Evening star., 1940-02-29
Chapter IA.

him. Eric proueS himself a coward.
nstnG Jane as q shield uhen an armed
thug enters the apartment
Chapter IA.
Elaine tapped her fingers slowly
In her palm. Her face was inscru-
table, the lashes on her eyes well
down to hide from Jane any emo
ton she felt. She mustn't show
Jane how sick she felt, she mustn't
permit her roommate to even guess
the anguish that was*earing her to
pieces inside.
Eric a coward! How despicable
how horrible! And she-she had
fancied herself in love with him,
imagined that she would happily
spend the rest of her life with him!
She was glad insanely fiercely glad
that the crook had come into their
apartment; glad that the thin
veneer of polish had slipped from
Eric to reveal him as he really was,
a craven, despicable creature not fit
to live, let alone marry!
Eric coward! She could have
withstood anything, suffered any
hurt or insult he might inflict upon
her, anything but the knowledge
that he was spineless, a coward
She could never marry Eric now
She never wanted to see him again!
"But-but of course she would
marry him! There was something
noble, something SO close to saint
illness about Elaine's face as she
proudly raised her head that Jane,
cynical, practical creature that she
was, was forced to turn her eyes
away. Eric was Eric, the man she
loved, the man to whom she had
given her heart for now and forever.
Coward or no coward, she would
still marry him. Loye wasn't COM
posed only of rosy dreams, it wasn't
just a happy go-lucky, sure-fire
means to happiness. Love was
composed Of other things, more solid
things, things such as realizing a
mans faults and loving him for or
despite them. That was love, real
love. not the love that fed upon
heroics, but the common, every day
variety of love; real love made for
giveness the best part of love.
Elaine Still Determined.
Elaine's eyes were bright with
unshed tears as she turned her head
to face Jane, but her chin was
proud, determined.
Jane would you mind not men,
tioning the subject again? It's
something that I'll have to forget
something that we will have to for
get. You see, I'm still going to
marry Eric"
Before Jane could utter word
Elaine rose swiftly from the couch
and ran into the bedroom. It was
not until the door was closed firmly
behind her that she surrendered to
her grief. And then the tears came
trickling down her cheeks to stain
the bedspread. Eric coward! Yes
she could forgive him even that;
strange, but she knew that in her
heart she would never forget. She
wondered duly if that was one of a
woman's duties-to tuck all the I'M
desirable traits in mans character
deep into her heart, to remember
but to forgive.
Her eyes were heavy when she
awakened the following morning,
and when she walked over to the
mirror critical examination re-
vealed huge purple circles beneath
her eyelids. AS she moved slowly
toward the shower she felt dull,
istless, almost as though the tears
Of the previous evening had COM
pletely drained her of energy But
she was glad that her grief had
been SO deep, for somehow it had
the effect of numbing her heart.
Her eyes grew round with surprise
as the bedroom door opened and
Jane, completely clothed, every curl
of her head carefully in place,
hustled briskly into the room.
breakfast will be ready in IS
minutes" she warned cheerfully.
"And you needn't look so surprised.
I'm up because even artists some
times have to see the sun"
Eric Arrives Early.
With that she left and Elaine
raced into the bathroom, chuckling
as she stepped beneath the shower
Jane was apparently feeling brim-
full of energy and extremely ambi-
tious or she would never have
climbed from her bed at such an
hour. Usually she didn't arise un-
til almost noon. And then, as acy
needles of water bit at her skin,
Elaine recalled that both Eric and
Melvyn were due to arrive at the
house that morning.
Eric! Why he would be arriving
any minute! If he had planned
to move into his room before he
left for work, he would be arriv-
ing almost before she could dress
The realization of this caused her
to spring from the shower and dash
into the room, drying herself as
she ran. AS she slipped into her
dress the pleasant aroma of coffee
seeped through the bedroom and
she realized with smile that Jane
had arisen early to prepare for just
this possibility. But when Elaine
finally finished her dressing and
walked out into the kitchen she
learned that Jane had not beer
preparing against this possibility
but rather, for the reality For
Eric was sitting at the kitchen
table, smiling happily as Jane
hustled about the kitchen, amiable
wisecracks dripping from her lips
Elaine paused astonished before
the door, unable to guess which
gave her the greatest surprise
Eric's early arrival, or the pleasant
manner in which Jane was talking
with him. She moved slowly into
the room, pleased that Jane had
decided to forget her dislike for
Eric. AS she advanced into the
room Jane became silent, and as
Eric rose slowly from his chair. the
grin faded from his lips, Elaine
became aware of sudden tension
But it was of short duration