Evening star., 1925-09-13

makes him what he is. l could con-
quer the world for you. darling. And
that's what l am going to do"
The waiter slipped thick steaks in
front of them.
Now. don't you feel hungry ?"
cried Cynthia softly.
Dick grinned.
You bet do" he said. You're a
great little meal-orderer, Cynthia"
II want to be. 1 want to have
what they call perfect little dinners
glass and lovely centerpieces of
flowers and candies"
We'll, of course, We'll work up to
that. But We'll begin simply"
Not too simply. Let's start
right. and then we'll be sure to keep
it up"
Takes money. Cynthia
Get the money, stupid. Didn't you
say you could conquer the world for
me? Look at that funny little sta
ton? Why do you suppose We are
stopping here?"
Some good reason. Look at the
little restaurant, Cynthia. What does
that make you think off,"
Obviously 1t didn't make Cynthia
think of anything she wanted to re-
member She looked at her hands,
but they, too, reminded her of a res
taurant, not so unlike the one out
side the window, and of herself
standing at the chairs of the Gus
toners, serving.
Don't remind me, Dick. That was
an awful experience. For a girl of
any sensibility the thing was in
tolerable.''
Dick didn't mind thinking of Cynthia
behind those tables, though, Of course,
he had been glad to get her out of it.
That was where Cynthia had come
from, and some of their happiest and
most romantic interviews had been in
just such a place. Then, when he had
determined to marry her, he had gone
back to Cosmopolis and had 1t out
with his family. 1t had been a row.
but when they had seen how desper-
ately m earnest he was his mother
had given in. She had brought Gym
thia to her own home and kept her
there for two months before the mar
riage, shrouding Cynthia's origin with
sl<illful indefiniteness and building up
a little acquaintanceshfp for Cynthia
to start with after she was married.
Cynthia had not been difficult. With
amazing swiftness she had taken on
the color of her environment, until
Dicks simple, well bred home seemed
a familiar setting for her. Her past,
the stepmother past, the restaurant
past, she had dropped into oblivion. If
she referred TO II at all with Dick, it
was as a dreadful experience which
she had endured bravely. Dick was
used to that now, but just at first he
found it hard to understand why work
ing in a restaurant to support yourself
was something to be hidden.
One of his most delightful and rO-
mantle memories was the magic of
dropping into that little restaurant in
the raw mining town where he had
been working as mining engineer and
meeting Cynthia there, so lovely in
her clean white apron.
x
THEY fingered over the raspberries
= and ice cream. The waiter how
cred above them indulgently. 1t was
a good order, and he had served 1t
well and he was beamingly expectant
of reward. Other passengers watched
the young couple also. 1t was a pretty
scene, the young lovers lingering over
one of those first delightfully."- shared
dinners, with Summer twilight silhou-
citing them against the sliding land
Scape.
Back in their compartment, Dick
Ildue IlOIeS on JHo DdCk Oh All ell
velope. He was in the midst Of calcu-
lations when Cynthia spoke again.
Are we going to the Renown,
Dick?"
Cynthia, have you any idea what
those hotels cost"
Your father doesn't care what we
spend. You could get all you wanted
from him.
Dick stiffened mo. couldn't. Gym
thia. He's already given us fifteen
hundred for the trip and fifteen hun
dred for our furniture. l somehow
think we were foolish to plan a trip
to New York. 1t would have been bet
ter to go to Lake Requan, as mother
suggested"
She closed the dressing bag and pick
ed up a magazine. After a few min
utes, in her new manner, she rang
for the porter and told him he could
make up the berths. Dick was exiled
to the smoking car. He bent to kiss
her and then went out. She seemed
little disturbed. poor little girl, with
her dream Of the Renown. Why, she
wouldn't be comfortable there. The
train steamed on and the night grew
dark outside. Dick came back to his
compartment with that sense Of de-
light and humility which still swept
over him as he put his privileged hand
on the door between him and his wife.
''It's me, darling" he told her, softly.
The door opened. Dick saw her in
the faint light. Ste had turned off the
central light. In her neglige she was
a picture of innocent childishness. But
as he put his arm around her and bent
his warm cheek to hers she drew away
little and he felt the restraint of her
mood.
"What'S the mattero''
Nothing" she answered sweetly
but drearily.
you don't seem like yourself
Don't 7? I've just been thinking