Evening star., 1932-09-15
INSTALLMENT XXXII.

INSTALLMENT XXXH.
w YHEN Jean had been physi-
A cally LII. Marcia had sent
wv her to her mother, in that
little Adirondack village,
where she herself had been
born and reared, and where in the
ruggedhess Of mountain beauty she had
gained strength Of body and soul to
bend life to her will. Now, Jean was
mentally Ill, sick with love for man
whom Marcia sincerely believed to be
unworthy Of her. So she conceived the
idea Of once again sending Jean to
that remote. inaccessible place, under
the sympathetic care of her mother.
To her surprise, Jean agreed.
Little Jimmie offered the real prob
lem. His father was coming to take
him away, and Jean had grown to
lote the child 30 dearly, that 1t was q
terrific wrench Of her affections TO give
him up.
Jim numbered his way into the apart
ment, almost smelling of the soil to
which he had adapted himself with
30 much inherent love. Now, all he
needed was this child, so strangely all
his.
He looks grand, JEANNE" he said
tears moistening his eyes. you sure
have been good to him I'll
pay you back some day"
Never mind that, Jim. He's paid
for his keep many times over by the
pleasure he's been to us. haven't you
Buster? I'm sending the nurse down
for week Jim. SO she can teach you
and cheese, mind-you do just as you're
told. And keep him outdoors as many
hours a day as possible"
II will, JEANNE, I'll do everything
you tell me-I'n write it all down.
We'll be two bachelors, together. eh,
Jimmie? Look at him, he knows his
papa, don't he?"
HE certainly does. Bye bye. Snook-
ums-be kind to your dad. Good-by
Jim, and good luck. Let me know II I
can be OF any help"
Jean closed the door behind them,
and then looked out the front window
until they disappeared from sight.
Marcia came home and DR.. Junet with
her. They we're all going to drive to
arcias home.
How is Martini" she asked DR..
Junet
"Better-much better. He is going
away In q week or so.'
Jean did not tell him that she
already knew that, and she never asked
for him again, because two weeks later
she read in the society columns that
Lillian walker. her father and Martin
webster had sailed from San Francisco
for Honolulu. This she took as an
indication that Martin had finally
given her UP.
As for Martin, he had not agreed to
TY,x i{ax 81 tn
finally convinced that Jean had indeed
not forgiven him for the episode con-
cerning her brother. Her very refusal
to answer the phone or his letters con-
vinced him. Jean had never received
his letters, for Lillian had seen that
they were not mailed. And Marcia had
guarded Jean from the telephone calls.
So it happened that when they were
both at the point Of a reconciliation
their friends conspired to put half the
world between them
Now, Jean was in the mountains and
Martin on the way to Honolulu. all
concerned breathed freely. Lillian
Walker was convinced that Martin
would marry her at last. Wlrren Hill
felt equally sure that If lie could get
Jean to come back to work for him
that he would win her by the very force
of his love. And Marcia and the doctor
were In league to get her to marry the
latter and sail for France before Martin
returned
Marcia's mother was o sweet, God
fearing soul, and Jean sat at her knees
through many long evenings and lis
tened to the homely philosophy of this
woman who had lived simply. but fully.
1T isn't so much the man you marry,
dearie," she said, but your attitude
toward marriage itself. II you are
thinking more Of giving than receiving,
then it is apt to come out right. Never
forget that children are the very
Of any happy union-your rea-
son for being woman"
But suppose the man I love doesn't
want children? What would YOU do
about that?"
"The man who would ask that Of
you, my dear, does not possess the
spiritual qualities to merit girl like
you. It would end in disaster. Better
be done with that kind-they are not
for you"
In this way the seeds we're sown
that resulted in another marital dis
aster. DR.. Junet and Marcia came UP
for week ends during Jeans stay in the
iilOuutdulS. MIS-. EdSdll IllOllicI Gu
Victor as she did Jean, and lauded him
when he was gone. She agreed with
that a marriage between these
two would undoubtedly result happily.
Thanksgiving passed and Jean was
niorose all day. She had nothing to
be thankful for.
Jean and the doctor had gone for q
hike, though 1t was now very cold.
Stopping to eat their sandwiches and
drink coffee from the thermos bottle
they had brought along, Jean listened
rs she could not have listened a few
weeks ago. Martin was still her lover,
Her love for him would endure for all
time. But in the meantime, loneliness
gnawed at her heart, and DR.. Juhet
had been q refuge to her ever since she
had walked into his Office that first day.
To this preponderance in the doctors
favor was added Jeans inexperience,
her utter youth. True, she had suffered
what seemed one disastrous experience
after another, ana rightly perhaps she
should have gained judgment, but an