Evening star., 1921-02-20

/ the driveway there was no time for
| embarrassin' questions.
Well? %h sreiS S.,d:e. as + comes
trailin in with lheee suit case. "Gou
/ q hSr didn't you"
Sure: says I. "A pair of EN- -
Course. that don't mean anything
to her and | pixies on upstairs to the
gray and gold suit which the I'urdy-
Pells had had done over special for
! this occasion
Here We are" says I. closin' the
! door.
! My Nine Shane is starin. surprised a,
the new entry "I'ardon me" saws she.
: bat ! don't think I quite caught ;hc
/ name"
! Didn't you:" says No . why. my
, Gear. J am the @ her Nine. Shar -
..,,.o,h. On. says No. ]. sort of gaspy.
! 'N'hv--why. that is Impossible"
Precisely what I would have said. y
: goes on No. ?. "Eut. as Prof Mech
: mas so aDtly put 1t. here we are Odd.
; isn't it? And the natural inference
! Is that one CT US isn't genuine"
/ MY Nine. Eeuiah draws herself up
at that, with her chin we'll forward
and gives her rival the north and
south real cold and naughty. I'll say
! shn had the air. all right.
! 10 you mean.' says she. that l
am not"
I Vow. now. my dear" cuts in the
! other. Lets not put it that way.
! II won't get US anywhere, as the
u hd!fS re"d to say. Ard / will admit
/! that we do look n lot alike In fact.
IL is rather striking resemblance,
although you lack few years which
ON not anxious to claim. But /
fancy that either of us could pass for
! Nine. Shane among these people.
Think how awkward. Il would be for
. them. however. il We asked them to
! decide. And for our well meaning
hostess. too. Can't we just come to
some friendly agreement between
ourselves? Do you really insist that
you are Beulah Shane?
My entry bites her upper lip an
noyed and stands there for minute
tappin' the toe of one shoe. Then
she comes back defiant. Certainly.
Do you?" =
oh. yes" says the other so SEE
no better way than to ask Prof. Nc
Cabc to make decision"
Say that's a tough one to bat up
to me-" l protests.
Not at ALL" says No. .. II am
quite willing to accept the verdict.
Aren't you, nay dear"
II don't see why | should says
No. |.
the other. And listen: whoever loses
will act as maid to the other. That
is the only way to avoid a scene. isn't
it? Let's"
No. l hesitates for second and
shrugs her shoulders. Very well,
says she.
That's a dear" says No. 2, Now.
professor, And, don't take too long
over it or you'll delay dinner. Right
off hand. who do you choose as the
only and original Nine. Shame"
why. says 1. glancin' at No. l..
4 t,,' L. I,n ri
found where she was supposed to be,
I expect I ought to stick to her
THERE" comes in Mol.
Just a minute" says ]. 81 only
said ought to. But I'm strong for
followin hunch when it comes. 1t
I'd seen this other lady. l cant say
why. either: but as l take it ! don't
have to. So you get the decision,
pa'am." and ] turns 10 No. 2.
Didn't say you were delightful:
says she. And you're as Wise as you
Prof. McCabe is right. See. here is
nay name stamped in the cover or my
jewel case. Can you offer anything
'ena,ally convincing?"
!, She couldn't. And the next thing
>we know she has siumped into an
, easy chair and is, .sobbin' violent.
'.There. there" says the real Nine.
shane. 1T is perfectly all right.
you know. I've promised to be a
! good sport. and so must you. we
are not going to tell a SOUL only
well, am curious to know just who
/ you are and how you happened 10
/: do it."
no, no." sobs the other woman.
!. "You wouldn't understand; you
+. couldn't" ,,,
] "Ah, but I think I could" says
: Nine Shane. II am said to be quite
, ,s,Jy, nd arcfa nd woman, NOW We
!. have ten minutes before mus, stari
! to dress. Please tell me all about II.
(; Say, she's some persuader. NINE.
! ss'lanc. sitting on the arm arm OF the
soothin' she has her spiilin the
! whole tale in no time at all
! ooh. I'm nobody" says the sobbin'
! one "And that's the hard part of It,
! I've always been a nooooS. a.Wa!s
/ waist department. But 1 do look
1 Something like you. SO many people
fi,aye told me that. and I've compared
! myself with your photographs. nave
a dozen or more IN my room: ,;na I'VE We
/ and rye read such a lot about you
! all about the gay luxurious lie you
/ lead; Your different husbands how
many thousands you earn every
night the fine suites you i've In at
hotels. / have even pasted the news
paper pieces about you IN scrap
book. Some of them know by heart.
Silly. isn't it?'
Rather" says Nine. Shane. But
..Do YOU think l could do all that"
! saws the other. without thinking
sometimes that it was only your
good fortune in having that voice
| which made the diHerencs In our
day week in and week out, month
after month. do nothing but fit
waists. Most of the customers l
! serve barely notice me. They are
looking at themselves in the mirror.
| And / live in a boarding house. While
| you-
"Yes, yes, know" says Nine.
Shane. II do nothing but float gayly
about from place to place. singing
iwhen it pleases me to sing. and being
entertained by the best people. You
wished for all that, did you?"
1--WE wanted it SO hard at times
.f