The Denver Jewish news. [volume] (Denver, Colo.) 1915-1925, 1921-05-25

however. the numbers of those letters /
had dwindled alarmingly, and they no
longer contained fond references to
their joint future. Which made the |
matter of Leon and his proposal more
complicated.
Now that Sarah pondered Mannie's |
detection. she recalled that it was ever
since he had spent two weeks as the |
house doctor in Ghetto settlement
his letters had been so few and dis
tant. That fortnight had evidently inn
pressed him nightly. for his letters
to the folks at home had been glowing
bits of description. filled with inter
,sting tid-bits concerning rhe types he
had encountered. Pathetic they We're
in the accounts of the misery. squalor.
and trouble Mamie had encountered in
that brief space, and enriched withal
by the rare touches of humor only
very last letter, which had come so
long ago Sarah was unable to recall
the exact date had limited that he
might not come home to practice in
Browntown. but possibly would hang
ont his shingle in Chicago.
Into this state of affairs Leon had
come. Leon had scarce given the Mar
Gus family an opportunity to finish
its dinner the day he arrived home
Handsome in big blond sort of man
ant
Sarah. She was doubly surprised:
first, Mt his visit home. and secondly.
that he had come Immediately to see
her. She could count on her ten
fingers the letters he had written her
since being in New York. and in none
had there been any reference to any
contemplated homecoming, nor the
vaguest hint that his thoughts had
dwelt particularly upon herself. Leon
enjoyed her amazement hugely. and
drew her down to a seat beside him.
firmly grasping her hand.
Admiringly he gaZcd at her. We'll.
well. little Sarah. How you're grown
And pretty, too. What have you been
Answer me that. Why. let me see.
you must -ah--ah-'
I'm still twenty-four.' dimpled
Sarah. mo use trying TO hide my age
from you. Leon. I'll he twenty-five
in two weeks. There's nothing inter
csting to tell about me. I'm still at
Morelands.' Assistant buyer now. EN.
pect to make eastern trips in the fall
Tell me about YOU
And bit by bit he told her of his
beginnings in New York, the vast,
heartrending loneliness amid thu
hustle and hustle of al unheeding
city; the bitter disappointments, the
mistakes, and countless times he had
almost given mp and come home. beat
en-. Finally he recounteu his start
and his achievements with the Man
haitian brokerage firm.
That's ALL" he concluded. except
for one thing. I worked mighty hard
down there. and it's been an awful
grind. Sarah but I've had plenty of
time to think. It's you I've been
thinking of down there. Oh. / know
You couldn't guess it frOia my letters.
There We're lots of them l tore up be
fore I finally did write you those
you did get. 1t, would only have made
things down there harder. But down
there in that little lonesome old town.
1 used to think of your eyes and the
way they light up when you smile.
And your hair, and the first cake
you baked. I remember how we all
praised it. altho it only had butter
in spots and the frosting was lumpy.
I remembered how you tore your
dress-a brnn-new sailor suit-when
we We're ont coasting. and how we
tried to fix it with our awkward kid
fingers. blue with cold, so your moth
err wouldn't notice. Everything we
ever played at, and all our childish
memory's musty corners thousands of
times. and they made me want you
so. I want you terribly, Sarah.
Won't you marry meT'
Sarah stammered her nstonishment
"Why-L-LcOn, you surprise me so,
II don't know what to say"
Say, yes, darling, and make me for
get those five awful years away from
you. Think of New York and what
it means, honey. Anything you want,
and all the pretty clothes you'd like.
You can have little car if you want
it. Say, yes, darling-it's the kind of
life you love dear theaters, gay
restaurants, and the dancing. You al
ways loved to dance So
Il do yet she murmured. flushing
Inv