Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18
Continued from page s

Some daN OF course key too would be
thirty nine, but still joyous, still boy;
while she, an old, old woman, with chin
sagging far beyond the aid Of any patent
at the helm of Coats & Suits lest some
younger, gladder woman snatch them too
away.
And Ikey! Could she ever bring herself
to offer him his freedom now9 1t would
be hard, an impossible, thing for key ever
to ask for it-Ikey, who could not give pain
to mosquito, who at this very moment was
consoling Miss Marchbanks, and thinking
of his wife as tightwad and gutter, if he
was thinking of her at all.
The occupants of the next suite were put
ting up greens. You could hear them tack
ing against the divan on which Miss Hartog
now lay crouched Imply. Others were
going down to a sumptuous dinner, where
Jewels, wine, and love would be sparkling in
unison, quite regardless of how famished she
was. You could hear the luxurious trail Of
gowns past her door. Far down the hall the
elevator door banged. Someone jerked
down suitcase and came briskly down the
hall. Some home-comer-there was no
mistaking the swift, happy tread of-the
man who comes home. Oh, some woman
on this floor was to have Christmas, real
Christmas! Some woman was not lying IN
the darkness, forlorn and forty and forgot
ten! Some woman
THE door burst open.
"Ikey, Ikev!" cried the practical Miss
Hartog, leaping into his arms as he gasped
in disnay at the gloom. "Ikey, key, how
did YOU come to me?'
Eighteen Hour Limited paid an extra
twenty for my berth, replied the modernly
unromantic Wallenstein, proudly switching
on the lights. "Lord, but it's good to see
you. Old Girl, just couldn't stand it when
it came Christmas
ooh, Ikey, Ikey." grasping his coat, while
earth turned to clouds and time receded.
"Wait till | show you what I've got for
you, said Ikey, patting her scrawny Shout
der, quite as though it was as plump and
firm as Miss Steinhardt's From his breast
pocket he drew forth a white jewelers. box,
containing a platinum lavalhere, with a
blazing E of brilliants set in elaborate fill
gree, the whole depending from a thread
fine chain.
platinum said key happily, clasping
it above the soiled kimono. Looks pretty
nifty there, don't ito7
ayes, don't it," breathed Miss Hartog
bravely, but wincing nevertheless.
"Ninety-seven fifty Wholesale said key.
"Marchbanks has one like it in silver that
could have got for fifty. She lent it to me
to show the jeweler; but | made up my
mind that my girl shouldn't never wear sill
yer so long as | could give her platinum.
Are you sure you like it," anxiously, his eyes
devouring her. Il had that E made two
sizes larger than Marchbanks'. Sure it isn't
too large now"
ooh, Ikey," cried Miss Hartog in rapture,
at couldn't be too large! To think of your
choosing it like that. Why, it's perfect,
Ikey. Its-it's the only Christmas present
| ever had in my whole life" Silver, plati-
mum, large, small, paid for by keys ninety
seven fifty or hers-what did it matter, since
it was his, KEYS, present?
"I'm glad you feel that way about it,
said Ikey: "for | bought it the very first
crack from the first thousand and YOU know
what that means to me, Old Girl. Why it
means
"What?" gasped Miss Hartog.
Success" said key. From the very
first moment saw you sitting there in that
box at the Babylonal, wearing that spangly
gown, with the seven tabs down the back,
and only that puny pearl pendant, | knew
that would mean success, to be hanging
real sparkler round your neck-and tonight
it seems I've come pretty near the real
thing, eh?
He pulled bullying roll of papers from his
ulster pocket and spread them on the divan
with the glee OF boy.