Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-04-01

- Sell lIUul lllc UlIltI SlCc VI
death into Judith's thought
- by cleverly preconceived COM
munications.
To Norman, Morton Lampere. his
partner, his fathers partner before
him. was person to be admired, al
most revered. His word would weigh
more than that of young girl. Lam
pere was a friend of lifetime, and
Norman had known her a compare
lively short time.
Perhaps Norman was right, and
she with her self-assurance was
wrong. Perhaps Lampere was right |!
She weighed this thought IS she
looked out on the terrace where the
lights which had blocked yellow OBJ
longs on the greensward were sud-
denly blotted out.
She would discuss this with him
and if he could prove her wrong she
would gladly make any concession.
She prepared for bed, turned on the
bed lamp to let him know she was
awake, then waited
She heard Delphy's goodnight,
then Lige's. heard the kitchen door
SAOoC anu NOltCo III IAlC SCl ANS W.
tage. And then she heard Norman
coming up the steps. He stopped in
his dressing room, then a few mo-
ments later went out by the hall door.
down the corridor to the guest room.
The door of the guest room opened,
the hall lights flashed off. The door
closed.
Judith turned off the lamp, a hot
pain cutting through her. What had
happened to make Norman do such
a thing? Mathile's laughter echoed in
her ears, but it was not her influence,
more likely Lampere's. He was wise
in the ways of women, he knew it
would take firm determination to
keep her from seeking Norman, and
il the end giving in to his wishes.
She slipped from the bed and went
to an open window. A soft wind,
faint echo of the previous evenings
gale. came in with the breath of
sleeping fields. The servants cottage
was dark square topped with moon
icing. The little stream vas trickle
of quicksilver among the Shale.
Judith looked at it and shuddered.
She felt as though there were tears
in her heart which trickled along
like quicksilver.
All of her life she had wanted to
belong to some one. Her father, en-
balmed in grief at her mothers pass
ing, had been companionable, but she
had felt her love for him was more
maternal than his was paternal. Big
Tom, in his loneliness, had filled this
need.
But Norman she knew if he
were to come in, slip an arm under
her pillow for a cushioned rest, and
she were to awaken knowing he was
there, her trust would be thrown to
the winds for fear of nights to come
when there would be no protecting arc
Of arm.
And yet she know if this happened
she would hate herself, and III time
turn bitterly on Norman for causing
her to disregard her own sense Of
what was right.
Delphy. round-eyed, brought her
orange juice at the usual hour. She
surveyed the untouched pillow, said
nothing, but tucked Judith in with
unnecessary thoroughness considering
she was about to rise. Then, glass
clinking on tray, she stalked down
the hall to the guest room.
Judith chose her morning frock
with a deliberate intent to charm.
She had one of yellow linen, en-
broidered in marguerites, that Nor
man hadn't seen. She put this on,
brushed her black hair until it shone
like lacquer, erased the tell-tale signs
of sleepless early hours with clever
artifice, then went for stroll in the
garden.
There were a few daffodils bloom
ing. Judith studied their dancing
heads, hesitated, then regretfully
shipped the long stems. Back in the
breakfast room she laid the table
with green grass linen, a Bavarian
breakfast set of ivory trimmed with
field flowers.
1t was gay, the breakfast table. The
sun slanted in through open windows
and warmed Judith, who stood
thrusting the stems of the daffodils
into an ivory frog.
Upstairs, Norman was splashing
around, slamming doors with early
morning thoroughness. In the kitchen
Delphy was banging pans as If vent
ing anger on the aluminium ware, and
on the driveway Lige was industrious
ly raking wind scraps into small
heaps and burning them, the small
pyramids sending up woodsy incense
in quivering spirals.
Judith hummed as she worked. She
heard the newsboy throw . paper to
the porch. called to Lige that she