Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-06-17

me as soon as Alison gets the mar
riage annulled?"
Sylvia crowded back even farther
| in her corner.
Yes" she murmured. IT never
loved anybody but you. Jerry"
Jerome bent toward her. What tx
this telegram warns me to leave the
| country, and quick? What If it tells
you that I'm the bigamist you just
suggested. Remember that I've been
| four years abroad"
Sylvia looked at him with dancing
eyes and a smile on her red lips.
We'll, Jerry, IL you've got two
already. one more wife won't make
the sentence any heavier. Besides.
there's luck in odd numbers"
There's luck in YOU" said Jerome.
and picked up the speaking tube. Go
to Hoboken," he ordered. The driver
nodded Sylvia looked surprised.
why Hoboken?' she asked.
Just to go across the ferry" said
Jerome. II want room to kiss you,
and if I don't get it pretty quick, I'll
! burst"
You must have been awfully in
| love with Alison. Jerry
L
a. close escape. What time we
would have had. And I've got
bunch il would inevitably have come
to this in the end" He took SylVias
hand and raised it to his lips. Then
suddenly his face whitened. What
| IL she shouldn't annul the marriage"
he exclaimed.
Sylvia gave him steady look
Then you'll be the one that would
have to carry on, Jerry. and all of
this will have to be scrapped with
the rest of the might-have- beens.
Jerome's face darkened. He picked
UP the tube again. Draw up TO the
curb" he said.
You're right. Sylvia. I'll set you
down here But remember, I've your
promise"
I'm not apt to forget IL. Jerry;
but it doesn't matter. You're not
going to escape as easily as that
Alison has had a change of heart by
this time, and her father will take a
hand"
The taxi slowed and stopped on
side street where the sidewalk was
Uttered with bales and boxes. Jerome
: opened the door.
How about the note?' he asked.
Sylvia stepped out. then turned and
looked at him with smile on her
quivering lips and eyes which
sparkled through a sudden gush OF
tears.
You can show me that the day
after we're married-if that day ever
comes" said she: whereupon she
covered herself and moved away.
JEROME hung up the receiver or
y the telephone and stood for a mo-
ment in thought He was displeased
at the nature of the message just
received: Mr.. Arnold would like to
see Mr.. Kenyon at his office between
ten and eleven"
Jerome had telephoned his father
in-law that he would be at the Nc
Alpin for the next two days, and the
message just received was the answer
to this information.
An hour later Jerome presented
himself at the law offices of Arnold
Theron & Maltby. where. TO his fur
Their annoyance. he was requested to
hour in the reception room. Then
rather supercilious young person
ushered him into Mr.. Arnold's pri-
vate office. The lawyer, a big man
with a rather pompous and at this
moment aggressive manner, looked
Up with a frown as Jerome was
ushered in. Jerome bowed slightly
and stood at attention.
well, young man." said Mr.. Arnold
in a heavy bass. what is your YER
sion Of this silly business"
81 haven't any, sir"
Then what is your excuse?"
81 have no excuse. sir"
Mr. Arnold's frown deepened. Then
! understand that / am to form my
opinion entirely from what my daugh-
ter tells me?"
why not?" asked Jerome. You
told the TRUTH"
"Oh, come. Jerome" said Mr.. Ar
mold. abandoning his magisteriaI air
~ know, OF course, that Alison is
quick-tempered and impulsive. but
you could scarcely expect any woman
not to insist on learning the contents
of message handed to her husband
as she was leaving the church just
| after the ceremony"
Il told her she might see it a little
| later" Jerome answered. 81 said that
it was business matter which
would explain at the proper time.
She was not satisfied with this and
intimated that it might be something
to interfere with our new relations
and she insisted on knowing what 1t
was before it became, as she ex-
pressed it. too late"
I'm which l think she was quite
within her right" said Mr.. Arnold
| Very well. SIR" Jerome answered
I'm that case there seems nothing
| more to be said
The blood surged into the lawyers
face. There is a great deal more to
be said young man. You persuade
my daughter to marry you, which
she does-not, ! may say, entirely
with my approval. While your con-
nections may be good, we know &C
tually very little about you beyond
the fact that you are said to be an
architect of some promise and have
a good record. Your earnings are
small, while the expectations of my
daughter are considerable. Believing
the attachment between you to be
sincere, l have been willing to
waive other considerations And then
just as you are leaving the church,
you receive a mysterious communi-
cation, the nature OF which you re-
fuse to divulEe until. to use my
daughters own expression. which 1