Evening star., 1932-02-28
Spite Wife A,. % 1s,.,,.; ~

1OOhGO dI llGE P1y 41Co4OoOOA % ~ AA-~
before he took the note.
Judy flung on her fur coat. Pulled
hat down over her hair. Snatched up
the grip and ran down the steps.
Leaving the old gray house for the
last time. She had come in here as
bride STAINS bride. She was run
ming away with his brother.
The thought thrust itself like great
gray shadow over her mind. She thrust
. . Nick and herself on the lifting and
settling of a deck. Sailing away
to the other side of the world &.
sailing out Of it all. Escape! Nick
and herself in the cool night E. stars
above and a whole new world around
them. Never to be separated e.
Nick's arms, his dear, hard brown face
against her own. Oh, when people
loved each other as she and Nick loved,
it wasn't wrong to run away! 1t was
wrong to live a lie for the sake OF the
world-the cynical, Indifferent world,
which didn't care how ones heart could
ache.
| Judy was almost running through the
! fog now, her heels making sharp, ring
| ing clicks on the cement pavement. She
mustn't miss the bus! Every moment
she was away from Nick was an agony.
The highway-and the great bulk OF
the bus looming through the thin fog.
She handed her grip to the driver.
Settled herself in a seat and turned her
unseeing gaze out the window. Her
thoughts churned on-thoughts of the
future. The present was a strange
dream through which she moved auto
matically. Don't think OF it
Keep seeing pictures of herself and
Nick in China. Quaint surroundings
she and Nick adventuring to-
In the city she hailed taxi and gave
the address of the Geary Street hotel
where Nick stayed when he was in
town.
Trying to appear cool and poised
when she faced the desk clerk. oh
Mr.. Carter is in his room. Splendid!
No-don't announce me-1-I'm his
sister-in-law. =. he expects
me.
Heart pounding as she went up in
the elevator. The pressing need of
haste upon her. The elevator crawled
the hall was so long, stretching be-
for her like those bad dreams
where she never seemed to make any
progress no matter how hard she
ran.
Nick's room. Suffocating -. as
Sc knocked at the door. FootSteps-
the door opening. :. Nick's astonished
face looking down on her.
"Judy Why-Judy i"
And then the tears she had been un-
able to shed came in a flood. She
clung to him, face buried on his breast,
crying silently. And when she was able
to talk-when she put Nick's arms
aside and groped for her handker-
chief
Nick I couldn't help it . I
couldn't go through with it.
What do you mean, Judy?"
TO have you go-alone. Nick, take
don't let's be separated"
You mean-to China. Judy-dar-
ling-you don't mean il"
"Ch. dol Honest -. do! Nick
I can't stand it. I don't care what it
means-maybe Stan will divorce me
then to . to save his face, you
know But I don't care. Nothing mat
ters but you. 1 don't care-do you
hear, Nick? I don't care. Nobody mat
ters 10 me but you! I want you-take
me, Nick. Don't leave me behind.
Please-please-"
"Oh, darling, do you think I want
Then take mel"
But Judy, it's social suicide for
you. You don't realize"
She was suddenly calm. Mopping
her face with the wet ball of her hand
kerchief Mick, listen! If ever was
serious in my life-if ever 1 realize
what all this will mean, realize it
now. Please believe me. I've thought
coming up here in the bus-and I
know what it means. And, Nick, I
don't care. What other people say will
never affect ne-deep-in here"
She struck her breast. II love you.
It's killing me to see you go away,
Darling" she was clinging to him
now, pressing herself frantically to
him, pulling his face down to lay it
beside her tear-wet one. IF you
loved me, Nick"
The mans chest rose in long sigh.
Love you. Oh, Judy"
Haste . the terrible need Of haste.
. Warping judgments - tearing
hearts
Among the crowd thronging up the
gangplank of the China steamer, man