Evening star., 1933-11-12

III his mall the FSxt morning was a ieCteI
call Eg hns out Wet urgent business. He
wasfsone two weekss
ne evening of sis return he was on the
poiIt of going to sne telephone to call her.
wheA Angela appeated at his house. 1t
neaEy IL o'clock.
Michael exclaimed: Angela my dear child,
whas in the world-s-"
SIZE was quite bisathless and he saw, sud-
deny, that the extraordinary brightness of
her feyes was not f&om excitement, but terror.
".ell me-" he saii more gently leading her
toward the sofa.
i'm SICK" she answered. There's something
the matter with my heart" She clung to his
harI like little gisl Imagine! I have only
Snort time to lne, Michael. Only year
ma!.oe"
They spent long hours in specialists offices,
in consultation rooms. Every diagnosis was
the same: unu sual cardiacle, so far ad-
vansed that there s'as nothing to be done to
stop it.. Eighteen fnonths at the utmost
Angela said 81 saant tell any one and I'm
goirig on having fuls as long can-no use
giving up ahead off time But naturally, at
first, she couldn't gst back into the old swing.
"Oh, Angela, my .darling, if there was only
som ething could 1o!'
And one day she said: There is something
Michael want your help. I want to marry
Roark. Don't say anything, now, dear; wait
until finish.
i love Roark," she went on, "and want
iiAiii W nave iily ACy oO IidI Sel ~ OAA
with his music. I'm not denying mind YOU,
that it won't be pretty wonderful just having
him near these last-these months; but
the money is the main thing. honestly"
Michael sat trying to look noncommittal. 1t
seemed to him so terribly, so needlessly cruel
that, with all she had to face Angela should
have chosen Roark to love. And now he must
remind her. She had said: TT will be wonder
full just having him with me-" But it wouldn't
be! 1t couldn't be!
Angela must have been reading his thoughts,
because she said: He doesn't actually hate
me, you know"
THAT evening he wrote for an appointment
with the young musician, and the next
afternoon Roark called at the Seventeenth
street house. Michael said:
mo doubt you were surprised to hear from
me- The fact is, am going to ask you some
thing so astonishing that am extraordinarily
nervous about it,
Roark smiled
And I am extraordinarily interested"
Michael paced the floor.
II am a very direct person, young man. I
do not know how to beat about the bush. Here
is my news: Angela is i'll. She has only year
to live. She is deeply in love with you and
have asked you here today because I want
you to be Observation-Disclosures, and marry
her"
the far end Of the room when he finished. He
didn't want to see Roark's face just then.
Suddenly, he thought of something. He
wheeled around
II used the word 'chivalrous' just now" he
said sternly, mot because Angela isn't the
loveliest bride any man could hope to win,
but because happen to know that you do not
see her in exactly that light"
Angela is darling" said Roark quickly
His tone proclaimed that it was he who was
at fault. The words were nothing. but the
feeling back of them-thoroughbred
Let me go on little further, my boy be.
fore you commit yourself. In the first place
Angela knows nothing of this talk with you-
naturally-knows nothing of my intentions"
Michael felt all prickiy up and down his
spine at the deception. my plan-my ardent
hope-is that you will go to her and ask her
to marry you, just as though-as if"
II understand, sir" Again that quick help
full young voice.
For the first time mixed in with his un-
happiness for Angela, Michael felt regret
over the-way they were stepping into this boys
life-regulating it according to what they
thought was best
But Angela had insisted and be careful
about the money, Michael. Make it out that
he is simply throwing away year of his life.
He'll never, never do it if he thinks there'd be
any advantage to him."
So Michael went on:
II think know Angela well enough to be
sure that she will tell you ABOUT her illness,
r. of her own accord. I am certain she would
never take you under false pretenses, as it were,
merely because she wants you so badly" Again
the prickly feeling.
Michael paused
"Shan We have a spot of brandy?" he asked.
This is a pretty hard interview for both of
u.s." He sat down rather suddenly.
Roark walked quickly to the decanter ON
the table.
Really sir, it seems to me that I have
never heard Of more horrible thing-ths
tragedy of Angela's. Really II don't know
tnuy IN tall