Evening star., 1922-09-10

He smiled.
"I've come to return this" he ex-
planned, holding up my missing pock
etbook. You left it in the car yes
terday. and I did not discover it until
this morning"
Thank you" 7 murmured.
Wont you sit down and talk to me
a minute?" he asked very abruptly.
l simply slumped into a chair.
You poor baby" he exclaimed
softly. but with great feeling.
raised my eyes and stared.
Baby" echoed.
How old are you?" he asked.
Eighteen. Or. at least. 1 will be
next birthday"
Well" he said. I'm not quite old
enough to be your father"
" Father" / exploded.
I'm thirty-three." he said, "and
that's almost twice as old as you are"
{" 'Thirty-three.
1t was impossible to think of him as
even older than Hilda's beloved. He
looks so young and SO full of life.
He smiled.
But I might very we'll be your
| elder brother" he went on. And
| think there must be times when an
elder brother would be sort of handy.
Especially il there is something you'd
like to unburden yourself Of"
glanced up at him. perfectly petri-
fed, and saw that he knew every
thing. Afterward he explained that,
| having seen the headlines in the
! morning papers and remembering
that wore a polo coat like the pseu-
| do widow described. and seemed agi-
| tated. he had put two and two to-
Eether Then he found my name in
my pock and came right out TO
help me.
Wont you trust me with the whole
story?" he urged.
He looked at me so earnestly and
| alphabetically that ] would have
blurted it all out, then and there. ex-
oept that in this school even the walls
have ears.
Il can't here" 1 said.
He rose at once.
i've been granted one dispense
tion," he said. and perhaps Miss
| Merrick will grant me another. You
get ready for a ride-I have my car
here-while ask" AS l rose. he add
ed. And bring what's troubling you
| with you"
1 simply flew upstairs to my room.
| When l entered l found Hilda just
opening my bottom bureau drawer.
She turned perfectly crimson.
Il was Just looking for something.
she said.
Did you find it." 1 asked sarcas-
tically.
All she said, however. was:
IF I were you, I'd wash that ink
smuge of my nose"
rushed to the morror. Egypts
queen. 1t was true. I felt simply
crushed. Nevertheless, after washing
nv face and slipping the chamois bag
in my coat, while Hilda's eyes tried
to burn holes in it. l went down to
| him.
! ITS all arranged" he said
I'LL bet every girl in school saw US
1 drive on, and l knew they were
all simply dying OF curiosity and
envy.
After we had gone about Ave miles.
he stopped.
.This, g" he remarked. seems like
perfectly good spot to talk"
It all came in a mad rush. told
him everything. except about the
black teddy. and he explained about
several things I did not understand.
"He undoubtedly thought that the
police were hot on his trail" he said.
You see. my aunt has burglar
alarm on her jewel-safe@
your aunt% 1 was startled.
He smiled whimsically.
"I sometimes think I'm related to
everybody in Philadelphia. My family
has lived there q long time. you see"
"Oh" I said.
The alarm went off. and although
he got away. 1t was a narrow
squeak" he went on. 'He probably
was still suffering from a bad attack
of nerves when he arrived at Schuy-
ler's, where. as We know. he had ar
ranged to give the jewelry to 60
between, who. in turn. would hand
it over to q fence He paused to
ask, do you know what q fence is?"
only the kind with pickets." I ad-
mitted.
He laughed.
This 10 another kind man who
disposes Of stolen articles. The wo-
man you just spoke of-the one who
also wore . polo coat with a black
arm-band-was the go-between"
really looking for" told him. 4
He smiled again.
Il imagine hes kicking himself