Evening star., 1925-02-15

After moment Jane became aware
Of Arnold's boots in close proximity
to her head. A wave of fury swept
away her giddlness, and she began te
| prised herself.
Once more they stood in the yard
| Once more Arnold CROPPED for his
| plank.
I'm going up first," said Jane. In
a low tone of rage. II won't be gull
lotined on a public fire-escape. Which
| floor Is it?
| THE top" said Arnold sulkily. and
without more ado Jane went up the
ladder.
| 1t was exactly like a rather horrid
| dream. The ladder was very cold and
very gritty, and you climbed, and
climbed, and went on climbing with
| out arriving anywhere.
Pictures of the Eiffel Tower and
| New York skyscrapers fitted through
James mind. She also remember ed
interesting paragraphs about how
many million pennies placed. on end
would reach to the moon. And al
| long. long last the escape ended at a
windowsill with a parapet tnclosed
| space beneath IT.
Jane sat down on the windowsill
and shut her eyes tight. She had a
1
| rocking little. After a moment
| Arnold crawled over the edge OF the
| coping, dragging his plank. He wa.
painting.
This" he said, with his mouth
| close to James ear-"leads to the
| landing where the lift shaft ends
| We've got to get across to the next
| one, which lis inside Molloy's fat
That's what the plank Is for"
You're blowing down my neck.
| said Jane.
Arnold Todhunter felt that he had
never met a girl whom he dislik ed
so much. Extraordinary that she
should look SO like Renata and be SO
different.
He knelt just inside the parapet
| and pushed the board slowly out into
| the dark until 1t rested on the parapet
| Of the next window.
will you so first, or shall I?' he
whispered.
Il will"
Jane felt sure that, If she had to
| watch Arnold balancing on that
| plank miles above the ground, she
would never be able to cross 1t her
self.
The reflection that 1t was Renata,
| and not she, who would have to make
the descent, fortified her considerably.
| Even SO. she never quite knew how
| she crossed to the other window II
| was an affair of clenched teeth and
! a mind that shut out resolutely every
| thing except the next cropping clutch
| of the hand-the next carefully taken
| step.
She sank against the window sill
| and heard Arnold follow her. Just
| at the end he slipped; he seemed to
| nd r,tt ID.
heavy thud pitched down on the top
Of Jane.
She though he said "Damnw and
she was quite sure that she said
| Idiot"
There was an awful moment while
| they listened for the fall of the plank,
| but 1t held to the coping by a bare
| half-inch.
Thank goodness I'm not Renatar'
| said Jane, with heartfelt sincerity.
And
Thank goodness. you're notw re-
turned Mr.. Todhunter, with equal
fervor. and at that moment the win
dow opened.
There was little sobbing gasp,
and a girl was clinging to Arnold
Todhunter and Whispering:
Notwithstanding. 1 thought you'd
never come"
Arnold crawied through the open
window, and from the pitch black
hall there came the sounds Of dem
onstrative affection.
Good gracious, me, there's no ac-
| counting for tastes" said Jane, un-
der her breath. And she, too, climbe ]
| down into the darkness.
Arnold appeared to be trying to ex-
plain Jane to Renata, while Renata
| alternated between sobs and kisses.
Jane lost her temper, suddenly and
| completely.
For goodness sake, you two, coma
where there's a light, and where we
| can talk sense. Every minute you
| waste Is just asking for trouble
What's that room with the light?
1t is difficult to be impressive in
| a low whisper, but Renata did stop
kissing Arnold.
MY bedroom she said. I'm sup
posed to be locked in"
Jane groped In the dark and got
Renata by the arm.
Come along in there and talk to
me. We've got to talk. Arnold can
walt outside the window. I don't
| want him in the least. You're going
to spend the rest of your life with
him in Bolivia, so you needn't worry
l simply won't have him whilst we
are talking"
Arnold loathed Jane a little more
| but Renata allowed herself to be de-
tached from him with a sob.
Inside the lighted bedroom the two
girls looked at one another in an
amazed silence.
In height and contour, feature and
coloring, the likeness was without a
flaw
Facing them was a small wardrobe
Of painted wood. A narrow panel of
lookingglass formed the door. The
two figures were reflected in IL, and
Jane, tossing her hat on to the bed
studied them there with q long, care
| full scrutiny.
The same brown hair, growing In
| the same odd peak upon the fore
head, the same arch to the brow, the
same greenish-hazel eyes. Renata's
| face was tear-stained, her eyelids red
and swollen-"but that's exactly how
I look when 1 cry" said Jane. She
set her hand by Renata's hand. her
foot by Renata's foot. Tho same to
| a shade.
The other girl watched her with be.
wildered eyes.
"Speak-say something" said Jane
What shall I say?"
"Anything-them multiplication ia BILE
| the days of the week. want to hear
your voice."
"Oh, Jane, what an odd girl you
| are" said Renata-"and don't you
| think Arnold had better come in? I,
must be awfully cold out there"
Presently" said Jane. IT'S very
| hard to tell, but I believe that our
| voices are as much alike as the rest
OF u.s."
She opened her bag and took ou,
The List and a pencil.
Now. write something-I don't
care what"
Renata wrote her own name, and
| then, after a pause, 1T is a fine day