Evening star., 1922-11-12

those persons who like to begin a
friendship with a full statement Of
their position. their previous life and
the causes which led up to their being
in this particular spot at this par
ticular time. At their next meeting.
before he had time to say much on
his own account. she told him of the
small Illinois town where she passed
the early part OF her life: of the rich
and unexpected aunt who sent her to
college for no particular reason that
any one could ascertain except that
she enjoyed being unexpected: of the
legacy from this same aunt, far
smaller than might have been hoped
for, but sufficient to send a grateful
Elizabeth to New York to try her luck
there; Of editors, magazines manu-
scripts refused or accepted. plots for
stories; of life in general as lived
down where the arch spans 5th ave-
nue. and the lighted cross of the Jud-
son shines by night on Washington
square.
Ceasing eventually. she waited for
him to begin. And he did not begin
word conveyed to Elizabeth. He
spoke briefly of college. still more
briefly of Chicago. which city he ap-
peared to regard with distaste that
made Lots attitude toward the Cities
Of the Plain almost kindly by COM
parison. Then. as If he had fulfilled
the demands Of the most exactins In
Quisitor in the matter of personal
"reminiscences, he began to speak Of
the play.
The only facts concerning him to
which Elizabeth could really have
sworn with a clear conscience at the
end OF the second week OF their ac-
quaintance were that. he was very
poor and that this play meant every
thing to him.
The statement that it meant every
thing to him insinuated itself go fre-
quently into his conversation that 1t
weighed on Elizabeth's mind like a
burden, and by degrees she found her
self giving the play place Of honor
in her thoughts over and above her
own little ventures.
At an early stage in their friend
ship the young man told her the plot
Of the piece, and IL he had not un-
fortunately forgotten several impor-
tant episodes and had to leap back to
them across a gulf of one or two
acts. and If he had referred to his
characters by name instead of by such
descriptions as tho fellow who's in
love with the girl-not what's-his-
hryf he 40 ~
she would have got that mental half
nelson on 1t which is such a help to-
ward the proper understanding Of q
four-act comedy. AS 1t was, his precis
left her a little vague, but she said It
was perfectly splendid, and he said.
DO you really think so?" and she.
'sYes, do,'>and both were happy.
Rehearsals prayed on Mr.. Boyd's
spirits a good deal. at least so II
seemed to Elizabeth. He attended
them with the pathetic regularity Of
the young dramatist, but they ap-
peared to bring him little balm. In
the evening Elizabeth generally found
him stepped in gloom. and then she
would postpone her recital, to which
she had been looking forward, of
whatever little triumph she might
have happened to win. and devote
herself to the task Of cheering him
up. If women were wonderful In no
other way. they would be wonderful
fo- their genius for listening to shop
instead Of talking it
TLIZABETH was feeling more than
II a little proud Of the way in which
her Judgment Of this young man was
being justified. Life in Bohemian
New York had left her decidedly wary
of strange young men not formally
introduced. But their relations, she
told herself, were SO splendidly un-
sentimental. There was no need for
that silent defensiveness which had
come to seem almost an inevitable
accompaniment to dealings with the
opposite sex. James Boyd, she felt,
she could trust, and it was wonderful
how soothing the reflection was. %,
And that was why, when the thing
happened, 1t so shocked and fright
ened her.
It had been one Of their quiet
evenings. OF late they had fallen into
the habit of sitting for long periods
together without speaking. But 1t
had differed from other quiet even
ings through the fact that Elizabeth's
silence hid slight but we'll defined
feeling Of injury. Usually she sat
happy with her thoughts. but tonight
she was ruffied. She had grievance.
That afternoon the editor of an
evening paper had Informed her defi-
nitely that the man who had con-