Evening star., 1925-11-29


square, and he had a reddish face
with reddish hair above 1t and Il pair
of eyes which were rather rediSh too
His one interest was in automobiles.
After that evening he came several
times to the house, and sat for a
long time without saying much. Then
he would jump up suddenly. shake
hands. and leave Edna and her
mother Whenever he spoke, it would
be to say something about his own
car or about somebody else's car, or
about a new make of ear, or a car
| that he had seen upon the road or at
a show. He would say:
Fellow passed me on the road sun
day-Marcus 20-doing so. Must
have been, as l was doing 40 myself
| overlook him at Sidworth. looking
very sorry for himself. one of his
tires had gone.
Or: 'Lansdom's a one-in-five. l did
it on second y
Or: Had my engine down last night
and decarboniZed. She's running grand
now" And so on.
Edna, sewing busily, would listen
to this kind of conversation. 1t had
a great defect as conversation. she
felt. in that it did not open up further
conversation. Nicholas stated facts
He was no talker. She herself Ven
tured d remark or two, although. as
she never went out, there was little
enough for her to say. To her efforts
Nicholas returned a silence that was
almost Seif-conSciouS. 1t was as
though he listened against his will
and thought her speeches Il little
bold. not quite modest. Yet he came
again and again, until Mrs. Burge
began TO look at him furtiveIy with
brio Sl,a
number of questions about him to a
caller.
The result of the questions was to
be seen in a greater cordiality to
Nicholas when next he came to visit.
Mrs. Burge bestirred herself. While
Edna was out of the room she enter
tanned him with an account of her
own i'll health, and said what a good
nurse Edna was, and how she would
miss her.
"Edna's such a good nurse" repeat
ed Mrs. Burge. Il shall miss her"
shes not going away, is she?"
asked Nicholas.
she will some day" said Mrs
BurSe.
There was a long pause. Nicholas
nursed his knee and looked into the
fire as if he had never before seen
such a thing as fire.
"Oh, yes" he presently responded.
as if he had been thinking. Yes. /
s'pose she will"
When Edna returned to the room
she found Nicholas gazing at her in
such way as to be almost discon-
certinS. He was quite oWlish. she
thought, with his round eyes In a
moment he jumped up, held out his
hand energetically TO Mrs. Burge, and
was accompanied by Edna to the front
door.
What about coming out in my
bus one day" asked Nicholas. in the
semi darkness of the unlighted
porch. Edna could not see his face,
but the sound of his voice was fierce
For drive? Thank you. If l
could leave mother"
y = y =
THERE was a drive. Nichols called
for Edna one Sunday afternoon
when Mrs. Burge was receiving Il visit
from an old and domesticated friend
1t was all very exciting. The auto
mobile was a small one. painted red
and it shone like Il lobster in the
sunshine. Nicholas. as chauffeur, had
leather jacket and d leather cao.
They too shone with unmistakabIe
newness.
Very excited and muffled in her
cloak, Edna stood beside the red mon
ster. Nicholas stepped into his place
and she followed.
"AlI right" asked Nicholas. with
one hand upon the wheel and the
other free to signal his intentions
to other cars.
Lovely" Edna snuggled down,
her eyes sparkling, unwonted color in
her checks. She looked quite pretty
She longed that she might meet an
acquaintance, so that she could bow
from within the lobster. What news
she would have for Eleanor when
next she wrote, 1t was thrilling
But that was not the only thrilling
occurrence of the afternoon. 1t was
the first of several excitements. For
the lobster was an enterprising little
fellow and sped upon the main roads
with a beautiful quiet ticking that
seemed to Edna perfectly enchanting:
and he rushed up to and past larger
automobiles with the utmost ease and
grandeur, putting his smoke in their