Evening star., 1925-03-01

When did she offer? After she
knew she'd changed?"
| mo, she knew it directly she's Of
fered and he'd cabled how happy he
was. Isn't life amusing. Michael?"
| IT'S abominable!" !" said Michael
| "On the other hand" said Sally quiet
| ly-not at all the Sally OF the piano
| bench and running away from the party.
| a much tenderer creature, with shadows
| in her eyes and a kind Of hunger In her
| low voice, isn't II something to feel
! that she's keeping falth--with the per-
son who's loved her most in this world?
| After all, ones own happiness isn't
| everything? And If she could slip out OF
| loving hin-for no reason at all
| mightn't she slip back. once she's mar
ried to him, just as easily?''
| No" said Michael. "she mightn'tr
You think she hasn't any chance for
| happiness
! NO chance at all"
Then think Of the man whose happi-
ness she's saving-there's that
And think of the man." said Michael
| slowly, "the man she's shutting the door
on before she's ever heard him-whose
| happiness might be her happiness. too,
| II she'd only sense enough to wait for
| him. There's that
You'll make me cry in a minute"
said Sally.
81 wish could - said Michael. Then,
perhaps. you'd listen to me-"
Well, I've listened to you already, as
| long as a lady should-maybe a little bit
| longer. It's getting on to l o'clock.
| Michael. Tell the driver to take US TO
the Cliff-and I'll bid you good might"
II don't want you to bid me good
| night" said Michael. He frightened his
arm about Sallys shoulders and for one
| mad. rebellious moment laid his cheek
1
| ley" he said huskily. Odd :"
mot odd at ALL" said Sally. pushing
him away with a tired little laugh. She
added the name Of a famous French per-
| fumer.
Michael sat erect and withdrew his
| arm. He felt Observation-Disclosures
| in manner Of speaking, outcast. He
gave the taxi driver Instructions brutal
| ly brief.
| silent Michael leaned back in the other
silent.
They arrived eventually at the hotel.
| depopulated and dim as became a proper
| hostelry that hour OF the night.
II can hardly realize" said Michael
suddenly, with almost painful intensity,
that tonight is all. That I shall never
see you again"
"Yesr' said Sally family.
Her lips smiled. II was her lips
Michael happened to be looking at
| He drew himself up. he made Sally a
rather formal little bow, he said abrupt
| ly: I'm be running along-~hope l
haven't tired you--good- night
+ *
THE book by his bedside no longer
allured. He stretched out in the
dark, considering stormily. Sally
Sally Byrdl Delicious name g.. . .
and, little as Michael had expected
to admit II, delicious and incredible
| girl,
No one like her in Michaers ex-
| perience. A bit of Undine, If you
! like. A bit of RosaIind's boyish
| swank. Lilies OF the valley and Cho-
| pin and jazz. Frail jade earrings
! against 4 cloud of dark hair. Silver
cloth, a supple sheath. within which
] a slender body moved like q reed by
the river.
Saliy-Sally Byrd--on her@way to
Manila to be married-to a man she
| no longer loved, but with whom, no
| less, she was stubbornly keeping
| faith; disastrously. foolishly, splen-
| didly keeping faith-beoause, after
all-"one's personal happiness isn't
| everything-'
| Michael hadn't been put off for an
| instant by the gauzy Disguise of "a
| girl I know know her better, per-
haps, than any girl 1 have ever
| known"
That girl, OF course, was Sally her
| self. easing her wistful, restless soul
to strangers ear on tho eve OF
| sailing away-into what troubled d
waters, under what unfavorable stars,
she alone knew.
Michael continued to hear, liAe a
bird singing beyond a waterfall.
Sally's low, impudent ohuckle. Would
| 1t fall into silence and be lost once
the man in Manila had slipped his
! ring upon Saliy's small finger? Quite
| likely IL would!
| 1t was late-or eariy-when he
| slept -. and late when he woke.
Was IL worth while thinking of Sally
when she had flashed into and out of
| his life SO absurdly? Since he was
| never to see her again why not begin
at once to forget her? Shed have left
her hotel very soon-the boat sailed
at 10. (He knew this because as soon
az he woke he weakly rang for n
newspaper and looked up the steamer
list) II he had wanted TO see
her-and, kind heaven. why should
he?--there wasn't any seif-respect-
| ing way
Go down to tho dock and stand
about like a Ioye-sick fool, watching g
sally out OF sight, on her way to an
other man? Not Michael!
Which was why, no doubt. he dress
ed and breakfasted in the EXTREMIST
haste. but before he did either, teie-
phoned downstairs to the brigand by
| the elevators and ordered a box OF
| lilies OF the valley to be sent to Miss
Sally Byrd at the Cliff Hotel-at once.
And what name, sir?'
| NO name"
II she didn't know when she saw
! them-let her think they came from
the Shah OF Persia or the Inca. Of
Peru,
He communicated a taxi-v.IJow
IKE the one of the night before. What
oitter-sweet memories that musty.
mingled odor Of leather and humans
ana what not awoke in Michaers
! breast,
Pier so-and-so!" he cried.
MICHAEL threading between peo-
pie motors, wagons, came at last
TO tne cIfnlke side Of a ship, with a
plaintive babble of farewells in the
air.
| Sally was standing by the railing.
she wore a dark, boyish kind of suit
| and a little, black hat Her slender
throat was bare. Her eyes wers
| shadowy. "A group of people stood
I near her, closed in about her while
; Michael watched.
And some one said, There goes the
| gangplank!''
| Michael swung on his heel. He had
come down to see the last of Sally,
but he found all at once that he
couldn't go through with 1t. 1t hurt
! too unbearably.
He showed his way out between
people. He was almost at the street
when he felt a hand on his arm.