Evening star., 1926-12-05

un6VenLIul nlgnLndrc. Ouly MyCd anu
Ann Warner and the. Mainwarring
rating time Their laughing voices,
drifting from down the far corner of
the room, seemed to him almost sacri-
| legious. At his own table there was
breathless silence. while old Mr.. Main
warning pondered over the knotty
| problem of whether he should raise
a diamond.
'If / had to come" Dane Oliphant
groaned inwardly, why couldn't they
let me grow up with the saplings?"
He caught Myra's eyes upon him
with a mocking glance and saw her
make some laughing retort to her COM
| panions.
Dane is almost too handsome" Ann
was saying. "If he were my hus-
band. l would never let him out Of
my sight. I would always be afraid
of some other woman poaching."
did you ever try to poach Dane?"
| "No; but I might"
| Myra laughed gleefully. II would
| love to see you try" she said. You
| could languish over Dane, and he
would never know It, Danes a dear,
but he hasn't spark of Imagination,
not spark" Her happy laugh rip
pied through the room.
"a.
He wondered a little that the music
Of it had still the power to stir him.
do you know Ann thinks I ought
to keep an eye on you?" Myra leaned
back comfortably in the car, smuggling
in against Dane Oliphant's shoulder.
"She thinks that you are too attrac.
tive 10 be safe."
He grinned at her in boyish embar-
rassment I'm a Great Dane, honey,
| not Pom. You can't feed me on
sugar" Then, after a pause: What
did you say?"
She squeezed his arm affectionate-
as Uncle Toms cabin"
"Oh, did you?" He had no wish to
be thought anything else; but no man
likes to be thought too safe.
Xxx X X
DANE OL1PHANT found that what
had been a passing sense of an
noyance had begun to rankle. Little
things that he might have passed over
with laugh came to have their sig
nificance in mounting chain of evi.
| dence. He did laugh at himself at
times, upbraided himself at others.
There was no willful intent behind
| any of these things. Myra was SIM
ply blissfully unconscious Of them.
I'm just a husband" he thought,
| with mounting bitterness. I'm safe.
I'm too darn safe, that's what is the
trouble. Shes so sure Of me that I'm
not interesting any more. I'm just
like a busted toy. I'm part of the
house furnishings, that's ALL"
AS he sat at his desk these thoughts
would keep cropping up. He had, no
time for them, he knew, little enough
to get through the days work that he
had apportioned for himself. What
with the Emerson contract to be han.
died and the constant negotiations and
consultations that it entailed. he
seemed to have given himself rather
more than he could carry. Il won
der" he reflected, ''if it actually is
Myra, or is it just that the old horse
has overloaded"
BY noon, In odd moments of reflec.
ton, he had pretty we'll convinced
himself that this was the case. II need
more help; foolish to try and get
along without 1t. A good assistant
could carry part of the load; anyway.
I'll look around for some one"
He said something of the kind to
a luncheon companion, and was some
what nonplussed at the prompt reply:
Il know just the girl for you. Needs
job. too"
The conversation had drifted off to
other topics, and he thought no more
OF the matter unit, a day or so later
Miss Barrett had presented herself,
with a letter from his friend
1t was with anything but a feeling
or pleasure that he asked that she be
SHOWN in. He looked up as she en-
tered, and unconsciously rose from his
cnalr, With sense of surprise. min
gled with just hint of evaporation.
Nice girl, evidently, but not the sort
that belonged in an office. She had
more the look and bearing Of the
gracious hostess Of a drawing room.
Purely as matter of form he began
explaining his requirements. Her
quick grasp of what he was saving
and the evident soundness of her
knowledge interested him. Almost un-
willingly, he found himself admitting
that she might be a great help.
AS matter OF fact, week or so
later. when she had become an ac-
cepted fixture at the office, he found
1t hard to imagine how he had ever
managed without her. He had found
himself able to take on new work,
found also that little annoyances were
merely matters to be laughed at.
Myra noticed the difference. "Your re
getting better tempered" she an.
nounced. Il wonder why?"
He laughed at that. Things going
pretty well at the office. l suppose
that's the reason, If there Is one.
Rather gave myself credit for having
a POllyanna disposition, anyhow"
nLIPHANT turned toward Miss Bar
rett. II would like to get at
those cost hgures as soon as we can"
he said.
Il have just been phoning the Office
about them. They tell me that they
will not be ready before g.
Oliphant frowned. Il had hoped to
get them cleared up today" He
looked up with {. SLOW smile. I'VE
never seem to get quite on top of
this job. do we? I suppose that's
what makes 1t interesting"
She hesitated.a moment II could
come down this evening, If it would
be any help" she said.
He reflected over that. 1--WE might
be able to clean them up. But they're
not likely to get them finished. You
might phone me at home. If they
should
The suggestion had passed from
his mind before he reached home.
Even the insistent jangle of the tele-
phone, as they sat before the fire
after dinner, failed to recall it. so that
when the maid announced, For Mr..
Oliphant," he arose reluctantly.
Myra listened to the low murmur Of
conversation with restrained impa-
tience. She caught the words: "I'n
be there in half an hour" Then
she deliberately turned her attention
to other things; she had no wish to
overhear. Dane would tell her all
about it. He always did. It took
little Of the edge off her anticipation
to realize this. Still she waited for
his explanation with a certain ex.
pectancy.
It was evident, as he entered the
room, that he was not thinking of.