Omaha daily bee., 1922-05-21

The afternoon dTaggsd iis slow length A~sy
g. tsiHght Letly's Thoughts dragged with u. A
AFTER while, not because she was hungry, buts
for diversion, she began TO cook her lonely
dinner. Suddenly ther. same a sharp peal 0e
the bell who could that be- Not Margaret
Lefty ran "a the door, The hero of the eisarst
ease-panIins and flushed but an eager ikht
In his eye-was standing on the steps.
"o--fm-fm so-rm 50 clad 10 find you In"
he stammered, remembering, after an instant.
20 take off his hat. ~ little while ago I put
nay hand IN my pocket ANA found your brothers.
eisarst ease. dent know how happened to
steal Il on You, IL ran oil tile way here.
hope he hasn't smlssed H."
20. no." Lefty answered taking the eigarst
ease. Words of explanation came in u rush,
Hes away. Sos my sister I'm all alone In
the house, They won't come back until day
after tomorrow, l hadn't missed the cigarst
ease yet" Her mind started giibly on her care
fully rehearsed monolokuc, 'rhe reason why
smoked that cigaret was Jus, exactly this" but
her lips refused 10 take up the words The
tongue tied feeling was coming over her again
invading her like heavy, slow udc-o, fluttsr
-chatter-laughter'
A thin gray silence seemed TO settle between E
them.
"Im glad you hadn't-rm glad you didn't
think" The boy plunged into that silence,
Td have hated to have you--to have YOU think
Ia stolen your case when you-whcn you--f
wren you u just tN'H phNh w NV
The tonguc-tIed feeling had her tight. THANK
you." oozcd stupidity out Of II. But that-of the
volume she had to say to hIm-was all Lettys
tongue wouid tackle,
IL found n place TO eat" he wen, on re-
treating backward down the steps. "Not-nos
sood-but alI--aii right Goodby"
"Goodby:" Lefty managed to say as he van
irhed. hut ninstant later. upstairs In her
room, flat on her bed with her head lost IN
tatll hp
through her sobs,
"IdIot-dummy-bi NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
-ninny--prune-fish," were some OF the cpl
tbets she hurled at herself. you had your
chance. Why didn't you take 1t? o. you are
dnmb bird" Her sob-broken accusing apos-
trophe kept up until hunger dragged her down
stairs. aH
After dinner she tried in various ways to
rouse her spirits She mixed IA loaf OF bread.
She looked over Margarets collection OF foreign
photographs. She knitted frantically on her
new henna- -colored sweater. She wrote In her
diary. She made out the accounts OF her al
lowance which a stern father demanded OF her
every month. She played on the piano and even
sang the latest Jazz. But none of these occupa-
tons really helped. The tears kept coming.
Finally the clock struck H.
"Now, you go to bed young woman" she COM
msnded herself with feeble. jaded determna.
ton. "And more fooshness about people
you'n never see again as long you live Go
into the dining room and kitchen and see that
ererything's locked there"
She obeyed herself
Now try the front door and see that that's
locked"
Again she obeyed herself
Now take the screens out of the window in
the front room. close windows: lock windows.
Number one done, Now two! Hulo-what's--o
But Lefty did not add this. This time heI
tone not inquiry--only surprise; ecstatic,
rapturous surprise. Her hand had struck some.
thing outside the window-some thing small and
boxlike that felt cool and satin smooth Bun
that was not all she found.
For as she stood there holding the gunmetal
cigaret case in her hand lightning flash Of
intuition zgzagged across her mind. Why he
was shy, too-shy she--shyer! He had WON'T
ed to be invited to call. but he couldn't bring
his lips to- While she had wrestled with the
tongue-ted feeling, he had, too. He was 50
shy that he had to play this trick to show how
he felt He was shy that he had never re,
allied that she was shy. Why, il he shy
A sudden conviction pulled taut in her mind.
II he were shy with her she never would be
shy with him. Never Never, The thought OF
his shyness miraculously evaporated hers.
er-chatter--laughter!
A dazzling idea fire-rocketed through her
mind. He would call for his cigaret case in
the morning. She would invite him to lunch
dinner = lunch : dinner - till Margaret came =
home: Another dazzling idea broke She would.
never explain about the cigaret. He had conie 3
back believing she smoked. Somehow that
brought out in her curious confidence, =
sparkle of sophstication, Flutter-chatter--
laughter. Well, watch her
(CopvriRht 1922)