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 ing at the empty fireplace as if she were seeing something else. "I guess you can't love more than one person best."

"But where's Hope?" Kate cried, plunging downstairs to fling her arms around Joe. "Darling, you look so hot and tired! Where's Hope?"

"I'm going to let Evelyn keep her."

"Joe!"

"Mother, I can't talk about it yet. Evelyn needs Hope, and Hope needs Evelyn. Evelyn—Evelyn's more— I want them to be together"

"But, Joe! Won't she ever let you see her again?"

"Why, of course, mother! Evelyn's still Evelyn."

"I"

"And there's something else. I'm going to let Evelyn divorce me. Don't say anything—don't say anything!"

She could not look at his despairing face, that he was trying to control. She kissed him, her arms tight around him, and said with unnatural briskness:

"You go and have a nice bath—you're all hot and dirty—and then lie down till supper time. Joe!"

He looked down over the banisters. His mouth was stretched into a smile, but his eyes were so big, so shining that she was afraid they would well with tears, that tears would overflow, streaking the dust of travel.

"Lie down in my room; it's the coolest."

The world was breathless, still as glass; the sky grew