Evening star., 1924-09-14

Don't be too sure 1 shant like
it the first time you forget me-"
"That'1l be some sixty-odd years
from now"
Mac, don't laugh-about growing
old. l can't bear that either, with
you and me going home-to your
| experimentation the first time"
Mimi thought. with a little. leaping
thrill at her heart, They've just been
married this afternoon. What an adora-
BILE. silly wedding journey. on top of a
Fifth avenue bus!'
The gray girl was saying primly ::
You haven't given me my marriage
lines yet. Did you know it,?
I've got EN-" said the man, "in my
most confidential pocket. Well take 'em
| on the honeymoon
She laughed softly. DO you suppose
any one ever behaved like this-be-
fore?"
Il think it's extremely wise, myself"
said the man, with a humorous twist Of
his nice mouth. why wait around sep
arately when We might just as we'll wait
| together? Besides. by the time I can
get away from the Office and We do
start off on the honeymoon you'll know
how many Jumps of sugar L take in my
coffee, and a lot of other important
things about me. Thus avoiding rows
Were never going to have en-"
said the gray girl. Are we?"
Never. dear" said the man.
Promise. Mac"
DO l have to PROMISE I mean, do
| need to? This evening""
Mimi couldn't hear what the gray
girl answered. 1t wasn't. after all,
so far as one could see. much of Il
spoken answer. rather lifting of
ardent eyes. the CULVER of a tender
mouth, small. quickly withdrawn
gesture of a careSSing hand.
"Oh, Mac" sighed the gray girl.
Keep your fYgers crossed-darling"
i; x * :;
MIMI rang for the next corner.
AVA her own, and climbed down with
a hot, queer feeling behind her eye
lids. She hated to leave the man and
the girl. She wanted to go on and
see where his apartment would be,
On Riverside? And would the gray
girl find roses there waiting for her
heaps of them? There had been roses
| waiting for Mimi, the night Kirk had
taken her home.
All at once Mimi quickened her steps
to little. reckless run. The watch
on her wrist showed quarter of 6.
Kirk rarely came home half-after ..
more often quarter of :. He had
more apt to be late. There was still
time for decent sort of dinner, with
any luck.
The flower shop at the corner had
roses in the window. tea-roses. eX-
| travagantly frail. Mimi. for all her
haste. stopped long enough to buy a
dewy handful with a lacy frond or
so Of fern, then fed home ward through
the sunset.
Arrived once more at her own dress
ing table-her own powder-smeared,
beloved dressing table-she cast off
her hat and gloves. ran comb
through her soft. brown hair so that
it fell in shining waves above her
ears-Swept poWder-puff over cheeks
and chin.
She wanted to change her gown
the Old blue twill needed badly a
fresh frill at the neck-but there
wasn't time.
She flung herself out of the bedroom
and charged upon ice-boX and stove
| like small, wistful fury.
Stew-of all nights IN the world.
Nothing but stew with which to con-
vey to Kirk that she was sorry she
had been hateful, that she knew her
| temper had got the best of her, that
in her heart she loved him truly, that
| she was going to be good, that she
wanted him back again-wanted him
dreadfully. Still, when stew was all
| one had
Mushrooms came mercifully to light
! in a forgotten tin behind the bread
box. Kirk liked mushrooms. And
mayonnaise masked the timed pears.
There wasn't any lettuce. Mimi
said fiercely to herself that if she
had been the woman Kirk thought
her when he married her, there
would have been lettuce, crisp and
cool. in a wet napkin upon the ice.
She did all that was humanity pos
sible with the cold potatoes, by way
of a bit of cheese and a heaven sent
dab of white sauce discovered in coy
retreat behind a plate of delicatessen
ham.
She set the table with reckless
haste-a fresh cloth, her prettieSt-
the roses in a low shining bowl of
black glass-two plates, two knives,
two forks. two spoons
What heaven that homely ritual
two plates, two knives, two forks,
two spoons-had once spelled for her!
Mimi wondered-with a suddenly