Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-27

But thinking and doin's two differ
ent things. It's stepping back that
brings home the bacon; and you
stepped back. Say. do you know what
tonight is?" He smiled. 1t was the
smile Of a gargoyle.
mo. I've forgotten to keep track
of the days"
well, it's little old Christmas eve,
and I'm as homesick as as
hell! Can't you see the good old clean
snow coming down. and the Salvation
Army Santa Claus hopping about to
keep his feet warm and watching the
nickels and dimes dropping into his
kettle? Huh? And the kids with
their little red smellers pasted against
the toy shop windows? L choose
that" Can't you hear em arguing?
Aw, little old New York on Christ
mas eve!"
Don't" Her throat filled suddenly,
and she was very close to a passion
ate storm of tears. 1t would have
been well for her if she had cried
abandonedly.
tomorrow were going to have the
greatest Christmas spread they can
turn out at Rallies. And after that
We're going to see how fast we can
get back to those two chairs behind
the deck-houses. The old Atax-huh?
/ could have cried when I had to
leave her at Hongkong"
why did you come back for me?"
The question came involuntarily.
You want to know?" He looked
down at his swollen hands. well.
because ! love you, not like a brother,
but like a man who loves one woman
once in his life. / know. I'm not
exactly your kind. l grew up among
the roughnecks. maybe. My educa-
tons q joke. But I'll tell you this
much; IL they'd dragged you down to
hell before / got here I'd have gone
down into hell and dragged you back.
You're a good woman. What's one
mistake? Will you marry me?"
He dared not look at her. He con-
tinued to stare at his hands. The
towel. drawn a bit too tightly, dripped
water which trickled down the end
of his nose.
Who shall say that these were not
the first honest words of love ever
This thought came into the girls
mind as she gazed down at his head.
She was dreadfully tired. Some
one to take care of her. some one
who loved her to stand between her
and all future buffets, to wait upon
her and to serve her. Why not? She
felt that all her fortresses had been
smashed: there was not a single bar
rier: there was neither dream nor il
fusion left
There was along interval of silence.
II l will marry YOU" she
said.
l have remarked that William was
fine in the grain, and that the harsh
environments Of his earlier years had
not in any way coarsened that grain.
All he did was to reach out. take her
hand in his. and pat it. The most
natural act In the world would have
been to take her in his arms and kiss
her He merely patted her hand.
Why? Because he knew that Ruth
did not love him. Later you will un-
derstand the supreme sacrifice he had
in mind when he made that proposal
the parson tomorrow. But just now
suppose we think up some way of
getting out of this shebang? Where's
your sleeve?"
She found ii by the window.
Got any pins? Well have to patch
up bit: can't go into the streets
like this"
She plucked some pins from the
cushion on the bureau. AS he touch
ed the cool flesh Of her arm he trem-
bled. He was going to fight battle
beside which the recent one was as
nothing. Would he be strong enough
to win it? Maybe. with Gods help
After the sleeve had been pinned on
he got his coat.
where's the revolver? Here it is.
on the bed Gee! but I'm hick with
these things. / couldn't hit the broad
side OF an elephant. But they won't
know that"
He turned the automatic over and
over in his hands, curiously. But he
was natural mechanic, and it wasn't
long before he had mastered the
mechanism Of the gun.
"All aboard"
The pearls" she said, duly
'What?" He stared at her dunn
founded. 1t was unbelievable. You
want them = now"
TO return them. Oh. ! couldn't live