Evening star., 1922-07-16

The call was from the box office OF
| the theater where they were going
There had been mistake in the
passes that had been sent: the correc,
ones would be held for her. 1t was
the fact that the masculine voice or
| the other end of the wire was pleas
ant. coupled with the fact that Bot
had heard IT asking for her. which
made the lucky accident. Janice had
| a bright idea. Her answers had con-
sisted of such non-committal remarks
as: Yes, this is Miss Kendall.
Yes. oh. all right"
Now. the telephone was in the living
room: Bob, pretending to read the
paper, could not avoid overhearing
half of the conversation. Janice's
back was to him. and so when the
speaker at the other end hung up
Bob could not see her push down the
receiver bracket and continue to tafk
into the dead instrument.
"'Oh. quite all right thank you,'
she said. pleasantly. A little pause
and she laughed lightly, as though
parrying some joking, chivalrous
pleasantly. Another pause: THE
opening night, you mean? Oh. yes
I'd simply love to! Yes, 1 know you
do. Thank you-it's awfully nice OF
you to put it that way" A brief ST.
lence. What time is the curtain
Why. then about 8 o'clock, I should
think. Thank you, good night"
Janice turned from the telephone
casual but quite the docile fiancee
"You don't mind my going to the the
ater with Mr.. Flint. do you. Bob?"
There was only one thing for a
modern New York fiance to say, and
of course, Bob said it. Thus began
the rivalry with Mr.. Lawrence Bal
lard Flint.
On the way home from the theater
it was hot, and they drove through
the park, the long way-Bob showed
for the fist time keen interest in
Janice's office work. He asked how
many people wrote for the Footlight
inquired about Doris McFee, con-
tributor whose name he happened to
recall. Janice told him an amusing
| Then, carefully concealed in this will
derness of subtleties, Bob asked:
whats Flint like? A young fell
low?''
"Oh. somewhere around thirty.
should imagine"
What does he look likef
Janice was not prepared for this
h n no vi
Lockwood. the only person she ever
associated with the Footlight.
why. he's tall and dark and slim
and rather distinguished looking. He
has the incest smile-it tips up lit.
tie at one side"
Bob dropped the subject promptly
Lawrence Ballard Flint's smile die
| not. apparently, interest him at all.
/ Janice dropped the subject. toQ She
wa. enough of an artist not to overdG
IL. She did not cause Lawrence Bal.
Iards temperance for nearly 9
| week. and then not by generalization
He appeared In answer to sudden
| need. Thursday evening Bob an
Inounced that Bert had invited him
ont to the Pertwee country place ovei
! the week end.
I'm going to get him to have hit
mother ask you, too" Bob said.
| .srhey'ye got q peach Of q place, won
derfuI beach. good courts ana every
| thing"
| JANICE recalled Bea Pertwee's indif
~ ferent Hope I'll see you agar
| some time," her cool self-assurance
the insolence of her eyes, and felt
great wave of distaste for the sug'
| pested week end. mo, don't, Bob
please. You go along by yourself
| rd rather not. They don't care any
thing about me and don't like them
They'd Just be asking me in order tt
have you, and I'd rather moi"
| "Nonsense! OF course they like
YOU. They'll be tickled to have you
| And YOU ought to like them. They're
the kind of people we ought to b
getting acquainted with. Don't b'
| silly and sensitive"
| Rob's tone was his most nasterfui
| the one Janice loved. but SO Pro
nounced was her distaste for the pro.
nosed outing that for the first TINT
the tone failed to move her.
mo, honestly, I'd hate IT. cam
bear to be dragged in"
"You wouldn't be dragged in,
| tell you. Bert Just asked me on
hand: very likely his mother1l thihi