Evening star., 1940-12-10


believe him Stephen! He's lying"
Laura Mills cried
Stephen turned to look at her
with slow, awful, deliberateness.
Her Face Betrays.
Her face betrayed her. It was
gray with terror. Stephen knew at
once without doubt that Tom was
telling the truth. "Why-Laura, -
he whispered unbelievingly. Laura.
How could you do such thing?"
Tina was looking from one to the
other of them, her childish face
trembling with bewilderment. Ste
phen took notice of her suddenly.
It was a terrible effort for him to
smile, but he did. Tina" he said,
your fathers going to get we'll.
You and Tom go out to my car and
I'll drive you to the hospital again.
He needs to see you
When the door had closed behind
the two. Miss Mills began to speak
again. Il loved YOU, Stephen she
said Il loved you. and that first
day Miss Storm came to the school
I knew you were going to fall In
love with her. Just knew it. And
I couldn't bear it. Can't you under
stand?"
Il begin to understand a lot OF
things Stephen answered quietly
He felt sick inside as he left her
and went outside to the car where
Tina and Tom waited Those let
ters the superintendent had re-
ceived. hundred other insinuations
and little items of gossip had all
originated with Laura Mills. Her
parting words had been that she
was going to resign, leave Drillford,
but the harm to Janet was done
Or was it? He'd fought against his
love for Janet, instead of fighting
for her love. He'd been a fool!
Janet, too, had been, by her own
admittance. resisting her own ideals,
and Miss Mills had cleverly PLAYED
them against each other to her own
ends.
Janet Disappeared.
If he could only persuade Janet
to stay. after all that had happened.
She had to stay. He couldn't go
on living without her. After all,
the honest goodness of her, the de-
lightful warmth of her personality
would finally dispel the damage Miss
Mills had done.
He let Tina and Tom out at the
hospital and drove to Janet's ROOM
ing house. He was trembling with
eagernesS and hope.
Shes not here, believe me!' The
landlady told him with a touch Of
asperity. Shes gone. bag and
baggage, I'm sure I don't know
where!'
No one seemed to know what had
become of Janet. She had appar-
emily dropped from sight. Stephen
was frantic.
The Drillford Times came out that
evening with headlines announcing
her innocence and the fact that
Coburn was expected to recover.
Eliza brought the paper in to
Stephen, who. was pacing up and
down the long living room.
Here's the paper Now why can't
you eat somethin? Do YOU think
its goin' to help find her to go with
out your dinner?" she scolded
Nobody ever figured out anything
on an empty stomach"
you're probably right, Eliza" he
said desolately, but I-well
just couldn't"
He took the paper, his eye falling
at once on the picture Of Janet on
the hospital steps. Then he noticed
the caption beneath it. "Drillford
teacher, absolved of hit-and-run
accident guilt, to leave Drillford.
The interview with the reporter
followed. Stephen paused thought
fully, then flung the paper aside.
and caught up his Overcoat and hat
from the chair where he'd flung
them.
A Fight Against Time.
The only evening train out of
Drillford left at 7 and he barely
had time to get to the station before
then.
Although it was bitterly cold. she
was standing outside the warmth
of the station, half-hidden in a
shadow on the long platform, her
two suitcases at her feet, She had
her coat collar turned up and her
hands in her pockets, and she was
looking down, so that her face was
hidden from any one who might
be passing by.
He spoke her name and she raised
her head and turned slowly to look
at him.
Janet" he said. He wasn't
ashamed that there were tears in
his eyes. He lifted her chin so that
she had to look at him. 1t was
nearly dark He could hardly see
her face Janet, 1 love you
She only looked at him.
Janet" he repeated, please
don't go away. I love you. I have
from the first day I saw you. I
looked up and there you were
with your pretty black eyes-and
your-your smile. Please stay here
in Drillford and let me-let me at
least try to make you love me. Why
will be the same If you
go away. I just feel as if I can t
go on without you-now."
Stephen she said. "Oh, Ste
phenl"
They were in each others arms
then. She lifted her face and he
found her lips and kissed her.
The train came putting and
snorting into the station, and bag
gage truck creaked by, but they
were oblivious.
Lady" the stationmaster said,
"this is your train"
Never mind" she answered with
trill of soft laughter.
She and Stephen moved of. The
stationmaster scratched his ear. IF
that amt like a woman" he NUT
tered, wait an hour and then
change her mind about goin'"
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