Evening star., 1922-03-19

running away to her Aunt Su-
sanna was simply because she didn't
intend to let Ray Lowrie find her In
| that if he didn't find her there he'd
think her quite indifferent to thu" i'm
/ portant event of his coming. Also,
she had another reason. which had to
, do with her vanity. When she had
| flown in from the country club to her
dressmaker she had planned. with
! the help OF that estimable lady.
perfect marvel of an evening gown.
iWith the moral support Eof such at
| tire and the undoubted effect of her
absence, Amy felt that she might
face Ray Lowrie at the club dance
iwith a most magnificent effect of
never having cared, not caring now.
! and never going to care. >And all
!, these elaborate preparations show
how very far from the truth such an
impression would be. Yet Amy her;
self wasn't sure whether her pride
or her heart had been hurt the worst
in that young love e,experisnce-efther
/, is painful. goodness knows. Besides.
! the fact that she could think of it
that way argued-rweli. what did it
argue? Let <evsry .soene oyer twenty
figure it-out .in:ssfeSns Of his or her
own personal EQUATION.
! Likewise. Henry wasswrong to call.
. IA ay. I4owrie a cheap sport. Ray
! Lowrie.' was just--frish. Irish ablHe
&. eyes. melting &and, .ansrry by turns;
Irish 4blarney forever on his tongue;
thoroughly Irish appreciation 'cf
the fair>sex and a thoroughly Irish
i,babit of shifting his affections in a
| day. an houf..a minute. Naturally he
+ never married-he'd never been in
love. long enough with anyone girl.
As he had some money. he travelled
and visited and went wherever there
I.Ha as racing: or aviation or any other
sport pageahtry.s, And he liked good
,pictures..a nd..good books and good
musk. x ::ands.pretty women and the
light s5ctais sside of life. Charming.
Irresponsible irresistible--he still
was enough OF man that he
had got rather tired of enjoying life
as a souf!1e. Back in his head he'd
always held to the notion that when
lie was thirty-five he'd go home" to
Greenfields. perhaps go into business
perhaps-more vaguely still-eveh
marry and settle down" Since most
.of the girls that he had been 50 much
in love with there had since married
and settled down themselves. without.
waiting for his retuEn-why. never
mind. Amy was still single. So that
was why he had written to Amy.
x q ):
THE principal characters in this
little three e-cornered farce are
now ready for their cues. The au-
dience-all of Greenfields-is waiting
expectantly. The country club is
swept and garnished and gaily deco
rated for. the Thursday night dance.
Ray Lowrie is there, as handsome.
as debonnair as ever. slender and
dark. ready to fiirt with all the old
ladies' who adore him. and to hail.
with unaffected delight, his old
friends Three dances are over and
there is a slight lull. People are
gathered on the veranda and at the
balconied windows of the ballroom
in chattering laughing groups.
And then Amy Thompson and Henry
Eaton came in,
Everybody stared at them, and. no
wonder, for Amy, discarding her fav-
orite pale colors. was dressed in vivid.
taunting scarlet. a distracting. f1lmy
thing. that revealed and concealed
and allured and repelled. all at once,
and made her white skin seem winter
and her fair color still fairer and her
sleek black hair yet blacker. Be
hind her rose Henry. blonde giant.
And in the hush of attention every
one saw Ray Lowrie come forward
impetuously and hold out both his
hands.
"Why-it's you
And every one saw Amy's indif-
ferent, easy smile. Yes. she said,
Its l and Henry. You haven't for
gotten Henry, have you?" Then. as
the music began. she placed herself
in Henrys arms. Perhaps I'll see
YOU later" she said over her shoulder,
as they danced away.
Miss Henrietta Bird. who was
nearest. positively thrilled. 1T was
lust like something on the stage,
she told Mrs. Lovel1, the next day.
II wouldn't have believed that Amy
had it in her.
Indeed, if Amy had suddenly and
violently slapped Ray Lowrie's face,
he wouldn't have been more surprised.
or more outraged. A nice thing. in
deed. if the girl who should be all
a-twitter at your sudden appearance
mods at you and dismisses you with a
cool perhaps-Ill-see-y He
calmly drew off to the side. and when
Henry and Amy came around the sec
ond time he stopped them.
Here, Henry, you selfish villain"
he said, deliberately disengaging him
from Amy, you needn't think you can
take Amy away from me like that.
I'll just cut in-by your Leave
I And with that he swung Amy about
and they were gone. Henry rather
blinked after them. but then he
smiled. his nice quiet little smile.
and took little Dot Dixon for turn,
for: she. was nearest and being of the
younger set" and not yet -out," she
hadnt many partners.
Amy was SO angry that she could
, have screanaed. Why didn't Henry
show more spirit? Why did he let
Ray Lowrie cut init wasn't at all
as she had planned things. How be
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