Evening star., 1924-10-05


speak of crimson hair. Surely old Bill
in the extremely jolly monologues
he used to deliver whenever l didn't
see him coming and he got me alone
used to allude to her hair as brown"
1T isn't brown now, It's bright scar
let. Good gracious-I ought to know,
I've been looking at it all the after
noon. 1t dazzled me-" Lucille brooded
silently for a while over the tragedy.
II don't want to say anything against
her, Of course-'
mo. no; Of course not"
But of all the awful, second-rate
girls ever met. she's the worst! She
has vermilion hair and an imitation
oxford manner She's SO horribly re-
fined that it's dreadful to lister to
her. She's a SLY, creepy, slinky, made
up, insincere vampire! She's COM
mon! She's awful. She's a cat"
Lucille kicked the leg Of the table
And to think" she said, that.
when 1 was a little girl. l used to
look up to Bill as a monument of
wisdom. I used to hug his knees and
gaze into his face and wonder how
any one could be SO magnificent" She
gave the unoffending table another
kick. IF I could have looked into
the future" she said. with feeling,
I'D have bitten him in the ankle"
A FEW days later, as Archie sat in
- the Cosmopolis grilI-room, pre-
paratory to ordering lunch, he per-
ceived Bill bearing down upon him,
obviously resolved upon joining his
To his surprise. however Bill did
To his surprised hwever, Bill did
not instantly embark upon his usual
monologue. Indeed, he hardly spoke
at all He champed a chop and seem
ed to Archie to avoid his eye 1t was
not till lunch was over and they were
smoking that he unburdened himself
ARCHER" he said.
"Hullo. old thing" said Archie.
Still there? 1 thought you'd died or
something. Talk about our old pals,
Tongue-tied Thomas, and Silent
Sammy-you could beat 'em both on
the same evening"
It's enough to make me silent"
What is?"
Bill had relapsed into a sort of
waking dream. He sat frowning
somberly, lost to the world. Archie,
having waited what seemed to him a
sufficient length of time for an an
swer to his question, bent forward
an@ touched his brother-in la ws
hand gently with the lighted end of
his cigar. Bill came to himself with
a howl.
What is?" said Archie
S"hat is what" said Bill"
Now listen, old thing" protested
Archie: Life is short, and time is fly
ing. Suppose we cut out the cross
talk. You hinted there was some
thing on your mind, and I'm waiting
to hear what it is"
Bill fiddled moment with his cof-
fee spoon.
I'm in an awful hole" he said. at
last.
What's the trouble?"
It's about that darued girl"
Archie blinked.
What"
That darned girl"
Archie could hardly credit his
senses He had been prepared-in-
deed. he had steeled himself-to hear
Bill allude to his affinity in a number
of ways. But that darned girl was
not one Of them.
Companion of my ripper years" he
said. lets get this thing straight.
When you say. that darn girl do
you by any possibility, allude to"
"Of course / do
But, William, old Bird
"Oh. I know, 1 know. know" said
Bill irritablE. You're surprised to
hear me talk like that about her."
"A trif1e, yes Possibly a trif1e.
When last heard from. laddie, you
must recollect you were speaking of
the lady as your soul-mate, and at
least once, if ! remember rightly, you
alluded to her as your little dusky-
haired lamb"
A sharp howl escaped Bill
Don't. Don't remind me of it,"
There's been a species of slump,
then--yes; no?-in dusky-haired
lambs?"
How" demanded Bill savagely.
'can a girl be a dusky-haired lamb
when her hairs bright scarlet?"
Dashed difficult" admitted Archie
II suppose Lucille told you about
that"
She did touch on it, lightly, as it
were"
Bill threw off the last fragments
of reserve.
Archie, I'm in the devil of a fix
I don't know why it was. but directly
saw her-things seemed so different
over in England, mean" He swal-
lowed ice-water in gulps. Il sup
pose it was seeing her with Lucille
Old Lu is such thoroughbred. Seemed
to kind of show her up. And that
crimson hair, 1t sort of put the lid
on it" Bill brooded morosely. 1T
ought to be q criminal offense for
women to drs their hair. Especially
red. What do women do that sort
of thing for?"
Don't blame me, old thing, It's
not my fault"
Bill looked furtive and harassed.
1T makes me feel such cad. Here
am I, feeling that l would give all