Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-15
The Daily NoueleHe
An Easter Egg
By FREDERICK HART

Florence thought. She watched him
anxiously now. She really took An in
terest in that hat. and waited to see
whether or not he would get a new one.
The stair well waited, too. 1t seemed
to say TO itself: THAT young thing is
falling in love with that engineer and
doesn't know 1t. She thinks she Is in
terested in his hat. Ha, Ha! Wait and
see ~
Came the Saturday before Faster.
Florence returned at noon. In her arms
was paper bag, and in the bag were
six eggs, raw. She was going to boil
them that evening and draw little pic
lures on them and give them. next day,
mounted the stairs-thcy seemed un-
usually creaky that day, as though they
had something to say to her-and was
just turning into her room when she
heard footsteps below her and knew
that Mr.. Hayden was coming in.
II wonder.' thought Florence. HAS
he bought new hat for Faster. or Is
he still wearing that awful old thing?"
She rushed to the banisters and leaned
far over to look at the ascending Mr.
Hayden.
/ Eggs are unstable things. They have
no corners. and slip very easily. Any
way. the string on that paper bag was
not very tightly tied. Florence. Lean
ing over the stairwell, suddenly saw,
with n gasp of horror. something white
and oval slide into view under her very
eyes and descend in rapidly diminish.
ing perspective. She opened her mouth
TO scream. when Mr.. Hayden stuck his
head over the banisters apparently TO
! look at the mail table. The egg and
his hat arrived at the same point at the
same time.
If the crash had been loud enough
to wake seven cities 1t could not have
stunned Florence more. She stared
over the railing, unable to flee, unable
to cry out. held by horrible fascina-
| tion at the sight of the wreck fiat had
been made Of Mr.. llayden's hat. lie,
on his part, after recovering from the
blow-an egg falling two stories hits
hnrd-took off his hat. held It so it
would not drip, and looked to see who
had assaulted him. His gaze met
/ florence,s, and for moment neither
! spoke. Then some demon Of irrespon-
sibility prompted her tongue.
Happy Easter. :" she called.
! He was up the st.rrs in. 1t seemed to
her, three steps. He stood confronting
her, and the omelet that had been his
hat dripped sullenly in his hand.
! did you do that" he asked sternly.
! "1-Fm sorry-it slipped-I didn' I
do 1t on ose-but--oh--you do
need new hat"
He looked at her moment and
something In her face made his heart
beat hard and something in his eyes
made her drop her own, while wave of
red suffused her face. 'I--'' he
began and stopped. "You-" again
n false start. Suppose you come out
and help me pick out new one," he
got out at last. I'm sure you have
much better taste than l have"
They descended the stairs together.
The hat had been deposited in her
waste paper basket. Somehow his hand
/ rested in her arm, then slid down tin
he felt her warm fingers. "Easter's n
lovely season." he said, irrelavantly.
isn't IT," she sighed. "And ] think
the custom of giving eggs Is splendid ="
he continued, She hid her face In his
sleeve. "Oh, don't I'm sorry--oh,
Yes" said the stair we'll critically
they make II very pretty couple : :
my word! He's kissing her!