Evening star., 1933-02-19
N> NIdH7QuBDAu6uTER M
kGAa y Katharine HNiand-DOr III

sleepy, wasn't tired, "and I do want to
talk with you" she ended
Michael didn't answer that He said,
instead, Aunt CaSsandra thinks you're
pretty thin, dear, and you must get
enough rest"
I'm not thin" she stated with a
little resentment. Did Michael want
to be rid of her? Michael did not an
swer that either. Unless" she con-
"Oh, nol' Micheal protested. "I'd
much rather you didn't go!"
In the library he drew two big, deep,
soft chairs as close to one another as
arms would permit and Just the right
distance from the fire that was well
come. That unreasonable May night
was even colder than the day had been,
and the rising wind now blew Whis-
perS of rain against the windowpanes.
They settled. Michael said, Now
let's hear it
There's so much to tell you" she
said, that it's going to be really pretty
difficult. I mean, Mike, that the things
that were most important weren't events
at all, but the changes inside of me
that I presume grew of events. Those
changes, you know, I mean, that have
told me what matters most to me and
even a little of myself-of what / am.
sometimes think, Mike, that some
people live all their lives without once
really meeting themselves"
quite" Michael agreed, land 1
know what you mean" he went on
after little interval when only the
swish of the rain and the purr of the
fire had been heard, "about-express-
ing what is most counting to you. I've
thought quite considerably of that lately
and I've come to the conclusion that
it can't be done"
He was inspecting his finger tips as
he ended.
Carroll turned to him; she stretched
out hand that Michael did not see,
SO she drew it back. She must not
give herself away, she realized; she
must not bother him about it.
When the silence was next broken,
she said, Mike, want to tell you that
I dearly love your gray hair; it's so
becoming"
He was extremely glad she felt so. he
about it a little because he feared she
might think it made him look older
than he was, and heaven knew he
was old enough. She did not think SO.
Then Carroll said: Mike, do you re-
member the old fairy tale you used to
tell me, the one about Henry P.
Dragon? You used to promise, do you
remember, that you'd slay all dragons
for me? And you have"
1T took while" said Michael. ''but
really, Carroll, I did try to find you"
He took her hand in his then he
couldn't help doing that, and then
again they sat silent for some little
space, staring at the leaping. iridescent
flames of a driftwood fire.
Mike" said Carroll at length.
Yes, dear?"
"There are some things about this
didn't go home to see mother. l can't
forget that"
Il know" said Michael. There are
so few people who with going don't
leave lis with a definite tragic sense OF
having failed And I have often felt
that it is only the unfair, mean people
who get all the best from you. You
don't want to treat them well. so you
make yourself and you lean backward
doing it. had an uncle. the darnest
old buzzard who ever lived, and he lied
about the whole family and how We
treated him, and people believed him,
as they generally do credit the worst,
but so long as you know you've been
decent, that doesn't matter, I mean,
what people say. But I've run ofr
the track. You have to remember,
now, Carroll, knowing you did fail
and you'd give anything to erase that
failure-that when people die they
either sleep gently or they know every
thing to understand and to forgive
everything, and we'll hope it's the lat
ter way. Honestly, deep inside, I be-
Geve it is; believe that when we are
what people call dead we reach that
spot of entire understanding. I know
I'm not expressing myself at all well,
Carroll. I don't seem to be thinking
very clearly, fer sCme reason, tonight"
(To Be Continued Tomorrow