Evening star., 1923-03-18

beneath her black sailor hat. had
been blown into an untidy wispiness,
and there was not a flicker OF color
In her face. She climbed upon the
already crowded car and pushed her
way into it's warm and sitting in
terror. She reached for a strap and
clung there.
A second later she felt a friendly
hand upon her arm.
"Sit down." said a curt masculine
voice. When she hesitated. it added:
You look tired
Lefty sat down with a murmured
Thank you" and looked up.
The man was half hidden behind
a newspaper gripped in one long
fingered. sunburned hand. He caught
her upward look and nodded with an
impersonal pleasantness. His eyes
were dark and keen beneath the line
Of an old felt hat. He wore a soft
collar and a dark tie, and the set of
his chin was good.
So obsessed she was by her own
discomfort that she allowed the car
to pass her corner and came to her
self with start hundred feet or
so beyond II. which meant an added
walk In the rain.
She got of the platform hurriedly
and saw the man with the newspaper
was getting off before her He
glanced at her and waited. The vain
est woman in the world could not
have misunderstood the friendly i'm
personality of his look.
Il see you've got no umbrella" he
said. which way are you going?"
He had an extraordinarily delight
full voice. 1t cut the rain and the
murk like damascened sword blade.
golden with sudden shadows.
Lefty indicated her homeward
course. He held a sturdy II somewhat
ancient umbrella over her head, and
they proceeded, heading into the
wind.
II like a night like this" said the
stranger presently. There's an edge
to 1t. If you're tired, you'd hardly
appreciate 1t, however. Something
enervating about this climate of
yours"
what is your climate?" asked
Lefty unexpectedly.
He laughed. She liked his laugh.
wherever I've been I've found
it good. I've got no climate of my
own--a man without a-home town.
We'll. what was your last eli
mate?" Lefty persisted. more and
more amazed at herself. She felt
that he looked down at her amusedly.
Samoa; before that. Alaska"
1t was exactly as IL a sudden flare
had spilled across the dark.
"Oh, Samoa! That's in the South
Seas! I've always wanted to Co.
Lefty began, then quite suddenly she
saw that they had come to her own
gate. She put hand on 1t perfume
torily. Thank you SO much"
She felt the surprise in his keen
glance.
This the house? Rather a swanky
old place, isn't 1t? What do you do
tutor the embryo plutocrats?"
I-why, I live here" said Lefty
confusedly. She was aware sharply
of his error. He had supposed her a
working woman, a governess. She
fancied he drew of somehow.
Live here? Oh, I see! Do I beg
your pardon or not?"
You needn't" said Lefty, 80 fal
as I'm concerned. I'm awfully obliged
to you, really
'Tt was nothing at ALL" said the
stranger, almost bruskly. SORRY
you're not in my boat. as I supposed
you were. We might have seen each
other again."
Lefty had an instant's vision of hel
| fathers face. her mothers mortified
helplessness. She spoke across II
| recklessly.
"Why shouldn't we see each other
again as It is?"
Care to? You know" he told her
the wonderful voice a trifie mocking
Tt isn't done in your particular
stratum"
I'm tired to my SOUL" said Lefty
"of doing only what every one else
| does--and that's that"
"T wonder" he told her, 'if yoI
honestly are? Well, what's the bes
place to meet and talk in tomorrow
| afternoon7 Likely it'll rain. An ar
gallery's not a bad place on a rainy
afternoon"
"There is.a sort Of art gallery
said Lefty. She told him how to find It