Evening star., 1932-08-13
BABES NBRo oAOWAY
: by AME Ozxo~

Tom Stewart brushed Tony's hand
with his lips.
It know-now. I wrote to you many
times. Times when pride stood at my
elbow and Knocked at me for persist
ing. I wired The letters, the wires,
too. were waylaid. Somebody got them
first"
Tom, how could they?"
The answer for Tony was already
drifting in q fog Of recollection across
the visionary screen which is the sec
ond sense of being. Mrs. Higgins stuff
fing a letter into her apron. Merely an
advertisement Lee holding the second
page of a letter for her, Tony, to read:
Some day. maybe"
"I-I-don't-kn Tony cleared
cobwebs from her minds eye with the
hand Tom did not possess. Il read one
of your letters to Lee-she showed 1t
That letter was written before met
you, Tony"
How do you know?"
Lee has confessed"
1T was Lee-who sto--who took your
letters?"
Yes, Tony"
why? Why did she do it?"
God only knows. l believe Lee was
little bit daft. Having all the things
she'd always longed to have went to her
head. She didn't want me, but she
liked to think she could have me II she
did want me"
Tonys head reeled Thank heaven
for the lean, brown fingers that held her
to sanity.
1T was Lee who took your letters
those you sent to me?"
''YeS Lee t00k them I"
Drifting olleotions-drifting down
a shipped stone stoop. Lee? Couldn't
be sure. The car was pointed the other
way. 1t disappeared through the far
end of the street.
"Tom-if only you had come back
then. There's some one else now. Some
one to whom ! owe everything. You
know about jock Selden. 1 had moth
ing to do with what happened"
mo one had anything to do with
what happened to Selden except Selden
himself. He drank too much. He was
in the room with Lee. He went to the
window. The melancholia that had
possessed him for months must have
taken him by the scruff of the neck.
He stood by the window and finished a
bottle of wine. Then, suddenly, he
plunged"
Tonys face was hidden in the crook
Of her arm Toms hand smoothed back
the cap of bronze curls.
Lee is having her punishment" he
said. She loved Selden. As much as
woman of her kind can love man."
Love! What had Tony to do with
loveP Love came too late.
Tom she said drawing her hand
away from caressing fingers, I'm wait
ing for the man l expect to marry"
Tom Stewart reclaimed not only the
hend Tony had withdrawn but its
mate.
There's no use waiting, Tony" he
said. "The man you're going to marry
is here"
Tony thought: must escape from his
hands. I dare not look into his eyes.
l must be fair-Denald Kemp his
wife. ..
I'm waiting for Donald Kamp," Tony
said, resolutely, and struggled to release
her hands.
Kemp isn't coming" Tom Stewart
held her hands the tighter. I've come
in this place. He understands, Tony He
got the truth from Lee. About the let
ters, and what happened to Selden.
He called me at my club when he came
back from Haven Beach. I went to
his room at the Carlton and he told
Hlc-tFci iJtilliiS' hcllP man IA O
million. Just as you are a woman in a
million It's as he said. There are wom-
en- in this world who love once, and for
always. They're rare, but they do exist.
You're one Of the rare kind. Men are
not, as a rule, so stanch. But I love
you, Tony. ! couldn't love again-after
you" -r-~
Tony faltered, 1T couldn't bear to
think of Donald-being unhappy"
Kemp is not unhappy" Tom said.
AT least he is not so unhappy as he
would be having you and knowing that
you belonged to some one else. He's
decent. He's thoroughly right. If he
wasn't, I might not be here. I'd be on
my way to South America with lead in
my feet and aloes in my heart"
South American" Tony's hands
ceased to struggle. They ciung
That's our next stop. Tony. I've got
chance down there, my first big
chance. can't put it through without
you"
But, Tommy name-Antoinette
Brookes. You can't marry a woman
whose name Is spread across first pages
of scandal sheets"
After tomorrow your name will be
Mrs. Tom Stewart. Antoinette Brookes
VIII be ahsolved, as far as the Selden
aHaH Is concerned. II viii take time to
scratch the name off the hectic list,
but We won't worry about that. Well
be in dobe hnuse where the blue be-
gins and wondering IL Joe is tuning up
the coffee tez breakfast"
My l take my drawing boards?" 1t
didn't really matter Only the 'dobe
house, which one day would be a cot
tage on hilltop, mattered.
Special luggage for Mrs Stewards
art kit. Tom was drawing Tony close
| There's color where we're going. Tony
Reds and greens. Orange and purples-
colors that eat into you, colors you
won't forget ;"
Toni Tony's body was tense. her
/ eyes wide with vision that was rev.
elation. The Spanish shawl! Magenta,
! with purple and orange and green
blurbs on it. 1t was on Lees piano.
In her apartment. Mrs Higgins was
wearing 1t one evening when I went to
! her house from the studio. I knew ]
! had seen 1t somewhere.
The shawl was part of Lees paw
ment to Mrs. Higgins for holding out
! your letters. 1t seems impossible, doesn' i
IT. that so small thing as a Spanish
shaWl could have separated us. Well
GhrtHtahelr!rtan