Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-22
was case of Wees being in town
on shoppin' orgie and my being
invited to hunt her up about lunch
tima ..s.

invited 10 hunt her up about lunch
time. .t.4'
Let's see.' she phoned, Suppose YOU
meet me about 1880 at the Maison Noir.
You Know, West seth. And if I'm hay-
ING a dress fitted on the second floor
Just wait downstairs for me, will YOU.
, Torchy""
I'm among all them young lady mod
els says l. mot a chance You,l
md me hangin' up outside. And don't
make it more.n half an hour hebind
schedule. Wee, for this is one of NV
busy days"
on very WE'LL" says she, careless.
so that's how came to be backed up
IN the lee of the doorway at 12:45 when
this stranger with the mild blue ewes
Sna me chip dimple eases in with the
EXCUSE me-" says he, but haven't
we met somewhere before?"
Whicn Is where my fatal Gift for re-
l nnmaS in faces and forgettn' names
o,,in1 mo pay. After giving him the
qulek up and down l had him placed but
mot quite" says I. but we lived in
the same 'partment buldin couple of
years 1s, back. Third floor west, wasn't
That's it, says lie. land I believe
l heard you'd just been married."
yes we did have chatty janitor,"
says l.. You were there with your
mother. from somewhere out on the
coast. We almost got to the noddin'
point when we met in the elevator
IF we did," says he. that was the
with any one in New York it's the
lonesomest hole was ever in Say"
Anu INSIDE OF three minutes he's told
me all about it: how he'd brought
sn other on from Seattle to have heart
ment that hadn't been any use, and
now he'd come east alone this tima to
tie up big spruce lumber contract
with the airplane department. Also he
and writes the name of the hotel where
hes stopping on his card It's almost
like a reunion with an old college chum.
But how do you happen 10 be
says l. indicatin' the Maison Noir's
display of classy gowns. Got some
body back home that you might take
few samples tor"
His big, square-cut face sort of
pinks up AND his mild blue eyes takes
glances over his shoulder at the win
dow. Not a SOUL" says he. 'Tlle
1act Is. I'm not much of ladies'
man. Been In the woods too much, I
SUPPOSE -, An the same, though, I've
across just the right girl" Here
he scrapes his foot and works up
that fused expression again.
II see says ], GRIMM. YOU have
the plans and specifications all
framed up and think you'd know her
on sight, eh?',
Crosby mods and smiles sheepisf.
ITS gone further than that" says he.
live seen her" +.. -.
well, well!' says I. "Where?"
He looks around cautious and then
window"
"Eh:" says I, gawpin' ooh. You
mean you got the idea from one of
the dummies? Well. that's playin' 1T
safe. even il 1t is a little unique"
Crosby seems to hesitate a minute.
as If debatin whether to let it ride
at that or not, and then he goes on:
Say" he asks. "do--do they ever
put live ones in there?"
says l. "Why?"
Because" says he, there's one in
this window right now"
You don't say" says I. Are you
sure?"
her out" says he Now, right over
in that far-Why--why. say! She's
gomez
"Oh. come" says T. you've been
SEEM things. amt you? Or maybe
it was only one of the salesladies in
rearrangn' the display"
mo. no." says Crosby, emphatic. II
tell you I had been watching her for
several minutes before ! saw you, and
she never moved except for a flutter
of the eyelids. She was standing
back to, facing that mirror, so 1
could see her face quite plainly.
More than that she could see me.
OF course. l wasn't quite sure, with
all those others around That's why
I spoke to you. l wanted to see
what you'd say about her. And now
she's disappeared"
"Uh-huh!' says T. Most likely. too.
she was hauled head-first through
that door in the back. and if you
stick around long enough maybe
you'll see her showed in again, with
different dress on. Say. Mr.. Rhodes,
no wonder you're skirt shy il you
never looked 'em over close enough
not to know the dummies from the
live ones. Believe me, there's a lot
of difference"
But the josh don't seem to get to
him at all. He's still gawpin' puzzled
through the plate glass. Finally he
goes on: eff this was the first time
might think you were right But it
isn't. 1--we seen her before; sew
eral times. in fact"
AS bad as that. eh?" says 7. "rhen