Evening star., 1926-11-17


Too tired. I'll bet. Let us wrap
it. Nancy" he begged; surprise her."
They tiptoed in together. Nancy
laid the new stole upon the table
She held her slim finger firmly upon
the string whenever Harry tied q knot
and noted proudly his businesslike
way of wrapping package for Uncle
Dan. Harry reached for the sealing
wax. struck a match, smiled upon
Nancy while he heLl the red stios
poised. AS she smiled back someth,E,t
about the light fixtures caught ncc
eyes. whoever put it there!" she
gasped.
Harry glanced UP. MIstie,ue. Five
seconds later there was a faint siz-
z'ing, bit Of smohe, a queer smell
aid just to the left of the center back
of the new fox stole, a tiny triangle
loomed hairless. ."Old Shops got a
bald spot" Nancy laughed. and
Harry kissed her again for her swea
forgiveness.
Winter passed and Spring came and
Harry and Nancy graduated from
high school.
We are sending her to Berkeley
said Nancy's mother.
Harry goes to Yale" quoth Harry's
parents.
So one train went west and one
L"----.i east and They're mean. cruel
old things" walled Nancy and Harry
in impassioned daily letters.
Soon, surprisingly soon. lone letter
week is enough" she wrote. I'm
so busy"
And he replied. Busy. Oh, for
some Of the time l hawdled away in
Kansas"
| In the long-interval messages that
f1lI 4. IL
1T is fascinating. this East" he
answered.
The war enveloped East and West
Harry. going as a sergeant, came back
a major and an eminent business
| firm. on the lookout for just the right
man, made it worth his while to travel
in its interests.
Nancy went to war, too. first a.
an experience, later to give her talents
her beauty. her energy to the task of
| entertaining those who gave infinitely
more than these things. And often in
dusty barracks, in crowded hospitals,
| in some quaint Paris street, she smiled
and shrugged tired shoulders. She did
not even think of Harry.
When she came back ii was flatter
| ing to be met at the dock by famous
social worker to be told that she could
name her own salary, choose her own
route, if she would only tour the coun-
, try in their cause. II shall love to
| travel" thought Nancy as she planned
| her clothes. Furs, She must have
furs. Furs were the rage that year.
Nancy liked fox-black fox. She
puckered her nose reminiscently
Where had she packed it?
X X
Harry Joa mod baoIy in
Nothing to do but watch the Rocky
| Mountains whiz by" he told himself.
The Continental Limited was rushing
| him to the head offices of the eminent
business firm. 1t meant promotion.
and Harry, awaiting the sumptuous
dinner he had ordered, looked out of
the dning-car window and let his
thoughts drift contentedly. college.
post graduate; South America, the
war; his busy present, his bright fu-
ture. And away back, years ago
Kansas. Funny old Kansas! The
little town where he went to high
school. And that girl--Ann-no.
Nancy. He smiled out upon an ancient
snow-capped peak. What kids they
had been,
The waiter brought his soup. He
| dipped his spoon into the creamy mix
ture and lifted it to his lips, gazing
| idly at the back of some one who had
| just taken a table in front of him
Suddenly he sat up straight. His
| spoon went back slowly into the
| creamy mixture, shaking a little. He
leaned forward. grasping the sides Of
the table. He was staring into a
| small hairless triangle a little to the
left Of the center back of a black fox
stole. Old Shep.
"Is there anything 1 can do?" asked
the waiter.
Don't get in front of me" snapped
Harry.
He looked at her searchingly. Her
hat was jaunty, her dress charming,
but how that stole enveloped her.
Hair. cheek, eyes, all hidden. Then
she turned, looked out upon the an
cient snow-capped peak and smiled.
Nancy! Nancy,
saw that her left hand was ringless.
| THANK God"' breathed Harry Clear
the table waiter, I'm going to stay
here a while"
When at last the wearer of the
| black stole stood for moment, tall
and graceful, by her table Harry rose,
! too, and through narrow labyrinths
i he followed close behind q small bea-
con that was shaped like a triangle
and looked Slnged
4 An hour later it was dusk in the
Rocky Mountains and the evening
star shone down upon the rear plat.
form of the Continental Limited.
You're not cold, Nancy?" he was
fastening the back stole closely about
her throat.
Not a bit cold, Harry. And tell me,
why didn't you squeeze my hand just
once that night? There were IL knots
In Uncle Don's package-'
you remember that"
! eleven knots" her laugh rang out
above the clickety-clack of the limited.
"And you did nothing but tie them"
But under the mistletoe, Nancy.
took two"
Two" scornfully. Harry. what are
you doing?"
Taking three"
Miles of silence. Then, Suppose I'd
. never spilled the sealing wax?" muir
| INJURED Harry.
: Dear little triangle" breathed
! Nancy.
l 1t was dark in the Rocky Noun
\ tains. Some one opened the door upon
the rear platform of the Continental
Limited. Sorry to bOthah you folks.
but we're closin' dis here cab for de
night"
CThe End.