Evening star., 1922-11-26

day and one still more memorabl.
evening in the city OF New York.
Then, dutifully aud somewhat giddily.
he boarded morning train and
started home for Carpenterville. five
hours upstate.
Jimmy wanted TO 60 home: that is.
he had wanted to go home. He
wanted to see his mother and father
and Joe Hollis and the Denisons and
all the rest. But. gosh. how he actu-
ally wished he could stay right on In
the big town.
Jimmy knew exactly what had hap
pened to him. He could even have
nut il into music.
In words. he had seen Virginia Van
Westyn again for the FIRST time in ff
'+en months and Virginia. as he had
admitted the fact to himself. had wal
lnped him cold. She had pasted him
Straight between the eyes, had sent
him to the ropes. had hos-tied him.
put the Indian sign OF him. sewed
him up. knocked him for goal--vir-
einia who lived on the twelfth floor
Of Park avenue apartment house
where the rents ran into five figures
% the left of the good old decimal
Point.
Yet Jimmy swung off the train
a, the dinEy old station he was con-
scious of funny lump that had risen
into his threoat Then. before he
could look around. he was engulfed
ny wave of turbulent humanity. and
all at once he was being kissed and
thumped and slapped upon the back.
while a machine-gun fre OF questions
wa. rebounding from his eardrums.
You old scout. YOU he heard. And
rhen his mother was looking up into
his eyes.
Hello. ma" he said. and husged
her tight Gosh, it's good to be
hack.
You're going to stay back now.
aren't YOU. Jimmy? You won't go
away again. will YOU. dear-ever in
your life"
Same old goose" said Jimmy Blair.
and kissed his mother again. Then:
why. Mary Denison," he called over
his mothers shoulder, "I thought
you'd be all grown up. Well. I'll be
darned, You look just about six
teen
Jimmy's father laughed
Lot Of changes since YOU been
away. Jim
But Jimmy wasn't listening. He
had caught Mary Denison's hand and
pulled her to him, bear fashion. and
kissed her. And then he was patting
her paternaily on the back.
You look great. Mary" I've said.
Gee, it's good to see everybody
again"
TT never occurred to Jimmy that the
i the paternal pat and the casual
"everybod had completely neutral
lied the kiss-and everything else.
Mary Denison didn't know Virginia
Van Westyn's name or whether Vir-
Suia was blonde or brunette. or tall ,
or short. or French or English. or
what not. But Mary did know in
stantly that there was a Virginia and
that she was a person to be hated.
Except for the fact that he was
still in uniform. Jimmy was puzzled
by the feeling that he had never been
away from Carpenterville at all. The
place was exactly as he had expected
1t to be. That was the trouble. He
felt let down.
He wondered pointedly what Eir-
eiria would think Of 1.-THE somewhat |
<hoddy streets of brown and yellow
frame houses: the two-storied busi- |
ness district: the golf course itself. i,
only nine holes and very seedy: the !
one white marble building. the bank.
at the corner of Park and Main: the
Two movie houses that smelied of |
peanuts: the black SCOT Of the freight
yards hanging over everything like a
pail.
Jimmy pressed his lips together and
shook his head. He would have to
break it to his mother that he was
going back to New York-going back
Just as soon as he decently could. !
After supper that evening. he re-
fected. would be the time.
Yet during the meal itself Jimmy
felt himself weakening. His mother
simply beamed. She had prepared
grapefruit and the tomato bisoue that !
Jimmy loved so well, and there was a !
juicy steak. swith baked potatoes and |
peas and caulihower, and salad
and then lemon meringue pie. Mrs !
Blair was going through the cere- !
rnony Of cutting this delight when /
here came a knock at the door and !
loe Hollis stormed in, with little Mary |
ncni.on on his arm. all wrapped in a |
soft brown elfin cloak that matched |!
her hair and eyes.
Cant leave You alone. you see. !
Joe proclaimed Mary said we ought !
to lay of you. but l dragged her |,
along inst the same
The g:rl laughed. |
''Thats how we women fool you,
Joe. As .bng as Jimmy wouldn't come !
to see ne, why, 7 had to come to see |
him. that's all. That's the way girls |!
are nowadays so they tell us-very !
forward
She let her brown eyes rest for an
insperceptible second on Jimmy's face. !
But Jimmy Blair was laughing with /
out concern. and his eyes were not on |
hers. !
Don't be a goose. Mary" he said.
Since when have we got so formal |
and everything?"
You two sit down" Mrs. Blair was !
insisting land try bite of this pie |
It's the first I've made in q long time !
your favorite. jim
a FTER the last crumb of pie had !
n disappeared and they were set
ling themselves comfortably in the |
nld-fashioned living room rockers. |
;~h