Evening star., 1922-03-19
WEST w IN D


ence between them that" there
was between their favorite
games and their manner OF
playing them. Henry Eaton was a
steady reliable golfer. who. played
around at bogey or "a little better.
unless it was really important
match game. whereupons he got. fius-
tered, missed his puts. sliced and
pulled and fooled with thorough
abandon, and he was great hulking
brute. who oughtn't to have had a
nerve in his body. Amy Thompson.
on the other hand. was the clubs S
woman tennis champion. She had
devilishly accurate serve and she
could come right down to the net
and smash the balls back in a way
that brought cheers from the gal
lery. She was not one of your meaty.
blowzy girls. either Her color was
delicate and her. wrists. though ap-
parently of steel. were slender and
graceful.
1t was natural enough for Henry
to fall in love with Amy and follow
her round patiently. persistently,
worrying away at her indifference
round of clock" and it was per-
fectiy natural that she should slam
him down. time and time again. just
as she slammed balls across the net.
Each to his own game. as usual.
Habitues of the Greentields Coun-
try Club. who weIe sportive by ma
ture. placed bets on the final result.
wouldn't have HIM What-nevers
No-never. What-never: No-never
-1-mean-it. But small minority
held firmly to the theory that Henry's
persistence and his honest-to7gOod-
ness likeableness would win out in
the end.
"The girls a fool to throw away
a good chance like Henry. Why,
she's twenty-seven." said old Mrs.
Lowell. from a cushioned chair on
the veranda. She and her 'crony. Miss
Henrietta Bird. had just seen Henry
going disconsolately to the links,
having asked Amy in vain to accom-
pany him.
.Oh, l don't know" said Miss Hen
rietta, dreamily. She was romantic
soul. Maybe she's happier single.
By the way-did you know that Ray
Lowrie's coming back"
Mrs. Lowell jumped to electric at
tention "No-really," she exclaimed.
That beautiful rascal. How I shall
enjoy seeing him again: And what
shocking example he is to all the
young people in town. But you don't
think it's because of Ray that
Amy her eyes asked the ques-
tion she did not need to voice.
well. it was quite an affair. re-
piled Mise Henrietta. pursuing up her
lips. i've always thought Amy was
never quite the same. She never
used to go in for athletics and read
ing feminist books. you know"
Mrs Lowell pursed up her lips also.
Thank God, I've got no daughters.
she exclaimed, piously.
AND ii size had known about the
the pocket of Amy Thompson's rose
colored sport coat at that moment she
would have been even more thankful.
For the letter was from Ray Louvre,
and he said he was coming back to
CAreenfields to- stay, and that the
reason he was coming back. was. IN
short, Amy. That is. you could read
it that way If you wanted to. 1t
sounded like that. But if you were
twenty-seven and had suffered good
bit from Ray Lowrie's ambiguous
Iove-making you might wonder if it
meant anything at all. And that's ex-
actly what Amy wondered.
How ridiculous it all is" she told
herself, staring down the valley.
where Henrys hite-fianneled hgure
might be seen bending laboriously over
the third hole. 1T was bad enough
when 1 was nineteen and didn't know
any better. How l cried my eyes out
after he went away and l made sure
that he didn't really care! l thought
my heart was completely broken, and
that I'd never smile again. What an
idiot / was. He made love to every
girl in town, 1 do believe. Well. it's
going to be different story this
time, that's certain. Well see" And
with certain high resolves in mind.
she left the clubhouse. got into her
own little runabout, and tipped into
town to her drsssmakers. Which was
a very canny thing to do.
Then. high and important sartorial
matters having been accomplished.
she went to the telephone and called
up Henry This was an unusual thing
and Henry's answering "hello" was
divided between JOY at hearing from
her Unexpectedly and anxiety lest
something dreadful might have hap
pened to cause her thus to break over
her accustomed indifference.
"Oh, no, nothings the matter" she
assured him.. Its just that I'm go
ing out of town for few days"
You call that nothing. do your in
ouired Henry, dolefully. Its a very
serious matter to me, let me tell
YOU. How long are you going to
stay?"
I'll be back for the club dance on
Thursday" said Amy, and II you're
a good little boy Pll send you pic
ture postcard with the Soldiers Mon
ument or the Palace Hotel on it. I'm
going to Knightsville, to see Aunt
Susanna"
You're a brave girl" said Henry.
Maybe I'll motor over and say how
dye do to you before Thursday. That