The Washington times., 1936-12-08
CHAPTER XXXV

CHAPTER XXXV
Jan picked up the letter again.
my dear Byrne," she read for the
second time. mot knowing where
to reach Evelyn, and assuming
that you will know. I'm taking
the liberty of sending this to you.
It is the advance payment on a
book that will be out shortly.
know that the girls don't need it,
but at that age they can always
make use of a little extra for
knicknacks, and I hope you can
talk them into it.
"Give my best to Evelyn, if you
think she's care to have it, and
relay my love to the children
If they'd care to have it. You
can reach me in care Of the pub
Usher, should you wish to an
sWer."
Her eyes blurred. She smiled
misty at David.
poor Father. He thinks we're
still too high and mighty to
bother with him!"
They tried to break it to
Evelyn. But nobody could ever
break anything to Evelyn, she
was always way ahead Of them.
It took a long while to explain.
She couldn't understand, at first.
Tom, writing a book? But it was
Ellery who always talked about
writing. Tom never had any such
idea! And if he wanted to write
one, why didn't he write about
his army experiences-in the am
bulance corps, with the French,
or after the United States went
in, as an officer? He certainly
didn't have to become a hobo to
find something to write about.
And besides, what did he mean
"hobo?"
Tramp" David said. He'd
wired the publishers and Tom.
He was able to answer most Of
her questions. It looked as
though Tom would be the liter
ary sensation Of the year.
David wrote something on a
piece of paper, laid it by Evelyn's
hand. Then he motioned to Jan:
Lets get out of here. She
wants to be alone. She'll phone
him, after we're gone"
Reluctantly Jan followed him
out to the car. Sat up stiffly, as
he drove through the Preside,
out by the ocean, and into the
park. He parked the car by the
side of the road, and they got
out and walked. They walked
to the little lake, where, long
ago-before Lowell was married
she had come so often.
1.-THE book will be q great senSa-
tion," he went on. "".ne publisher
says the reviewers are going crazy
over it. Well, Tom found what he
can do. He was always a dreamer
and an adventurer, and he wasn't
happy in an office. That's why he
stayed in the army after the war.
And he wasn't happy at that"
David, do you feel blue because
Of mother?"
what do you mean?"
"You don't mind my saying this,
do you? mean-now that she'll
probably go back to father? David
please don't mind. You know
everything about me, and so I
just don't pay any attention to me!
But you know the silly family ira
dition about you and mother. It's
lust that-that every time some
body's happy somebody else has to
be hurt. shouldn't have said that.
Just don't mind. Come on-let's
go!"
David pulled her back to the
grass beside him. He lit a cigaret.
"You asked for it," he said. "You
asked for the story of Evelyn and
me, and like it or not, you're going
to listen to it!"
She felt like Pandora opening
the lid of the box. She felt that
trouble would come of it. Like
Pandora she wanted to slam the
lid shut but 1t was too late now.
Remember what I said to you
long ago, that I hoped you'd keep
your love for Lowell, because when
David had begun to speak:
you're young is the only time you
ever really care unselfishly? We'll,
you can forget it now, for two
reasons, and one of them is that
I'm no longer sure that's right.
But I did love Evelyn-terribly
Everyone loved her. She was
your grandfather'S idol. Your Aunt
Edith was the correct one, the
one that did things socially, and
your Aunt Francesca was the in.
dividualist.
"She was a couple of years
older than I. and of course I was
Just a miserable freshman when
Peter was the university big shot,
so I didn't have much of chance
of impressing her, but I hung
around. I thought I'd won her
Everyone thought so. And then
she met Tom Keith, and two