The Washington times., 1926-06-17
THE MAGIC Ely E
By John GOOdlUiEl

Z
peal, turned the corner quickly
and was gone.
1t was fully a minute before
jill moved. There was no Color
at all In her cheeks when she
went in with the letters. "A
quarter Of an hour later Jill left
the Ajax Steel offices on lower
Broadway and started for Ter
rooms IN Greenwich Village.
The. keen wind brought the
color back to Jfll's cheeks. but
ii could not drive the trouble
from her mind. She was worried
about Cecil Heatheredge and the
extraordinary request he had
made to her
Jill had known Cecil Hether.
edge only fortnight, and, though
she was scarcely aware Of it, he
was the only man who had ever
made her heart beat. He had
brought Romance into her life
Unlike her sister, Maffie, Jill had
scarcely any experience Of men.
Her first meeting with Mr..
Heatheredge had been perfectly
innocent and commonplace CTiIlie
Rees, typist at the Milford Ce-
Tnent Company's offices was re.
sponsibIe for it. Milly was es-
scorted by two men. One was
MfIIy's fiance, Jack Flynn: the
other she introduced to Jill az
Mr.. Heatheredge. MilIy had sug.
gested that they should all have
81 bite together, and, as It was
difficult to refuse MiIly anything,
Jill consented.
After that JiIl was rather nnvsti.
fled herself as to how 1t ali hap
pened. She had met Mr.. Heath
eredge a good many times.
Which was all the more re-.
narlSabie because she had de.
cIined to tell him where she
she was afraid of her sisters
comments and laughter, though
Matte was younger than her
self. But, somehow, Mr.. Heather.
edge frequently encountered Jill
and they had seen q good deal
OF each other.
He was always perfectly re.
Epectfui and courteous aid 1as
cinating; very different from the
few men Jill knew. He seemed
to her like a. being from another
world. He did not take her to
the movies and try to squeeze
her hand.
Once she had gone with him To
g concert, and Il appeared that
they both thought music the one
thing worth living for. But as
rule they merely had tea together
and talked; yet the intimacy had
ripened swiftly. Tar more so than
Jill realized, for Mr.. Heatheredge
was master IN the strategy
which he had made his special
study.
Now she found him III the Ajax
Steel Company,s city offices, and
his appearance there did not tally
IN the least with the story ne had
told her about himself and his
life The request he made to her
came a. 3 shock; it seemed to
her nothing less than an Insult.
She wondered what was wrong
Z with this fascinating young man
I'm whom she was beginning to
lake such = keen interest.
Greatly Distressed
"A little shiver passed through,
her, and something told JiiI that
she would 10 q supremacy foolish
thing IL she Eep HE appointment
he ilad begged De her Tor t0nor.
row She would not 50. Jill was
surprised 70 find thai the decision
cost her & pang.
She was stiIl irraSoiute when
she got of the ear at Sixth "A We.
nue. and Eighth Etreet and made
her way To the Village Alley,
Wllare she lived with her sister.
The Alley d poor and secluded
but It still has charm Jill stopped
at & little house on the left thar
had three floors, the tcpmost one
Of which she occupied with her
sister. She let herself in with
latchkey and passed direct into
the little sitting room. It was
shabby and yet cheerful; a bowl
OF taWny chrysanthemufns stood
on the tablecloth. Fifty dollars
would have bought all the f1rnf.
ture in the room except perhaps
the old piano. There was q win.
dow to the street and another OBJ.
posite that looked out upon q
I courtyard and the backs Of the
tall houses across the way.
To Be Continued Tomorrow