Evening star., 1923-04-22

liked it yesterday. But still you
! haven't answered a single thing I
asked you. Let's begin at the begin
ming. Who wrote it?'
why l did" said Nelson, nine
teen years ago. You didn't think I'd
take that back. did you?"
After Il pause she laughed. when
you were, say. twelve? Your parents
must have been awfully proud of
you
I'm nearly forty. And my parents
never even heard it; they wouldn't t
have been interested"
She stirred in her chair. For a
minute I honestly thought you were
going to be serious. Wasn't 1 a
goat?"
He was alone in the secluded angle
by the rail. He stared at the whiten-
ing water and tried to be exhilarated
because he was going to France.
Gosh" said Nelson. half aloud.
"She didn't even believe I'm thirty
seven!"
y y x x
THE next day II was almost tea
i time when he discovered her, sit
ting solitary and subdued. on the
wrong side of the boat in somebody
else's deck chair. He had no possible
reason 10 know then that Freddie
Dexter had been proposing to her
and she had asked for a moratorium
he merely saw his opportunity, and
took 1t.
I've been looking for you all day"
! he said. Il wanted to explain things
to you and tell you how much
| I appreciate your bothering about
me-"
She shook her head and smiled me-
chanically. It's lots better not to
explain things. So often, it Just
makes everything worse. It's all
| right. I've thought II over. and there
simply isn't any use in trying to
make people into what they don't
| want to be. It's SO much easier to
| take them at their own valuation. So
. . sit down and tell me all about
your two Rolls-Royces, and what a
bright boy you were at school"
1t fascinated him. perversely. to tell
her the truth. once more, In the most
| literal form. and to see how she dis
believed him.
1--WE made a fearfully bad impress
sion on you. haven't II" he asked.
you've worked hard enough for it,
'well-if it isn't too late-tell me
how you want me to behave, and I'll
! behave that way
"I want you to be yourself. That's
all.
But I've been myself all the time
She turned her face away from him.
being a comedian. Maybe that's the
best thing you could do"
"But-why?"
She turned swiftly back. IF ]
knew" she said. maybe 1 could tell
you why like you in spite of your
self. Maybe 1 could tell you why !
like you in spite of almost every word
you've said to me. But don't know.
| All I know is g.. . that you amuse
me and It's time for tea. Do
you want to get some for me?"
x X
0NE evening Nelson talked to her
~ about travel and other serious
things. And, toward the end, he had
an unexpected reward, for she said
to him: I'm awfully glad we had
this talk. I'm glad to know you can
be sincere about something. I like
, you lots better now. Won't you please
keep on like that?"
"why-I'H do my best" he said,
lamely. And by the way"
"Yes"
about that other night just
want you to know I think 1t was per-
fectly-bully OF you"
"Oh"
Nobody ever took that much trou.
BILE about me-in all my life"
"Nobody?'
Not soul"
She put her hand on his arm. 'Why
! IL that's true-then that's what's the
matter with you-isn't it?"
And that was all there was to it;
but a few minutes later, when they
were drafted into the inevitable
chorus she didn't let herself be
switched aside by Freddie Dexter.
She sat by Nelson. and both men
were keenIy aware OF 1t.
Nelson realized that he had long
since stopped fretting for the Paris:
| he considered the Rochambeau the
finest ship afioat. 1t lacked no single
detail Of perfection; it contained
everything In the world he could re-
moteIy think OF wanting. Her name
was Alice.
: On the evening Of the tug-of.war