The Washington herald., 1920-01-28

said the fiashy person. throwing out
a stubby but newly manicured right
hand.
How are you. stubr
Never inner. son. It's great to see
you. Where you been keepin' your.
self? They tell me you are hittin'
the strait and narrow: how about
it?'
who told you that?" returned
Lexington. with q laugh.
Don't we all know it?" exclaimed
the club since Christmas"
Con, aware of another backward
rub on his nerves. I'm no good in
cold weather"
But you sure do eat up them
nights In spring-ain't saw you
do IL. Connie!-when the weather is
woolly and soft, end the winter
linin' goes OF your ts~ter and you
feel . drought comm on that1l last
you till snow flies again"
Stubby cackled with head thrown
back until the derby was in dan
ger. The other men in the COM
partment found Il difficult to be, as
bored as they wished to appear.
IT guess they had a spell of hot
weather down in Cincinnati, didn't
they" and Stub set himself OF in
another At Of laughter. Lexington
nodded. grinning. Then Taggart
lowered his voice discreetly and
whispered in his young friends ear:
"On the level. now. how the hell did
you keep from gettin' a ride in the
blue buggy? They tell me you had
everything your own way. with a
gat in both mits."
II don't remember the details, %
answered Con. as he shifted the con-
versation. fWhat have you been
doing. Stubby7 You look prosper
Gus. Don't tell me you've gone to
work"
A hurt expression covered the red,
puffy face. but a smile was In It.
been the little hummin' bee for
work."
IT thought perhaps you had q
treeful by this time"
Not at the present price o. liquor.
And say, we're goin' through q dry
state in a few minutes. I'm in one
already. You don't happen to have
q drink anywheres on your
So they chatted. and the past was
shifting before the young man. lurid
and restless as a lava lake by night.
They talked OF the club members
of Spike Taylor and >Jim and Posy
Mason-those high-strung, way
ward children who keep Mother
Law awake at nights. and. perhaps
never come home to her at all
But you never seen Norma
burst forth the old but dificult ac-
Quaintance. Norma" he added
rather tenderly.
'T don't remember the name"
said Con.
We'll. you got II comm, then.
Never was anything like her. no.
where's. oh. class" he emphasized.
Light as wine. the -cleverest bit
that ever wore clothes. She amt
had her breakfast yet. She's in
lower Seven. i was in lower Three"
he concluded hastily.
You got TO meet her.
with pleasure You're generou,
as ever"
Don't mention it She Amt
mine
Stubby insisted. and as soon as
Lexington had finished with the
barber he followed Taggart out of
NhN NNcA~iC VI anu
soap, down passage and aisle TO
Berth Seven. The curtains were
closed.
''She sleeps" said Stub.
mo, she don't" said a feminine
voice within.
"Morna, got a friend 1 want you
to meet"
I'm not up yet"
We'll, shake with him. anyhow.
and you can do the rest later Miss
Vallale. meet Mr.. Lexington"
The heavy green curtains of Num-
Der Seven parted slightly. and a
slim white hand came forth, un-
certainly. The fingers were DELI
cate and cool. They left a frag-
rance in Levington's palm. He
bowed to the curtain, close over the
hand. and the voice said rather
family from the enclosure: Pleas
ure, I'm sure
Con murmured his response. and
let go her fingers as the hand was
withdrawn. But. whether by in
tention or accident, the fingers
spread very slightly as she drew
them back, so that the curtains
were parted a little wider. and he
was conscious of eyes from the
depths OF the berth. He turned
away quickly. and could not be sure
about anything. He didn't want TO
be sure. He was sure
Stub laughed at his own original
ity, while other passengers. whose
berths had been made UP and who
had breakfasted an hour ago. re-
specially glared out at the win
dows. to prove their utter indiffer-
ence. Lexington stumbled after
Taggart, toward the smoking-room.
He was at the little bend when he
head a click OF curtain hooks. and
glanced back. Berth Seven was CIV
ing up its treasure Norma emerg-
ed, in dressing robe of dazzling silk,
stepped idly into her embroidered
slippers, and went down the aisle
the other way.
Her hair was looped gold, pleas
ant in disarray. Her movements
were the ageIess man-fatal para
doX OF languor and snap. fre-blood-
ed, with nerves of ice. Instantly
she was gone from sight But
Stubby's chatter was powerless af-
terward. Later. when she returned
from the dining car. the three OF
them strolled to the rear. The day
was high. and the world good
Norma did not talk very much. They
let Stub say everything.
Her travelling suit was black. She
was glossily blonde. her voice like
a summer evening at nine. The
gods, during her twenty-few years
had nodded her limbs with loving