors.
They-they trusted me with their little savings,
and well, fell down them.
"All my life I've boasted that no had
ever lost cent through me. You see. now.
why I'm telling you this, girl, because want
you to give your mind to this job
Gasping. he fell back into the black abyss
Of torment that yawned to engulf him.
CHRISTINE bent to her work with frown
of concentration. 1t was beginning to
click now-John Helm-Helm & Maitland
There had been headline in the paper ON
the dresser. barely glanced at before she laid
it aside-the failure of the firm, the disap-
pearance of Maitland with valuable securities,
the prompt action of the elder partner in turn
ing his own private properties into the hands
of the adjustors. She must glance at it by
and by.
A dozen times in the next few hours, she
went down into the depths with the patient
called John Helm to up, herself white
and shaken. There were periods when he
whispered and writhed like a suffering animal
There were times when he talked feverishy
about his partner, Maitland, and about some
bonds which had somehow disappeared, and
which would make everything right If they
could only be found
Funny where I put them. Twenty thou
sand would clean the slate. Right there some
how M,lcf he Had them the daV-I heard