Judsonia weekly advance., 1916-07-05
DINNER FOR TWO
By HELEN LANGAN.

"Well, Tom Grayson," cried Nan, throwing open the door and grasping the extended hand in both her own. 'If you aren't the last person I ex- pected to see"
 And speaking literally, I am,' Tom broke in with laugh, in which the girl joined.
 "But come in," she exclaimed; then the color flew into her cheeks as she realized that she still was holding his hand. Pardon me-" she added II was so glad to see you that I forgot
 (Which is one instance where forget fitness is bliss" Tom flushed, with significant look at his hand.
 Nan led the way into her "den," and Tom paused in the middle of the room to allow his gaze to wander over the old, familiar objects. It was some thing over year since he had last seen them, yet nothing was gone, noth- ing added, except few pictures he had rent her from abroad, and few books.
 In fact his pipe looked as though 1t had laid undisturbed since he left it, the night before he had sailed, the night that he and Nan were to have dined together (the fatal dinner she called iD but were prevented by the sudden illness of her mother.
 II wonder if we ever will have it?" he Queried, dropping on to the divan and drawing Nan down beside him.
 "I believe that it is written that we shall not" she replied in mock seri- ouSness. "The prOverbial third at tempt has failed you know. Still the song says, Why don't you tryY"
 q think I will" Tom said. And to- night, too. Let's see-where? Why not try Francois this time?'
 Nan agreed and that point being set tied and the play they would attend, they fell to discussing the things each had seen and done in the 12 months agOne. And so interested did they be- come that before they realized it the shadows had crept into the corners, and the arclight in front of the house burst forth in sputtering bril- liancy. Tom would not stop to tea, pleading that he wanted to save his appetite for that dinner, and left promising to call for her at 30. Tom wanted to be alOne-he had made a discovery-alone to think.
 Something in Mans eyes as she had released his hand set him to thinking wondering why he had never noticed how deuced pretty she really was And later when they were sitting opposite each other at the little table with it's spotless linen, shining glass and sil- yer, and Nan was drawing off her long, white gloves-he wondered again. She was not merely pretty, she was beau tiful.
 The room was ablaze with lights, the air filled with the perfume of many flowers, the hum of talk and the rip pie of laughter, and from some un- seen nook came the soft notes of sweet music.
 q guess we will make a go of 1t this time," said Tom as the waiter came up to take their order. Nan smiled, then turned her attention to the menu.
 Yes, Nan certainly was a beautiful girl. As she turned to glance about the room Tom caught a glint of gold in her brown hair that entrusted beau tifully with the pink and white of her cheek-and he had been away a year! What an idiot he was! He wondered what she would say if he were to tell her that
 From that mysterious somewhere called a kitchen there came a muf- fled roar that shook the building, fol lowed by the hoarSe shouts of men and the shrieks of women. The waiter who had just taken the order and dis appeared through the swinging doors, reappeared again, a cloud of dense black smoke in his wake.
 Just what happened during the next few minutes Nan never could clearly remember, but when she regained her wits she and Tom were standing on a corner some distance from the burning building, watching the frantic efforts of the firemen to subdue the flames.
 It was cold, and they were minus their hats, coats and gloves, but in the excitement they gave no heed. Nan shivered and drew closer to Tom.
 Lets go home," she whispered, "in a car, it's warmer than cab" Then when they were seated, she added: You see it is not to be-that is the fourth time"
 Tom made no immediate reply. He was still thinking. Once he looked at Nan, and though he knew it not she caught the glance and little thrill went creeping over her-she was not thinking, she knew!
 Man." he whispered after a mo- ment, there is only one way to ever get that dinner. You will have to-
 Don't say it, Tom" she murmured, and he felt the arm which touched his tremble.
 His face fell and the light died in