The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-11-29

i'll at Ease.
He walked down the avenue
as rapidly as possible, his hands
in his pockets. his head bent to
the wind, no longer transported;
forcing his mind 10 dwell on the
/. warmth of his rooms and -his.bed.
.. His head ached. He'd go to
the office tomorrow and write
his column there Then think
things out. How was he to win
such a woman? Make her sure
of herself? Convert her doubts
into passionate certainty? She,
with her highly technical past!
Make no mistakes? If he made
a pfecipitate ass Of himself
what comparisons! His warm
bed. the complete and per-
sonal isolation of his rooms.
he had never given even a tea to
women. he gave his dinners in
restaurants. How many more
blocks? The snow was thicker.
He couldn't even seen the arcade
of Madison Square Garden, al
though a faint diffused radiance
high in air was no doubt the
crown of lights on the Metro
politan Tower. Had he made
a wrong move in boiling z
His thoughts and counter
thoughts came to an abrupt end.
At the corner of Thirtieth street
he collided with small figure
in a fur coat and nearly knocked
1t over. He was for striding OH
with a muttered apology. when
the girl caught him by the arm
with light laugh.
"Lee Clavering! What luck.
Take me home 2
He was looking down into the
naughty little face OF Janet Ogle.
thorpe. granddaughter of the re
donbtable Jane.
hat on earth are you doing
here?" he asked stupidity. ~
'.Perklps I'll tell you and per.
haps won't. On second thoughts
don't take me home. Take me
to one OF those aIl-night res
taurants. That's just the. thing
] haven't seen. ana I'm hungry"
He subt1y became an uncle.
TN do nothing Of the sort
You ought to be ashamed of
yourself-alone in the streets at
this hour of the night. 1t must
be 1 O'Clock. shall take you
home. ] suppose you have a
slatch-key, but for two cents I'd
ring the bell and hand you over
to your mother
Mother went to Florida to.
day; dads duck nuntingsin South
Carolina. Aunt MolIie's too deaf
to hear doorbells and believes
anything / tell her."
II am astonished that your
mother left you behind to your
own Devices
81 wouldn't go. She's given
me up-used to my devices. Be.
sides, I've one or two on her
and she doesn't dare give me
away to dad. He thinks I'm a
darling spoilt child. Not that I'd
mind much if he didn't, but it's
more convenient"
You little wretch: believe.
you've been drinking"
so I have! So 1 havei But
I've got an asbestos lining and
could stand another tall one.
Abr Her eyes spanked. "Sup-
pose you take me to your
rooms .
TN take you home"
you'll take me to one Of those
a1l-nighters-"
81 shall not"
"Then ia! ia! I'll go home
by myself. I've had too good a
time tonight to bother with old
fogies."
She started up the street and
Clavering hesitated but a mo-
ment. Her home was on East,
Sixty-fifth street. Heaven only
knew what might happen to her,
Moreover, although her mother
was one of those women whose
Unsuitable demand for admiration
bored him, he had no more de-
voted friends than her father and
her grandmother. Furthermore,
his curiosity was reused. What
had the little devil been up to?
He overlook the Oglethorpe
flapper and Selling her hand
drew it through his arm.
"I'll take you where you can
get sandwich" lie said. But
I'll not take you to a restaurant.
Too likely to meet newspaper
men,"