Evening star., 1934-03-29
CHAPTER XVII.
NEW RIFT.

Sounds archaic, maybe, but / believe
there's a primitive need in every man
for a home of his own; y'know, the
kind Of a need that forces him to go
out and make good in business
like"
Like the caveman in the forest
made good with his billy club?" in
Quired Judith.
Judy, you're laughing at me-
mo. I'm not. I'm just thinking
how nice it is to be your particular
woman, to say nothing Of living in
such a cave"
I like this cave, too," he said, boy
ishly possessive.
She knew he had had but little
home life; as ella had said, Plenty
of house and nobody In it,"
He settled back again, and then
into their peaceful moment came the
whirr Of the telephone. Judith, not
| wanting to listen, couldn't help hear
ing few words and was ready for
something unpleasant by the time he
returned.
Jude" under the brave scarlet
coat his shoulders were sagging. II
forgot to tell you. Lampere has called
meeting of stockholders and the
board of directors for the company to-
morrow at 3. He wants you there"
She nodded. She remembered dimly
that Poppy Neville was giving a l
O'Clock luncheon and she had prom
ised to help Would she have time
to change? She shouldn't go to such
a meeting in ruffled silk suit and
Dolly Warden hat.
Judith" Norman interrupted her
thoughts, I'D promised myself I
wouldn't discuss this Bevins matter
with you, but you're my wife and 1
can't let you go to that meeting un-
prepared. I want you to know what
other people know.
"Judy-girl wonder if you realize
that Big Tom had been losing his
mind during the last few months of
his life; in fact, that he had a serious
brain afdiction at the time he drew up
that new will?"
Judith jumped from the encircling
haven of her husbands arm.
Norman she cried.
There. Judy, don't take it like that
1t was bound to be shock to you, I
know. but thought it was better for
me 10 tell you than some one else"
Norman" she repeated, this time
brokenly.
Yes. dear. it probably came from
sort Of belated sunstroke. You re-
member how We suffered on that trip?
Why. healthy as I am, there we're
times when I nearly went under. II
seems Big Tom stood up while he was
actually on the job. but the moment
he got back home where he could re-
lax, the whole thing came down on
him like ton Of brick"
What do you mean?"
"If you'll remember, Judy, he had
slight stroke the day after his re-
turn. From then on he began to grow
queer Everybody in the legal de-
partment noticed >. what's the mat
ter?"
Judith stood before him. eyes mar
rowed body rigid with emotion
so that's what they're sayingI" she
began in the low voice Norman had
come to recognize as one of anger.
the the cads. Listen, Norman
Dale. you go to Lampere and tell him
he's the lowest kind of liar there is;
the kind who will try to destroy the
reputation of man who can't de-
fend himself"
Judith, will you listen to reason?"
To reason, gladly, where is it?"
Norman's dark eyes were glowing
in the freight. his chin had Jutted
forward with Scotch stubborness-
You'll admit he kept you working all
night the night after the stroke. Was
that an evidence of sanity?"
After what you've just said, Nor
man. it was evidence of more than
sanity . it was sheer genius. Only
man facing death could have had
the foresight to do what Big Tom
Bevins did that night"
I suppose that you, a 24-year-
old"
Mattel calls me an Office girl"
supplied Judith bitterly.
Leave Mattel out of this" snapped
Norman.
TRY to leave her out" laughed
Judith. You were saying that a
24-year-old Office girl 'presumes' is
the next word. isn't it?"
Alright E. presumes to know more
than brilliant, tried and proven en-
gineers and lawyers"
That's what you really believe"
she said with sudden conviction, then,
Norman, do you see what this is
doing to us?"
"It needn't" he replied, arose and
walked to the door, las long as Lige
is taking the week off. instead of the
day I'll have to go down and look at
that furnace"
Judith walked slowly upstairs. un-
dressed mechanically and slid into bed.
She felt exhausted. The quick ex-
hilaration Of anger had burned out,
leaving her numb
Down to the west the full moon
began its ascent blocked by the oak
tree before the window. Slowly 1t
eased into view, seemingly climbing
from limb to limb.
Norman would come up, they would
talk it over and regret their furry Of
temper. He would come up before
the moon reached the limb with the
queer hump. But 1t f1attened its sill
yer surface against the f1ligree of top
most boughs and sailed on into the
clear blue, with no sound from below.
Judith was asleep when Norman,
hair rumpled. eyes blinking even in
the soft glow of the bed lamp. did
appear. She didn't see him stand
and stare down at her. a baf1led,
troubled look on his face. Even had
she seen the look, she couldn't have
known how much like child she ap-
peared to the man.