The broad ax., 1926-06-26

BY DOROTHY DOUGLAS
lcopyright)

IL ing house that night with weary
steps. He was wishing with all his
soul that he were approaching his
own little house, with its dainty mis-
tress, who would. of course, be also
the mistress Of his heart.
II was a cold, bleak night and q
warm Preside, rosy lamps and the
sunny-haired girl there. would have
made even that weary trip from the
Office seem like heaven.
Lardner sighed as he went up to
the unhomslike clearinghouse ROOM
The shadeless gas fickered In pale
greeting and cast it's not too fiattering
brilliance on the barren surroundings
However, Lardner went down to
dinner TO sit as he had been sitting
for two full years, at the long board
ing-house table with its odd assort-'
ment of humanity. They were q more
! or less congenial crowd who chatted
impersonally about things in general,
but Lardner had never reached more
intimate acquaintance with any OF
them. There was a Miss Drake, who
was employed by the government as
an analytical chemist, Miss Roydon,
clerk in big dairy Office, one or two
clerks, both male and female, and
then there was Miss Bennett.
She had attracted him by her
quiet, gentle manner, but he always
wished she might show some spark
of human warmth.
So he entered the dining room and
stood among the guests. They were
all fiuttering about and laughing
good humoredly with candles In their
hands. The gas, for the first time
In two years, had gone on strike and
simply wouldn't light up.
Something's happened to the MAN."
apologized the worried landlady, Mrs.
Warren. "Can you manage with
candle-light?'
"Of course we can," they shouted
In chorus and went about lighting and
placing candles.
! They were chatting and breathless
and highly enjoying simple chance
to dine by candle-light rather than
under the blatant glare Of gas.
His thoughts were interrupted by
Miss Bennett who stood close beside
him holding forward an unlit candle.
81 wonder IL you would give me
lightT she asked softly.
Lardner pulled out his matches
swiftly. He also caught a quick
breath. Had Miss Bennet's eyelashes
always curled upward I'm that shadowy
way and had the eyes beneath them
always held that mischievous spark In
their quiet depths?
30 managed to light her candle,
but not without another satisfying
look into her eyes. Yes, the lure
was there, plenty Of it.
She turned from him then. but not
without lovely thanks from lips thar
we'll, Lardner didn't dare think Just
at the moment anything further about
those lips. They were all sitting
down at the big dining table which
was suddenly transformed from an
ordinary second-class clearinghouse
table to one Pickering with the fairy
like laughter and romance of bygone
ages.
More than one couple at the table
were casting shy glances. Lardner
found himself hating the young clerk
sitting beside Miss Bennett and lean
ing much nearer to her shoulder than
there was the slightest necessity for.
II propose" said Miss Bennett,
that we all 60 up to my room after
dinner and have coffee and music.
You can sit on the floor or any place
you find room. Everyone who plays
anything must contribute. / have a
guitar and Mr.. tombstone has a
mouth organ. We shall have quite q
time by candlelight. Those who can't
sing or play must tell a story"
They must have all gone mad In
that boarding house, Lardner includ-
ed, for they all dashed upstairs, each
clutching a Pickering candle to attend
the first party they, as unit, had
INDUCED In.
Miss Bennet's room occupied the
same position in the house as Lard
ner's, save that 1t was up one more
/ flight Of stairs. As he stood on the
threshold he drew a sharp breath.
Surely this was not room In the
boarding house The bed had been
turned into sofa divan, draped with
blue velvet and holding an armful Of
blue and gold and petunia cushions.
There were yellow shades on the
candles and white fur rug I'm front
of the gas fire. A bit OF statuary
adorned the chest Of drawers, instead
Of an untidy tray Of toilet articles. II
was a home. There was nothing ex-
pensive, but everything was artistic.
The cool brown of Miss Bennet's
business frock had taken on a coppery
warmth and in her golden hair q hint
Of red glistened
Lardner wanted again to kick him
self-this time more soundly.
Two whole years wasted" he told
himself Il might have known she
was THE GIRL
The party was tremendously sue
cessful and the candles were flicker
ing low in their sockets before there
was a move to disband.
Lardner contrived to be the last to
leave.
He held Miss Bennet's hand warm
ly In one hand and his candle In tha
| other. The little flame LEANED mn -