Evening star., 1935-03-10

Il think you're crazy" She stretched
out her hands. Goodbye - for good"
He tool the hands held out to him.
DO you think it's little thing you
have done for me tonight? Something
can say thank you and goodbye
for. and forget?"
There was a sudden noise near
them. He caught the trembling girl
tightly in his arms. A second, and she
was out and across the porch.
Thank God" she whispered.
coming back. "A bucket - it turned
over. Oh, if | ever catch that cat"
"Now you must come with me" he
pleaded, Ito France, to Rome, to -"
mo" she said. mo, please 60. Ill
hate you if you stay"
His arms dropped to his sides. He
gazed straight at her, and her eyelids
dropped. but she felt his look on her
face. After long time he said. "Now
have looked on such beauty as not
many men ever see on the earth. and
have you fixed in my eyes, so ! will
co."
He meant it. At the end OF his life,
remembering many lovely women who
had loved him - debutantes of Fair
field and Litchfield. Celeste Of Phila-
delphia. Magaret Moncrieffe of New
York. Madame de Castro. the singer of
Stockholm. the Indian girl on the
march to Quebec, the landlady's
daughter at Janina. and the Princess
Louisa OF Gotha - this girl here in
the moonlight would stick in his
memory as the loveliest of them all.
The horse in the stable whinnied. A
bat swooped over the moon. Burr
stepped from the porch and walked
across the mystical glow-worm green
of the moonlit grass. A red star hung
low on the horizon. Fireflies tinseled
the olive-green shadows of the heaven
trees. Hearing little sob behind him,
he stopped.
mo. no." she whispered, mot yet,
dear -
The sensation Of her body pressed.
6ercely trembling, against him and
her arms tight about his neck made
him dizzy. At last she pushed him
away with her arms, and held him
with her hands.
Goodbye again. Sweetheart"
And he said quickly. mo, not yet"
and then more slowly: This is one of
life's exquisite hours, compounded OF
beauty and darkness, danger and
romance. So rare. so sweet, so swift -.
and we let them slip through our
fingers till life itself is gone" A cock
crow ran like summer lightning across
the distant hills. Remember this,
Shirley. don't let them slip past you
too quickly. You must recognize them
by a certain glory - they are gar
landed with beauty and jeweled with
peril - and you must hold tight to
them with the fingertips Of your body
and soul One of them is as good as a
dull lifetime. two are better than a
hope OF heaven. and three - oh. three
are worth the risk of visit to hell"
1t was almost dawn. The sky turned
the color of ashes. the moon paled.
leaves stretched themselves. birds
ruffled their wings and yawned.
The stairs creaked. cautious foot
steps descending. Aaron Burr and
Shirley heard, and their arms tight
ened about each other with the quick
shock of fear. Silently she pulled him
behind the door. He grimaced with
shamefaced despair. He had kissed
away his chance Of escape!
The two sergeants, tiptoeing down
the stairs. spoke in angry whispers:
Il wasn't asleep. l tell you" Then
how did the candle burn out?" How
should know? If you had kept your
lousy carcass in front of the door -"
Door. hell Il was at the window"
do you reckon that gal helped him?"
Shut up. We might ketch him yet
without waking anybody" Look
outside. Look in the stable" They
passed out through the open door.
Burr walked back into the room,
and the girl followed him.
I'm fool" he said fatty.
Yes" she said, but you can get
away yet - through the front door. I"
mo, it's too late" The sergeants,
he saw, were returning. He took the
pistol from his pocket. Here. dearest.
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