Evening star., 1923-03-18
THE CROOKED STICK
BY
FANNY HEASLIp,
LEA

| fore to any other MANI" he asked
her suddenly.
NO" said Lefty. did you--to
any other woman
| "No--its queer, eh?'
| He looked deep into her eyes. II
wish I had you somewhere down In
the Pacific" he said, not quite stead
lily, ION q raft, under blazing,
white moon, with the lights of a
town-not too big town-back of
us on the shore-not too near a
shore-with q whole, black, heaving
ocean swashing round us-and steel
guitars crying somewhere along the
beach"
| 1T wish you had" said Lefty.
do you? Remember, you'll go
home presently. and some one will
ask you where you've been. What
Will you say? Up In the picture
| gallery with a man whose name
don't know--and to whom I've never
been introduced'?"
Lefty stood up. ''You were born
to the same sort of thing I was" she
1
passwords, don't you? I shall have
to go now"
She gave him one hand and he
took the other as well. It was
against all precedent and over and
above all precedent to Lefty. Her
fingers clung in his. She looked up
at him. smiling a little.
"When?" he asked her.
Then he began to laugh, tighten
liked his laugh. She had liked 1t
the night before-or was 1t CEN
turtles ago?
"D'you know" he said, "if it's you
Ill never let you go"'
Suppose before you let me 60
now" suggested Lefty. you tell me
your name, 80 that I can tell my
father and mother and my three un-
duly inquiring brothers who is
dining with US tomorrow night"
Dining! Do you know I haven't
sat at civilized dinner party in a
good six years? How will you ex.
plain me? 1 haven't any evening
things"
II am going to tell them the truth,
said Lefty. They have told Il tc
me a great many times I'm no,
ashamed of knowing you like this
Nevertheless, when she told him
goodbye in the foggy. gray dusk or
the steps Of the art gallery. she said
Tiff my people should be-dif.
fcult-will you remind yourself tha
you're coming to dinner with m,
after all-not them? And will yor
| be-nfce-to them?'
I'm going away. the end OF tn,
week." he said suddenly.
He wanted to see her face whittier
at the news. 1t did
We'll, even If this means only be
ing friends-for three days-it'.
worth ito me-" she told him.
He stood bareheaded in the rair
and watched her shadowy, gray ca,
vanish down the street.
He had not told her his name H,
sent 1t to her by special deliver,
next morning. having found her.
in the directory.
T. IT'S Nell Galloway" he wrote
Irish and therefore not much giver
| to looking before I leap. You may
though. You've still got time"
| X " X
T ETTY carried her point. "T could
IL meet him outside" she said
But I'm giving you a chance to make
our friendship, well, legitimate, If
you like to put 1t that way"
Her mother wept and her father
talked about adventurers.
I'm not a child" said Lefty. land
II can't tell man when / see him
at twenty-seven, it's time I learnedr'
In spite of her sharpest effort. the
dinner was difficult. Gailoway's dark
gray suit, well-brushed and freshly
pressed as 1t was, suffered sartorially
by reason of the family dinner coats
His manner was studiously pleasant
! When dinner was over. there ensued
| a stiff, conversational hour in the
| living room. AS soon as 1t was de-
Gently possible, Galloway made his
! good-byes. And Lefty, defying WIS.,
ible disapproval, went with him to
! the gate.