Evening star., 1919-12-14

ana TOOK up It's murmur Where IL nau
left off. A truant squelched his toes
in the warm mud and let it ooze over
and between them.
"A mole stirred in it's hole. and be-
cause spring will find way, even
down in the bargain basement of the
Titanic store, which is far below the
level of the mole, Sadie Barnet, who
had never seen a. wood anemone and
never shifted of thaw or the wet wild
smell of violets, felt the blood rise in
her veins like sap, and across the
aisle behind the white goods counter
Max Meltzer writhed in his woolens.
and Sadie Barnet. presiding over bin
OF specially priced mill-ends out mid
aisle between the white goods and the
muslin underwear, leaned toward
him, and her smile was as vivid as her
lips.
Say. Max. guess why think you're
like a rubber band"
Classic Delphi was never more
ready with ambiguous retort.
Behind stack Of. Joy-of- the Loom
bedsheets Max Meltzer groped for
oracular divination, and his heart
ocdSo AutSCICu III NoiCc
Like rubber band?"
'"Yeh." ......... .... ,5,o
"Give up"
Jaw, give a guess"
We'll, don't know, Miss Sadie. un-
less-unless it's because I'm stuck on
YOU" -n -r ..
DO not. ascetic reader, gag at the
unsocratic plane. True, Max Meltzer
had neither the grain nor the leisure
OF sophist, a capacity for lenses or
an appreciation of Kant. He had never
built bridge. led a Bible class. or at
tempted the first inch Of the fve-foot
bookshelf. But on a two-figure salary
lie subscribed an annual donation to
skin -and-cancer hospital, wore non
reversible collars and maintained a
smile that turned upward like the
corners of cycle moon. Remember,
then, ascetic reader, that q rich man
once kicked leper; Kant's own heart.
that 1t might turn the worlds heart
outward, burst of pain, and in the
granite canyon Of Wall street one smile
in every three score and ten turns
upward.
Sadie Barnet met Max Meltzer's
cycle-moon smile with the blazing
eyes Of scorn, and her lips, quivering
70 a smile. met in a straight line that
almost ironed out the curves.
Cause you're stuck on me. That's
swell guess. Gee, you're as funny
as a sob, you are"
The words scuttered from her lips
like sharp hailstones. and she glanced
at him sidewise over a hump of up
lifted shoulder and down the length
OF one akimbo arm.
"'Cause you're stuck on me! HUH!
Max Meltzer leaned across a coun-
ter display Of fringed breakfast nap
kins. 4.
Amt that,a good reason Miss sa-
die? It's true one"
You're one swell little guesser, you
are not. You couldn't get inside
riddle with a canopener. Cause
you're stuck on ME! Gee.
We'll, am"
II didn't ask you why you was like
n bottle of glue. 1 asked you why
YOU was like rubber band"
Jaw, I give UP, Miss Sadie"
Cause you're SO stretchy, see?
Cause you're SO stretchy you'll yawn
your arm of IL you don't watch it,"
Max Meltzer collapsed in an atti-
tldo Of mock prostration against a
stock shelf.
Gee. that must have been cracked
before the first NUT
-''Smartyw
Across the specially priced mill ends
she flashed the full line of her teeth.
and with an intensity his features
Ill concealed he noted how sweet her
throat as 1t arched.
Its the spring fever gets inside of
me and makes me SO stretchy, Miss
Sadie. It's a good thing trade is slow
down here in the basement today, be-
cause it's the same with me eyery
year: the Saturday before spring
opening week ] just get to feeling
like all outdoors"
wait till you see me with a new
red-satin bow stuck on my last sum-
mer's shape. Dee Dee's got to lend
me the price for two yards Of three.
inch red-satin ribbon for my spring
opening.
His breast rose in his throat.
81 bet you look swell in red. Miss
0rl