Evening star., 1932-03-12


amazed girl. Surprise, beWilderment,
a sort of Saddened dismay Nick,
visitor from another world. disturbing
the gray calm of her days -.
May I come in. Judy?" the man
asked gently.
why =. . Of course -" She caught
at her self-possession. Opened the
door wider of course, Nick. Il
am surprised"
1t was not until sfterward that Judy
realized he had not kissed her in that
first moment With that delicate tact
he had read her mood
An awkward pause when he had fol-
lowed her into the room and sat down
on the Chesterfield. Nick looking
SO sggreSSively masculine in this
woman-ruled apartment!
He seemed thinner, to Judy, but as
brown and vital-as suggestive OF the
sun and wind and far places as ever.
In contrast the apartment seemed small
and stuffy, almost fussily feminine.
The first awkward moments were
smoothed over by Side-slip, who had
reused from his nap in the kitchen and
now came suspiciously investigating.
One cautious sniff at Nick's trouser
cuff and the apartment echoed to
joyous yelps as Side-slip recognized his
master.
1t proved a welcome diversion. BY
the time Nick had defended himself
against the ecstatic onslaught of the
dog the strangeness of the meeting was
over.
Laughing, her pale face flushed. as
it had not been flushed for months.
Judy was sitting on the floor. her arms
around the quivering terrier. She
looked, Nick thought, less like the
white wrath who had opened the
door-more like the charmingly natural
girl he had first met in lockwood so
long ago.
We'll, at least I get a whole-hearted
reception from one quarter Nick said.
The color in the girls face deepened.
You're so-sudden To open the door
and find you there-when expected
you were in China! When did you
get back?"
This morning. I came here direct,
Judy"
Again that curious little restraint
between them. Judy released Side-slip
and brushed herself off. She sat in
an armchair opposite Nick
After a moment Nick forced himself
to speak. You didn't write. Judy
You didn't answer my last letter"
"I-couldn't, Nick"
Poor little kid. You've gone through
a lot
She shook her head as though to
keep the sudden tears from her eyes.
"Oh, it's not me! Don't think of me!
It's :" She stopped, confronted
again by the strange and terrible fact
of STAINS death.
Il knew it wasn't thing to talk
over in letters" Nick answered. II
wound things up as soon as possible
and came over here. Caught the
steamer by the skin of my teeth. I
have to go back-next week. And,
Judy, I came to take you back with
me"
Nick had not meant to say that Just
then. Mary had warned him in her
last letter. You must be very tender
and very gentle with Judy" Mary
had written. "She is like one walking
through a bad dream
Now the man marveled at the apt
ness of Mary's description. There was
haunted look in the girls eyes and
the shocked white hush of a dream in
her face.
Silence after Nick spoke Judy sat,
eyes lowered, pulling one of Side-slip's
ears gently. Then she raised her eyes
and the man saw that they were filed
with tears.
Nick please try to understand
can't 60 back with you. That
was why 1 stopped writing. didn't
ffarent."
Nick leaned forward in his chair
His gray eyes we're very dark. mo,
Judy. Everything isn't different. I'm
the same. Everything is really the
same-but you're changed
She made helpless little move
ment with her hand. Nick added
hastily:
Don't think I don't understand,
darling. do. This last year has been
ghastly for you. And you're all upset
and uncertain now. You need some one
else to bear the brunt Of things for you,
Judy. Let me take care of you, as I've
always wanted to do. Ever since I've
known you. you've had an uphill fight
Let me look out for you. I'll make you
happy"
"Oh happy!" Her little breath
less laugh was dreary. Il don't expect
that, any more, Nick! I don't think 1
shall ever be happy"
Once, Judy, you thought you'd be
happy if we could only be together"
Il know :" her voice was faint.
Il didn't mean to be free like
this
Nick read the horror in her eyes.
Dear, it was inevitable. You have no
call to feel the shadow of poor STAINS
end. 1t vast was just written in the
cards, Judy. You had already removed
yourself. 1t mustn't change your life"
She raised steady, sad eyes to his.
But it has, Nick. Don't think it's pos
ing on my part. I feel closer to Stan
now than I did when-when he was
here. Or, no, that doesn't really explain
it. It's as though I had died, too. I
feel dead . in my heart, Nick.
Oh" Judy broke off in despair, sit
sounds so stilted to put it in words!
There was thing I read once-Swin-
burne's Garden of Proserpine- you
something like this:
81 Here where the world is quiet,
Here where all sorrow seems
Spent winds and dead waves riot
In doubtful dreams of dreams >
My life seems like that, Nick. I've
reached the point where even sorrow
doesn't really hurt. Everything-even
Stan-even you-are just part of the
dreams. Dreams of dreams. Like walk
ing through grayness that won't hurt if
you walk softly enough"
He frowned. Then you want ME TO
believe you're afraid to live, Judy?
never thought you were a coward"
1t cost Nick an effort to speak Sc
verely to her, SO frail, so tired and
beaten she looked. Hard to realize that
this pale girl was the passionate, re-
belliouS Judy of Lockwood days. The
girl he had held in his arms that night
in the mountain cabin, and who had
given back his kisses with equal fervor
Something of fear rose in Nick's heart.
he had already lost her! Sup
pose Stan was triumphant-in death.