Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-04

plause. there is really something the
matter with him.
| The night following, Irwin took
Miss Warren to dinner at Exmouth,
20 miles away. Hes only going to
| be here a few days" she said to HaVi-
land. 80, of course, want to see as
much as I can Of him"
| "Of course" he agreed. Then he
| added morosely: But If he's such a
tremendous friend OF yours. why
| hasn't he found you a place in his
own office instead of letting you dub
around a hotel?'
She smiled That's precisely why
| I wouldn't be in his office. because we
are such terribly good friends. 1t
wouldn't be businesslike. And then l
told you 1 had to be near the sea
this Summer"
"Oh! But the questions come up,
them"
why, naturally! But to begin
with, he didn't want me to study Sec
retarial work at ALL
Haviland blurted: "Oh, he didn't!
| What did he want you to do?'
Why" said Miss Warren. quite
simply, "he wanted me to marry him. "
"Well-why don't your"
Miss Warren was distracted. why
Il really don't know. I may, yet"
At night he was more tempera-
mental than ever, especially when the
fat man came again to google and
applaud.
THE next few days were the unhap-
l. piest that Haviland had ever
spent in his whole life. There was
| no one to confide in, no one to lessen
his troubles by listening to them sym
pathetically. And whenever he saw
Alice-and with few exceptions he
saw as much of her as ever-he was
tongue-tied. How could he match
| himself against q man like Irwin?
Why, with his obligations to his
mother, he couldn't even support her!
And so, finally, on Saturday eve
ming, when they were wandering
along the cliffs which overlook the
brisk little harbor. he said to her
abruptly: This can't go on. 1t sim
ply can't go on. Let's get it over
with"
"she put her hand on his arm.
"Oh, please"
He smiled painfully. Ibid you know
what 1 was going to say?"
Presently she lifted her face to him
Eyes. knew"
"Goodv said Haviland thickly. "And
I knew what you'd say. Only I just
can't go any further" He halted and
seized both her hands. 1--WE loved you
and you've known it. You COULDN'T
help knowing it. I can't ask you to
marry me. You couldn't do It,
NO" she said under her breath. II
couldn't"
His fingers frightened. And know
why not. I know all about 1t. You
don't have to tell me. I don't blame
vom can't blame you. Only-you
really did like me little. didn't your
She shook her head. Not a little
, very much"
Haviland released her. IT I'd been
anything but a third.rate band lead
En-
"oh. my dear. If you'd only been
YOURSELF
you forget my mother"
"No. don't! When you first came
back after the war, you had to take
whatever you could get. But did you
need to waste these five solid years?
Couldn't you have been fitting your
self, on the side. for something better
instead Of just drifting? In the
long run, wouldn't that have been
kinder to your mother-and to your
self-and to me?"
He wet his lips. ITO you? How
why" she said unsteadily. If
you'd begun to be kind to all three of
us Ave years ago-and I weren't SC
afraid that in five years from now
you'll still be drifting" Her voice
fell away to q murniur, and there was
no end to the sentence, but he got the
point.
Its too late to start now. is it?'
"It's-getting pretty late" she said
money; it's a matter Of self-respect
just don't seem to care. You talk
about it, but you haven't done any
thing about it. Why haven't you?"
He coughed excessively. IT suppose
it's Irwin, then?"
"Oh, don't KNOW" she said wear
lily. IT just don't know"
| But at o'clock she went to ride
with the demon while Haviland went
back to the ballroom and the newt
able fat man. During an intermissior
the fat man beckoned to him.
| Say, didn't I see you down on the
beach, a few nights ago, with Billy
Irwin-Wall Street Trust?"
why. it's quite possible.
| "Know him, do you."
why not exactly-but I've met
him."
Thanks
That was all, but at 10 o'clock
on Sunday morning Haviland re.
ceived a message, signed with an un
familiar name. Would he please come