Evening star., 1922-01-01

= walk through Central Park
without noticing much where 1 was
going until I found myself up on
that out-of- the-way knoll that's dec
grated, more or less, by the Carl
baldi statue. And suddenly ] discov.
cred that was being traiied. Being
such a brisk day. there wasn't even a
nursemaid in sight-just Garibaldi
and me, and this MAI. in the heavy
gray ulster.
Wen, old Garibaldi might have been
useful in his time. but he wasn't go
ing to be much use 70 me then. and
as there was no path down except the
one behind me, where this party of
the second part was blocking the
way, 1t seemed to be up to me to make
some kind of snappy move If 1 was
going to save my silver fox scarf and
wrist watch. So with my usual
shrinking modesty I whirls on him
abrupt and gives him the scornful
double o.
Say. old Rubber Heels" says l.
'who do YOU think you're sleuthing,
anyway"
That stops him all right. lie makes
u COuplc ol HSHS with itiF'
mouth, as if ne was gasping for
breath. and then he comes out with
the glad hail.
why, Trilby May" says he, Il just
knew it must be you, but l wasn't
quite sure until YOU spoke. You re-
member me. of course?"
'Eh?" says I, taking another sduint
between the high points of the ulster
collar, for as a matter of fact ia
been too nervous to rally see amy
thing before. .'Why-it's-er-Wi!
Bigler. isn't it?'
Yes" says he. beaming.
Prom Duluth" 1 added, just to
make talk.
HE MODS enthusiastic. AS though
there could be a Willard Bigler
from anywhere else! Not that Duluth
makes Q speciality Of Willard Biglers
but he isn't exactly the. type you'd
expect to hnd duplicated anywhere.
No. WILLARD is in class by himself
I hope.
1--WE been following you for the
last half hour" says he. trying to
get near enough to make sure before
1 spoke. 1 didn't want to make any
mistake and get in trouble. you
know"
IT know. willard" says I. "'Cau-
tion is your middle name"
WELL says he, you got to be
careful in strange town. Especially
a place like New York. What you
doing-just taking a walk"
You've guessed 1t. Willard" says I.
"And you'll suppose you're measur-
ing Central Park for building lots Or
something like that?"
no" says he. I'm on a business
trip, though. Client of mine back
home sent me on to close lease with
one of these chain store concerns for
a corner property on Superior street.
Big thing for me-expenses paid and
ALL
I'll bet that item of expense was
thoroughly understood before you
started" says I.
Willard stiffens his neck at that.
just as he used to, and does a shoul-
der pivot to stare at me, but when ]
spring my crooked smile on him he
thinks better OF 1t.
You're just the same Trilby May.
aren't you?" he says.
Absolutely not" says I.
"Oh, yes, you are" he insists. "And,
say, couldn't We find place to sit
long talk7"
Think it's perfectly safe, do you?"
I asks.
"Oh, come" he protests. Nobody
in this town knows me. Besides. l.
I've been thinking a lot about you since
you left"
Which ought to give you the situa-
tion. Yes, from out the dead and
buried past I'd gone and dug up an
old admirer. ! expect I can call him
that without kidding myself much.
even If he did manage to keep it such
a dark secret back in Duluth. In
fact, he used to be so quiet and subtle
about it that I might have missed
most Of it myself II there had been
any other entries. But when a girl
has to struggle along with such un-
alluring hair and eyes as mine you
can gamble she doesn't overlook any
friendly glances from the hippocket
sex.
NOU sec, 1t was when Inez and I
were doing our zippy waitress act
in Druot's. juggling plates of ice
cream and dealing soft drinks off the
arm that got to know Willard Bigler
real well. Some kind of lawyer, I
understood Willard to be: not one Of
the leading legal lights of Duluth or
anything like that. with big corpora
tions paying him an annual fee. No.
1 believe he and his partner special
ICED in rent cases. leases and other
Willard was rather well of, too. with
a good bank balance and half in
terest In business block that had
been left to him and his sister.
e.. You'd never guess it. though. to
watch him lunching or a chocolate
milkshake and one Of our thin ham
sandwiches. That's how I first got
line on his thrifty habits. Say. when
you see 'em squeeze two dimes and
nickel out of a change purse and then
tip you with a smile you can guess
tho rest. Uh-huh! Willard was just
as free with his money as If he had
glue on his fingers. He shed it as
easy as a catfish does Its skin.
Why he should pick me out as the
target for his shifty eye-rolling was
always a puzzle, when there was 1nez
and a lot more flossy mattresses on
the force. Maybe he misunderstood
that friendly smile Of mine and didn't
notice that I spread 1t around care
lass on all the customers. But .he