Evening star., 1925-02-22

HE HAND
and Hartshorne, who had clambored
aboard, were pulling her into the boat
while Noakes began to swim toward
the distant beach.
Hartshorne touched her upon the
shoulder. Lefty had just the slight
est feeling about him. His reactions
in the sea puss, most certainly, had
been, to say the least, selfish. But
the power of his sophisticated dark
eyes held her, and moved her, as they
had from the first.
"I saw the boat upon the beach,
Miss Larendon. I'm not a very strong
swimmer and I was going in to get
it when, of course, l saw that the
life guard was on hand and was COM
ing"
What could be clearer, fairer or
more reasonable than that? In a re-
vulsion of feeling, Lefty smiled.
"At all events" she said. assuming
that poised indifference which she
found she could so readily assume
with him and was SO delightful,
we've had the experience"
Yes" he said. and a dinner to-
night at my cottage in celebration.
At least. I'm fain to assume you will
permit Mrs. Canby-or perhaps
Noakes-to bring you. That is to say,
it's assumed Noakes will come, this
being a celebration. I'll ask him.
Well, here we are"
Lefty waited for Noakes to come
up on the beach.
"Of course you know how I feel,
Mr.. Noakes. 1 can't begin"
1T vast was Jerry out there
Lefty"
so it shall be here, Jerry. BY the
way, Mr.. Hartshorne is having an
other dinner in celebration of our de-
| liverance tonight. You'll come, of
| course?"
Tell you what I'll do. I'll come
| till midnight if you'll come to the
dance with me then"
1t proved TO be stunning party. At
the end Lefty found herself the
gamer by $50 and she saw Noakes
writing another check
Later, when she and Noakas were
dancing at the hotel, he turned to
her in the middle of a waltz
Lefty, do you like Hartshorne"
Il think he is the most fascinating
man l ever met. Don't your
He didn't reply.
After what happened out there on
the beach this morning, II have the
feeling we ought to know mean
| that we know each other pretty we'll
| I'm not much Of a chap to express my
| feelings. But I've just got to tell
you, Lefty" His voice caught.
A quick compression filled her. Not
an hour before Hartshorne had
| caught her hand, gazed at her with a
meaning, masterful smile. 1t had all
happened and was over in a moment
| But in that time she had lived, as 1t
perience, felt as though she had
| emerged utterly, completely, a wom-
an Of the world. She laid her hand
gently upon Noakes' arm.
| Lets go in and dance, Jerry. That
music is delightful"
x r x
NEXT morning Mrs. Candy intro
duced the girl to several swag-
gering young college men and by
evening she had come to be the
reigning belle of the hotel. And
in some manner, of which she was
not fully sensible, everything trended
toward the Hartshorne cottage,
| where in the next three days there
was a luncheon, dinner and, OF
course, always cards.
She never lost and her winnings
amounted to over $500.
So dazzling was every sequence
that when the next to the last night
} of her vacation period arrived Lefty
was startled. Time, space or any OF
the ordinary impressions of life hao
not seemed to mean anything to her
But now. when with a start she saw
Padenarum looming and the return
to drabness and humdrum routine
she shuddered, uncertain whittier she
| had drifted, but aware she had
| drifted far. Far from Jerry Noakes
certainly, far from everything she
had ever known. AS for Noakes, hi
| had been distinctly irritating In his
attempts TO arrange her life here In
| accordance with his own ideas. There
| had been virtually a quarrel. She
| had not seen him in the past Q.
| hours and he had slipped from hel
| mind.
| And Hartshorne-what OF him? She
| could not say definitely. In truth sht
| seemed to have lost the power o.
definite thought in any direction. Sh'
| knew only that her feelings abou
| him frightened her and yet curiousl1
at the same time exalted her witt
emotions so thrilling, so tremendou!
| that she could not mentally encom
pass them, and so was living, as i
were, in a gorgeous nebula, conten
| Just to feel, not desiring to think.
It was in this mood that Mrs. Can
| by came to the girl.
my dear" safd the woman, taking
| the girl by the arm and leading hel
down the veranda, tomorrow yol
| are to leave"
"oh, Mrs. Canby,''-Letty gesturet
dramatically,-"don speak of it"
Then why go back now, IL at all?'
| 1--WE never had such wonderful
time in my life-that's certain"
mot only that, you've made 10
of money and you are certain t.
make a great deal more, my dear"
MRS. Candy, Lefty stared at tn
| woman,--"I don't think quite under
stand"
Mrs. Candy laughed.
"Halsey Hartshorne is very gifte'
bridge player, my dear, and he ha
one or two associates here eQuall.
gifted. You will always win whei