Evening star., 1926-12-05
@ i119 @119LEAVINGSa@a1 aa5 @15
By Joseph Lister Rutledge


you and me?'
Dane. you're not just going to
drag me out tomorrow. I'm going to
stay right here and play with you.
right in this ROOM" She leaned over
and kissed him lightly on the top of
his head. How will you like to have
me crowding into one Of your quiet
evenings?'
Il think / might like it, Novelty
has charm all it's own"
Well, Wen try it," she said, with
a little, ripping laugh.
X X y <
MYRA was still asleep when Dane
Oliphant started for the office,
but he left note that he was looking
forward to the evening.
On his way home that night ne
stopped and bought substantial box
of bonbons, a couple of the brighter
magazines, a new book, an armful of
American beauty roses. In his pur-
chasing he had worked into quite a
state of excitement. He pictured her
sitting under the shaded light, her feet
tucked up under her, reading to her
self. He didn't want her to give up
her evening to him-just wanted to
have her near, just as she had been
in those early years, to look up at him
and smile. OF course, you could sit
and read by yourself, but it was diff
ferent somehow. 1t was with the soft
glow of these sentiments still upon
him that he reached home Myra re-
ceived his gifts with casual and alb
stracted air that left him rather crest
fallen.
When they had finished dinner and
were seated together in the living
room, she rather startled him with a
sudden question, What did you do
at the. office today?"
We'll, l dictated about a dozen
letters to Miss Straus."
We'll, what them"
Why, we had a conference, That
Emerson deal is looking a lot more
promising. / saw Bartram today, and
he seemed rather taken up at our
proposal. We had it all worked out
carefully. could quote facts and figures.
There was a lot of information that
was new to him. I could see that we
had interested the fellow. May have
to run over to Chicago in a day or so.
IL we can land that business, it will
mean other stuff following" Oil.
plants eyes glittered with enthusiasm.
1t was great to be able to null things
over together like this. "If we land
them, we've got their competitors on
toast" he announced happily. "They
will have to come to us, because Won
See-''
Myra was carelessly thumbing a
magazine. do you know, Margaret
has new ring. 1t has big emerald
in the center and diamonds all about
it. It's almost too big, I think. I
don't like those big rings, anyway, es-
pecially with bright stones. Now 1
saw the loveliest one this afternoon"
She looked up suddenly and noticed
MS abstracted air. You're not inter-
ested," she said aggrievedly. You're
not even listening"
"Oh. but 1 am, dear. Go on. It's
about ring" He made the statement
with an air of triumph.
You're not very interesting, Dane"
she said with stif1ed yawn.
She looked at her watch. Its get
ting on toward 8. I'm sleepy, too,
and I'm going out early tomorrow.
If you don't mind, 1 think I'll run
along to bed"
Dane Oliphant did mind, minded
very much. but he hid his disappoint-
ment under casual air. "All right,
dear. Run along"
He sat alone before the fire. think.
ing. They weren't cheerful thoughts.
They were even tinged with a hint of
bitterness, something that was un-
usual for him. You just take the
leavings," he said to himself, "and be
darned thankful. If she hasn't been
up too late the night before, or if she
doesn't expect to be amusing herself
tomorrow, then there may be time to
spend on YOU
He felt Felix's wet muzzle touch
his hand, and he looked down. mo,
we don't want to be exacting, old
chap, do we? We don't want to be
unrea sonable." His mind roamed off
on those dual fictions: that the round
of business was such a gay and care
free and inspiring thing, crammed
with pleasant contacts and exciting
and the life of the home
drab and uninteresting
affair. well, perhaps housekeeping
isn't very exciting" he thought, "but
Myra hasn't much more to do with
housekeeping than i have. But that
isn't altogether fair, either" he admit
ted. Il don't want her to be a stay-at-
home: l want her to have as many
friends and as happy a time as she
can possibly have. But / would like
sometimes to feel that 1 had an even
break with other people and other
things; not just take what is left"
EROM 9 in the morning until S at
night Dane Oliphant's life was
strictly business: and if Miss Straus
watched him at times with adoring
eyes he was unconscious of 1t. His
steady gaze looked beyond her tawny
hair, and if he noticed her at all 1t
was as an expert human machine;
and he hadn't the faintest idea that
his casual Good morning" could
cause that young persons romantic
heart to almost slip it's moorings.
looked on Oliphant with favoring
eyes. That their interest was not re-
turned was. perhaps, only a negative
virtue; he hardly knew of their ex-
istence. During the day his business
was his interest. When that was
over he turned to his home with
sense of relief. Myra was the
center of that interest-the. personifi-
cation of the escape from the exact
ing labor of the day. Myra, with a
pleasant background of comfortable
surroundings, careful servants. good
food and modest amusements, was a
testify a part of any picture that sug-
gested comfort and we'll being, more
when the comfort and well
being were her own.
Dane Oliphant. with that picture in
his mind, edged his car into the home
bound traffic 1t was still with him
after dinner, when he was finally seat
ed in a comfortable chair, his feet on
the fender stool and a newspaper on
his knee Presently, Myra herself
would be coming in and sitting oppo-
site him. He had placed her chair SO
that he could see her against the back
ground of velvets and tapestries. 1t
was an expensive background, BID:
then, so was Myra. expensive; the rest
had to be fitted in. You couldn't put
a brilliant diamond in a pewter set
ting.
Myra crossed the room and stood
leaning against the chair. He smiled
It was just as he had
arranged it, She smiled back at him,