Evening star., 1924-11-30
She stepped back quickly.

She stepped back quickly.
NO. you mustn't -. Not
not that"
There was no trace Of coquetry in
her avoidance OF his embrace, and
nothing suggested the prude in her
wide-eyed seriousness. Joe's back
Strengthened.
LAS you wish. dear"
She stood looking at him, her
hands thrust into the pockets Of the
threadbare waterproof, her lips
pursed.
'where'll I meet you day after to-
morrow"
He suggested the corner where they
had first met. but she demurred.
Somewhere. quiet" she suggested.
where there's not so many people"
Her delicacy of mind pleased him.
They finally settled upon a quiet by
street; and there, the next night but
one, as the light was falling, they
met again.
Joe saw her pacing. a shadowy fig-
ure. midway between two lamps. her
hands in her pockets and her shoul-
ders rounded in that ineffable curve
Of fatigue and forlornness that
quickened all the chivalry In his ma
ture.
NEITHER spoke at the greeting,
but she answered his quiet grin
with a half-timid smile. and he felt
her thrill as she slipped her hand
inside his arm. They sfell into step,
making for the scene of their former
evening meal. and Joe knew then
that he loved her. needed her, yearned
toward her.
As clay Of the pit whence We were wrought
year is to its fellow clay.
Specifically he put 1t otherwise for
his own benefit when for the sec
ond time they parted. and he strode
away toward the barracks.
Joe, my lad" he muttered, his
pipe-stem between his teeth, "its
you for it,
The first astonished transport pass.
ed. however. Joe accepted their
strange relationship with a calm, un-
questioning happiness. She was in
so many ways mystery to him.
She persistently refused to talk
a bout herself. appearing content to
listen to his disjointed "reminiscences
of 'jaunties." and first lieutenants of
war in the North Sea as he had
known il, and peace in outiandish
ports. And sometimes in moments Of
appare nj absent mindedness she
would slip into the argot OF the low
er deck with Il familiarity that puz-
zled him. She had queer little fads:
policeman. for instance. She would
take side turning to avoid po-
liceman. Nasty sneering faces they
had, she explained. She disliked the
more populous parts of the town, and
summed places Of entertainment
when in Joe's company. He. a man
of quiet tastes, was nothing loath.
They went for long rides on trans.
and on half-days jolted far out into
the country on the top of a motor
omnibus.
She never suffered a caress from
him. But she had little confiding
way OF putting her hand on his arm
and resting her shoulder gently
against him that seemed to suffice all
her need and his.
He found. however. one perplexity.
He could not visualize her when they
were apart. He would lie with eyes
shut at night trying his hardest to
make her face pass before his men,
tai vision, but 1t was indefinite and
shadowy, mocking him with Its
elusiveness.
He tried to convey something of
this perpleXity to Veronica, and the
confession seemed to afford her re-
lief and satisfaction.
Whats 1t matter how i look?'
she demanded.
II used to think a look mattered
a lot" was his reply. There was a
gelI when we was buryin' that young
Teller L told you of-the way she
looked. She was his gell.
reckoned then that IL / couldn't
never have any one look at me that
way
He broke off. lost in the profundity
of his train of thought.
How did she look-his girl?"
He endeavored to describe what
human eyes had revealed In that
moments anguish.
But you don't want to have me
lookin' at you that way. do your
she queried, and then there crept
into her face that mulish harden
ing. But maybe you will. :"
Don't worry" replied Joe. with q
sudden return of light-heartedness.
II amt goin' to die just yet"
You won't have to die to see it,"
was her enigmatic answer.
r Is y +
WEEKS went by and slipped into
w months. Joe began to make
references to a shadow that had be-
gun to brood over his happiness. He
called it the sea-going roster. His
name must be getting near the top
of the list Of men awaiting their
turn iOT Sed. ne Hdu NIiohSo hiS
course at the gunnery school. He
might come on for draft at any
time. Veronica heard his gloomy
hints in silence, tightening her hand
a little on his muscular arm, draw
ing a shade closer to him as If his
powerful frame interposed between
her and all the worlds evil and
distress.
A message awaited him, on his re-
turn to barracks one evening, that
drafting commander wished to see
him the next morning. 1t was an
unusual method Of detailing a unit