Evening star., 1922-10-08

THAT violet-eyed Crouch. He's
| awful. No boy has any right to eyes
like that with long, curly lashes to
make 'em worse. Girly stuff"
HE can't help his eyes. He came
by 'em honestly; I used to know his
mother, years ago."
"Oh, did your Miss Nellis' own
eyes regarded him with suspicion.
so that's it. I wondered why the
special interest in him. Telling me
to be nice and friendly with my
neighbor on the development. Well,
it was all wasted. He's about as
! friendly as a rattlesnake.''
The physician chuckled. II told
you his nerves were little on edge"
you told me he needed gentle
stimulus. AS a gentle stimulus to
violet-eyed nerve wrecks I thought I
might do. But I don't.
"All that / hoped of YOU" said the
doctor with apparent innocence, was
that you might give him renewed
interest in life by making love to him
| a little.
| Me? I don't make love to men"
said Miss Nelhs prim!y. Sometimes
they make love to me-" she added less
! primly.
| No. Do they?" marveled DR.. Wes-
ton. Il wonder why?'
The girl began to ehuckle very
much as she had chuckled at Gilbert
Hayden's toilful agony. He hasn't
been working on his lot"'
He HASN'T Dr. Westons words
| snapped Don't tell me the young
Stacker has been shirking?"
| Not that. either. It's too good TO
| keep. Promise you won't tell? Sol
emn, silent, strike-you-dead oath?'
! y * X
! THE physician crossed his, hands
! L on his chest and closed his eyes
/ solemnly.
.All right. sHe's working on my
! lot"
! Your lot? What the
| Grading it. and getting all the
| mean little stones out. and fixing 1t
so neat and pretty for my garden.
/ Only. he thinks It's for his bunga-
low"
! How does he get that way? Has
! his brain gone wrong!
! Some nlix-up over the numbering
| of the parcels. suppose. He's Is NJ
! and I'm 16 N and he got the wrong
location: that's all
But surely he'll identify the sign
| sooner or later"
| He might" agreed the girl piac-
| idly. iii 7 hadn't changed 'em. That
was after he put up his hateful No
Trespassing board
| For the ensuing fortnight Mr.. Gill
bert Hayden led the life of a side
show. The brown girl was exhibitor
and ballyhoo. Whoever her COM
panion CHANGED to be-and he was
usually young. male and good look
ing-the effect was the same, mex
tinguishabIe hilarity. 1t was per-
fectly eveident to young Mr.. Hayden
that he was getting funnier and fun
nier all the time. He went grimly
on working.
There came a heavy. moist. tepid
out of the Hayden soul. Dead, drab
monotony. He would almost have
welcomed the brown girl with her
teasing laughter, as break in the
drear stiffness of the day. He hurled
a rock at the mo Tresspassing' sign,
and as he turned again caught sight
of the little car approaching. The
brown girl was alone this time. The
car stopped. The brown girl got out.
Did she hesitate and glance at him?
At any rate. she didn't laugh. That
oh
walking aimlessly across the landscape
away from him Oh, we'll! He swung
his pick. The rock shattered around
his feet
Whence had the storm come? A
puff of hot wind. a rush OF cold air.
a high, sustained roar overhead as II
spring itself had turned Berserker.
and the solid column of the rain came
charging across the fiat. He saw
the brown girl running lightly ahead
I OF it, surmount a fence, leap ditch.
gain the road and reach her car IN
a gallant sprint, just as the first
drops overlook her. Meantime he had
taken refuge in his tool house.
Something seemed to be wrong with
her car; the engine wouldn't start
Through his half open door he could
see her desperately manipulating the
levers. She jumped out and under
took to lift the hood. but the saw
agery of the rain beat her back to
shelter. The roadway became vel
low smear, perilous to any wheel.
Then the whirr Of the conquered en-
gine was borne downward to him.
The runabout moved, gathered head
way. seemed to drift to leeward as
tremendous burst of wind struck 1t,
and slithered to the ditch's edge. where
it precariously hung at a threatening
angle.
Catching up a rubber poncho Gill
bert dashed to the rescue. He 1erked
open the door. The brown girl was
huddled back in the corner. Little
sprays Of water filled the air.
Come out" invited Gilbert, bran
dishing his pcncho.
"I don't want to-" she retorted.
you're not safe here" he urged.
you'll tip over any minute. Some
along to the shack.
II won't"
whats the matter with the GIRL"
he cried in despair.
"I j-j-ju-st don't want to go on for.
hidden property"
..Therei Don't be such an idot."
Suddenly she leaned forward. "r1l
come, if-if-
well? If-T
IF youth take down that horrid
sign"
Il 4 4 4