Evening star., 1938-08-21


to understand and forgive me, Gym
thia! l tried to tell you last week,
but you were so busy planning what
we'd buy and what we'd do OF
course you can sue me if you want
to - but l don't think you will.
You're so calm and reasonable and
understanding want you to
meet her some day. You can't help
but love her. She's perfection.
I'll never be worthy of her, but when
you read this, we'll be married -
Doctor Taggart came to the door
and said. 'Next?" and old Mrs.
O'Malley said, Does he mean me?"
and somebody said brightly, "Yes.
Mrs. O'Malley. Go right in." Cynthia
went on reading the letter.
Il am returning all your letters
with this, and hope you will destroy
mine. We're going to Albion this
afternoon to be married by justice.
When you do meet her, Cynthia !"
when l meet her, I'll probably
kill her." Cynthia thought. She
crushed the letter in her hand, then
Strengthened it out and replaced it in
the envelope with those other letters -
her own letters - written to Charles
over period of seven long years
The Raynor girl had been hot
tempered, incorrigible hoyden who
had made history in Public School
Number 3. A scrawny brat with
straight black hair and black eyes as
avid as a ferret's. The Raynor girl,
with all her inheritance of rug fac
tory and the money that accrued
therefrom. was nobody in Fairoaks.
The Raynor girl was - Well, at this
moment, she was Mrs. Charles Lewis!
"Such things shouldn't be allowed
to happen" Cynthia thought. Some
body ought to protect men
like Charles. Somebody ought to
make a law - But law about
what? She stood and wondered what
the law should be about, and the rain
sloshed down the neck of the new
print dress, and she knew that the
black dye of the new hat was coming
with it. Well. law that when you're
engaged to somebody - when you've
taken up seven years of somebody's
time - when somebody has built her
life around you, forfeited the chance
of meeting other men, forfeited the
chance of going to larger places and
building career for herself in which
men need have no part - you have to
marry that somebody.
Only law wouldn't help. There is
a law - and much good it does me!
l can't sue Charles - not Charles!
And if l did, what could l hope to
get for it? Money! Cold, hard, empty
money that can't stop this awful
ache in your heart - that can't make
one lonesome, horrible hour less lone
some and horrible. Money wouldn't
mean anything but revenge - and l
don't want revenge
"Madge Raynor has spent five
years getting expelled from one finish
ing school after another and three
years getting engaged and disengaged
from one man after another! What
does Madge Raynor care about you,
Charles? What scrape are you getting
her out of? Oh, Charles - Charles,
darling! What are you getting your
self into? Oh, Charles, Charles! My
poor, innocent, trusting lamb, why
throw yourself away like that?"
She seemed to be lying, face down,
on something soft and wet, like grass
after rain. Something was running
past her. quiet and broad and swift.
1t seemed to be the river. Something
above her stirred and spattered water
upon her already sodden back. Trees.
"How did l get out of the office?"
she thought. "How did get out of my
uniform and into my street things?
What did say? What did Ido?"
There was no use in wondering. All
that was a hlank