New-York tribune., 1920-12-19
ELLEN McDONALD'S three

ITLLEN McDONALD'S three
II more places to visit in the East
must have been deadly dull
Anyway, on December 6, scarcely
more than week after his parting
with her in New York, Billy Bowen
received the promised note. 1t in
formed him merely that .her name
was Ellen Mcdonald, that she lived
at so-and-so Walton Place, and that
she was back in Chicago.
That day, if you'll remember, was
Monday. Miss McDonald's parents
had tickets for the opera. But Ellen
was honestly just worn out, and
would they be mad at her if she
stayed home and went to bed? They
'vouldn't. They would take Aunt
Mary in her place.
On Tuesday morning Paul Pot
ter called up and wanted to know
il she would go with him that night
10 "The Follies.' She was horribly
sorry, but she'd made an engage
ment The engagement, evidently,
was 70 study, and the subject was
harmony, with Berlin, Kern and
Van Alstyne rs instructors. She
SAT on the piano bench from half
past Z till quarter after $ and then
went to her room, vowing that She
would accept any and all invitations
for the following evening.
Fortunately, no invitation ar
rived, for al 4 quarter of 8
Wednesday, night Mr.. Bowen did.
And in q brand-new mood. He was
a bit shy and listened more than
he talked But when he talked he
talked well, though the sparkling
Wit OF The night at Tonio's was
lacking. Lacking, too, WAS the pre-
occupied air Of the day at the foot
bail game. There was no problem,
to keep his mind busy, but even if
the Army ana Navy had been play
lng football IN this very room he
could have told at q glance which
was which. Vision and brain were
perfectly clear. And he had been
getting his old eight hours. and, like
the railroad hen, sometimes nine and
sometimes ten, every night since his
ARRIVAL home from Gotham, n. Y.
Mr. Bowen was on the wagon.
They talked of the East, of To-
mos, Of the game (ths was where
Billy did most Of his listeninp) of
the war, of theaters, of books. Of
college, of automobiles, of the mar
ket. They talked, too, Of their I'M
mediate families Billy's, consistine.
of one married sister in South Bend.
was soon exhausted. He had two
cousins here in town whom he saw
frequently. two cousins and their
wives, but they were people who
SIMPLY couldn't stay home nights.
AS for himself, he preferred his
rooms and a good book TO the So
called gay life. Ellen should think
that a man who danced so we'll
would want to be doing it all the
time, 1t was nice Of her to say that
ne danced well, but really he didn't.
you know. Oh, yes, he did. She
guessed she could tell. Well, any
way, the g1ddy whirl made no an
peal to him, unless, Of course, he
was In particularly charming COM
rany. His .avowed love for home
and quiet surprised Ellen a little.
IL surprised Mr.. Bowen a great deal.
only last night, he remembered, he
had been driven almost desperate bv
that quiet Of which he was now SO
fond; he had been on the point Of
busting loose, but had checked him
9elf IN time. He had played Garfield
until 10, though the bookshelves were
groaning with their load.
EAen's family kept them busy FOR
an hour and . bali. 1t was q dear
family, and she wished he could meet
1t. Mother and father were out
playing bridge somewhere tonight.
Aunt Mary had gone TO bed. Aunts
Louise and Harriet lived in the next
block Sisters Edith and Wilma
~opld be home from Northampton
Tor the holidays about the goth.
brother Bob and his wife had built
tte cutest house in Evanston. Her
younger brother Walter was n case I
ne was away tonight, had gone out
right after dinner. He'd better be
in before mother and father came !
he mad new love affair every waet