Evening star., 1932-01-25


news. Freed from its adjectiveS and
boiled down, it developed that Rosa
mond was going to marry Ken Baker.
Judy read the letter with solemn
eyes. So Rosamond was going TO
marry Judy'S old sweetheart and they
would both live in one of the new
bungalows Mr.. Arnett, the banker, had
built on the side of the old white house
where Ken had come counting Judy.
A queer little feeling in the girls
heart Not that she was bit regret
full about Ken. Ken was just part OF
that old girlhood Of hers which seemed
so far away. Ken and Rosamond. :. &.
She could picture the wedding in the
front parlor of the old Curley home,
where she and RoSamond had drummed
the piano and sung college songs In
their high school days. Without a
doubt, Mrs. Watson would donate the
tissue-paper wedding bell, more light
struck than ever now, and beneath II
the Rev. Lemuel Miner would read the
service. Judy and RoSamcnd had both
gone to Sunday school to the Rev.
Miner.
The room would be crowded with
old friends and relativeS-hah Of SUM-
merfeld came under that heading-and
afterward there would be lap lunch"
OF sandwiches and ice cream. Rosa
mond would be busy and happy in the
new bungalow. Saturday night blow
outs" to the crowd" Sunday after
noon chicken dinners to the family. .. =.
Rosamond doing her own houSework,
having old black Charley in to wash
the windows and do the woodwork the
day before she entertained her card
club.
A queer little feeling persisting in
he fA
Mary Lockerbee'S house, where she was
The friendship between Judy and
Mary started as a favor to Nick, had
grown through mutual interest.
Mary was past 30. A slim but full
figure, a trife over medium height.
Wide hazel eyes, spaced far apart,
which gave her a singularly honest
look. Mary, warm hearted and frank
at times even brusk; Judy liked her
better than any woman in Lockwood.
They were sitting in the loggia on
the top of MaryS house. An airy
space, with walls and ceiling done in
dark blue. One looked down over the
rose garden-over the evergreen hedge
over the tops of other homes, to
horizon the smoky blue Of october.
Like everything else in Mary'S house,
this place was the essence Of quiet
good taste The table between them
was covered with beige linen. The
plates were mirror mosaic. There was
smoked brown glassware. Yellow
msrigolds and blue cornf1owerS from
Mary's garden filled the brown glass
Of Mary's house, which not even the
animal spirits Of her two husky boys
could shatter, was in marked contrast
to the strained excitement OF the
Carter house, where so many antago-
nistic lives were crowded under one
roof.
II she and Stan could have home
like this-thought Judy regretfully.
Something more modest, perhapS-but
exclusively their own, instead Of being
crowded in with his mother and>Ver
and Amy.
She told Mary of Rosamonds letter
--of the queer feeling in her own
mind, 1T isn't envy. It isn't regret
Ken's a darling but I never really
loved him-that way But isn't it odd,
Mary that she should be going to live
on the very site of my old home!"
Judy was dismsyed to find tears
flooding her eyes, and she looked down
quickly, pretending to be engrossed in
stirring her tea.
Mary's understanding hazel eyes rest
a
Now, you know how Rip Van Wrinkle
felt when he woke up and came home
to find the village changed"
Exactly It's like that, Mary. A
bit Of my old life gone. Like bridge
over stream. have the feeling that
I can't go back ever :"
You're growing up. Judy. It's a
definite sign when you're able to look
back and remember when things were
different. Things that once meant
something to you. It's life, honey
I'm going to, quote that old chestnut
tn you-you know. from the Rubeiyat
The Moving Finger writes; and, hav-
in writ. moves on"
Judv'5 moody ewes we're fastened on
the smoky blue horizon. Il wouldn't
care"-and there was tremble in her
vnice-"n I were certain the Moving
Finger really YVES writing, and not just
turning blank pages"
Marv's kind eyes looked at her keen
ly. Now, just what does that mean,
Wonder?"
Judy laughed and reused herself.
"Oh, nothing. I'm blue today D.. :"
But walking home through the crisp
October twilight, past the wide lawns
and carefully tended gardens Of Lock-
wood. Judy felt depression stealing
over her heart. RoSamond's letter had
robbed her of her memories. Had
made her realize that even Summer
field had changed. The old white
house where she had lived with Aunt
Hetty . gone to make room Tor
street OF modern bungalows. Ken and
RoSamond . surely they were changed,
too. from the childhood friend and the
girlhood sweetheart she had known.
Like a bridge over a stream can't
go back =" Judy whispered That
old life was done, and in this new life
she did not seem to fit at all. She
felt utterly forlorn.
Fred Wilson left for the East on
business trip, and Eunice came to
spend a week with ANY. 1t touched
the o,d Carter house with mad car
nival spirit. Telephones rang con-
stantly. Delivery men seemed always
leaving boxes and bundles at the back
door Machines pulled up in the drive
way at unconventional hours crowded
to the tenders with unexpected guests.
Eunice and Amy rushing from their
rooms clutching negljg2eS. Eunices
maid at swords points with Amy's grim
Hilda. Nine. Carter, who deteSted
Eunice wilson, ruffled at the postpone
ment Of the sacred dinner hour and
withdrawing in lofty disdain to her
third-foor world.
Judy was caught up in the excite
ment. She could not refuse to attend
the parties and the teas SO long as she
was living in the Carter house. She
felt that this show Of friendlinesS on
the part of Amy and Eunice was ruSe
to get STAINS company, but she was
helpless to protest.
In EUmices expensive car they mo-
tored up to the city to luncheon and
matinee judy was furious, for she
felt this was only an excuse to meet
Stan and go to dinner and dance later
Overriding her protest Amy phoned
him.
Stan had recentlv joined a brokerage
firm in San Francisco. He was rather
vague in describing his duties to Judy.
He was a contact man" he said i'm
patiently and to his wife this seemed