Evening star., 1924-08-17

in her eyes. This is the third
time in two weeks he's broken
an gagement with me on account of
business that's all right, of
course :. but where do ] come
in? And he was SO cheerful
about it, too -. Susan! Is it pos
sible you are getting stale?"
Walking over to the long mirror
between the two windows. she re-
garded herself closely.
There is nothing the matter with
me. to look at" she said. peerng
wistfuliy. But there's something
wrong, somewhere. Almost three
years. long time to be semi-en-
gagged to man..
She turned around and looked
again at the room. A pretty room,
very inviting. with shaded lamps and
a fire of little logs. Susan's home, so
peaceful, so gracious that the wonder
was any man could ever get enough
of it. And yet Andrews office un-
doubtedly looked better to him.
Slowly she changed from the new
dinner frock to simple dark silk:
deftly she made herself an omelet
and a pot of chocolate. For business
women must eat.
Susan thought things out as she
ate. She had been most awtully in
love with Andrew Towne at the be-
ginning But stop, Had been?' She
was still Yes. indeed. indeed
But Andrew was so deadly sure of
her.
She leaned back her head and
stared up at the ceiling. ''Competi-
ton" she thought drearily. lis said
to be the life Of trade. Susan. there
go. isn't any competi-
ton
Andrew had said over the telephone
that if he could get through his bust
ness dinner early enough he might
drop around. Hastily she cleared
away the remains of her makeshift
dinner. came back into her sitting
room and looked about her.
II am ~" she thought. "A nice
age. Old enough to make clever
wife and not too old to be charming.
And oh. the lovely things | could
do with a home of my own
A ND then ii was. in this sensitive
a moment. that Dear Clarence"
came into the room. a ghostly Clar-
euCe, conjured up to meet her need.
\ smile sprang to her lips that was
the very essence of mischief. Swiftly
she crossed the room. sat down a her
writing table. and took up pen.
Dear Clarence": she wrote.
Clarence--What was the rest of it?
Clarence-ah. yes, Joslyn. To be
sure. Clarence Juslyn.
Dear Clarence: When your letter
came the other day it was stuck into
my letter box with the writing on
the inside. And Yet the instant /
saw it | had that tingly sort of feel
ing YOU get on a Snappy Autumn
morning when there is sunshine
through a blue haze and you want
to l'rance, and you think: Just
around the next corner, something
nice is going to happen You know
that feeling" You and l talked about
it one time. You are the only man
l ever knew with enough imaGina-
tion to understand that kind of fool
ishness.
Susan's pen stopped. then she put
her head smilingly on one side. and
wrote some more:
Il wonder if you have changed
much. l hope not If l find that
success and fame have made you POM
pous l shall just have to smooth one
of my incest memories into d little
grave and put headstone over it.
And on it l shall write: I knew him
when he was a dear. For you were,
you know. | don't believe there are
many such as you in this dra ab-col-
ored world. Clarence. | always had
the feeling that there was an un
known force in you that might break
out any day and aStoniSh us all. And
lowed your career and admired and
held my breath But now that | am
to see you again, | am afraid ! shall
find you changed. l don't want you
to be changed, Clarence.
At this point the doorbelI sounded.
Susan punched the button that would
admit d visitor. Then just as An
drew's step sounded outside her door,
Dear Clarence disappeared between
the RACES of the Atlantic Monthly.
And Susan's face. as she greeted
Andrew ToWne. was demure and
bright; she was thinking: Hes for
gotten he ever broke dinner en-
gagement with me-"
Mind if l smoke, Sue? Woof,
That's good. Fellow gets awfully
tagged dining with d man like Nc
Kim. when you know every word
counts. Play something, won't you.
old dear? What was it you used to
play that always helped me to think
Bach? that's the boy, No tune to
worry you. just notes. Ah-h-h! This
is the life
Susan played Bach and Grieg soft
ly. absent -nindedly. Then Andy told
her some more about McKim. At
10:40 he rose decisively.
Must beat it, Susan Got to get
to work early tomorrow morning.
You're a dear, Susie; so comfy
DO You love me. AndreW?'
Andrew kissed her benignly. She
turned away with half sigh.
Her eyes fell on the writing table
and the "Atlantic Monthly" A deep
light came into her eyes. But she
sat on the piano bench and played
a bit of Tristan and Isolde" care
lessly with one hand as she asked:
Want something to read going up
In the bus, Andy?"
What you got? Finished with this
.Atlantic'?"
Her eyes were on the music before
her. ''Uh-huh." she murmured alb
sently. Take it along"
X 4 X x
THUS it happened that Clarence
went out the door under An
drew's arm. Susan gave little skir
of malice and happiness. Dear
Clarence! she whispered.
Then she took a book and went to
bed and sat reading. In less than one
hour came the sharp ring of the tel
ephone bell
Hello? Oh. Andy! No. you didn't
wake me-What? You found a let
ter? What letter?-oh- h-h! that"
silence. Then Susan's voice turn
ed rather cold: And did you read it,
Andrew?'
Andrews tone was jocuIar:
Read it? l could hardly help it.
could I? The thing tumbled out all
over the place. / had to find out if 1t
was something / ought to take right
back to you. Course | read it.
say. Susie, who is the precious guy?'
Really, Andrew Susan's voice
continued slightly iced. Hes d
rather remarkable man.
so ] gathered from your fervid
style. Known him long?'
Didn't you also gather that from
my style?"