Evening star., 1932-02-04
CHAPTER xXXIx.

vUDY was back in Lockwood. and
the last two months were q
dream "a dream growing
~ more Of blurred horror with
each day. -
The heart chilling fear of losing her
Job .. the turmoil Of the greasy luhch,
room Pete ConstantineS leer ana
blue jow1 the dismal gray mouse On
OFarreu street-behind her. Drying
up in her memory as wouno cries
and as a wound. leaving a scar. Never
again would Judy take three meals
dav and a comfortable house as casual
rnstters-of- fact. one was not born
into comfort as a birthright 3. IL
was a matter of luck. Lie mas
abvsses-erav canyons Of hOrrOr-Whlch
some people never guessed.
Some nights she would start from
her sleep with sense OF unoearaole
depression. thinking she heara taaV
ehostly cough next door .,
Strangely enough. the ghosty OWNER
of the cough. whom she had never met,
seemed far more real to her now than
Mrs. Garter or Amy or Vera. She
could gauge the resigned hopeleSSneSS-
the patient misery of that unknown
GHOST more than she could gauge the
Shadows of these other people.
There was embarrassment IN tne
Thought of returning to the Garter
house with Stan that first night. But
whether by accident or design. the
family was out when Stan brought heF
home -, ,,;,,,or
In one of the snail peninsula to"ilo
On the way down WCnGetul-to be
eble G to order anvthing she wanted c1
the menu. regardless Of price. Fco1
ond warmth and cleanlineSS-neVer
ooain would she take them for grant,
Driving in the dark. warm and shell
tered in the closed car Famlhar
landmarks going by The avenue OF
huge oaks. The Spanish railroad STA
ton, The winding street. Mary LOCK-
erbee'S pretty home. Funny Slle
thought so little about Mary lately; All
this had disappeared from her mlnd-
driven out by the fierce struggle loF
bare existence. =. WV,
The white stucco house of the Will
sons suppose Eunice were suddenly
strinped of her rich ackground-thrust
into the city cold and friendleSS. ;
But Eunice would get on. Judy told
herself with weary humor. The EunlceS
of this world always did Eunlce was
predatory EuniCe could always look
out for herGef
Then the car was swinging up the
curve of gravel pathway. The great
oaks and tall eucalyptus. . The big,
impressive. ugly house. . Pom taking
her grips yellow face marmoreal. DID
Fon believe she had been away visiting?
No telling what the Chinese think.
Glad no one was home. Her own
room Hers and STAINS. Only about
two months since she'd left it? Seem
eS moro like two centuries!
Stan helping her off with her coat.
Handsome dark eyes auXiously regard
ing her. Taking her into his arms IN
a way which had sent sweet and
piercing 10y into her heart. Funny, she
didn't feel this now. Too tired, maybe.
Nice to be held gently and kissed,
though. And it suddenly struck
judy as mental shock that she could
apply the mild word nice to STAINS
careSSeS.
Shed belonged so utterly to him that
the recoil had numbed her. Perhaps
that was it. Oh, thunder, why try to
analyze it! Get into bed.
Bed. To stretch out between clean
sheets. Shed never thought enough
about sheets before. Crisp. Clean.
Smelling family of lavender-they kept
bag of dried lavender in the linen
closet After sleeping between limp
cottony rags for Notwithstanding
from the thought Of the other bodies
they had covered-the feel of these
sheets was heavenly. And fieecy satin
quilts She felt tears of real emo
ton yelling up under her closed lids
and wanted to laugh Historically.
After the loneliness and the terror of
the city. the material comfort of this
big house: its cleanliness, its warm Sc
curity soothed her 1t seemed for the
moment more important than human
relationship.