Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-10
Desiree Was Wise; But Her Choice Was

Tor man III STORY. fSoib-SouuuIIl5~
lust unusual enough.
pleased: Ian Gilly. Isn't it a nice
name? Well-the day / opened a
savings account | met him. And
after that, used to see him every
time / made a deposit"
Did YOU make em often?" asked
Desiree.
sometimes twice a week. / did
without lunch to have money to take
to the bank. You see he was the
only"
II see" said Desiree softly.
and so was for him. Although
[ didn't know that--till afterward."
You poor. poor little thing" said
Desiree.
ITO have had no one, when guitars
u cried under frinsy. black palms;
when the sand was warm and dry tC
lie on-lsteninE--in a slimsy. silken
frock--with a Sardenia over one eal
lips at that ear murmuring: Gosh
you're beautiful" something like
that. It was the lips themselves, and
not the words, that mattered.
Didn't YOU ever see him outside
the bank"
"Oh. yes-in a little while--we saw
each other often. / lived in cottage
at the beach, had a room there
and he used to take me to dinner
sometimes. Sometimes | had him &c
supper. on Sundays. We used to go
swimming together, and to moves
tramping up the valleys-just the
sort of thing that everybody did, only
when two people are doing it together
YOU must know what I mean
was he in love with you?' asked
Desiree.
yes, he was" said the Gilly-per
son. quantity defiant. But he hadn
said SO. And | was in love with hin,
only I couldn't say SO until he asked
me-could II" =.
pesiree murmured. Its been done:
Memory weighted her eyelids, qulrked
the corners of her tender mouth.
YOU do love NEEDN'T you. Curly:
You know YOU do Go on and say 1t
Don't be such a coward
Hawaii had come after that--aftef
Curly had said it.
"Anvhow, he hadn't told me-any'
thing, and I hadn't told him any
thing" said the Gilly-person gently
when he went to a doctor-for an
examination for insurance-and the
doctor told him his lungs were bad.
Desiree gave Il little cry of horror
You'd never guessed?
Never dreamed" said the Gllly'per,
son. Not for a moment. He'd had
flu, when he first came out-and it
left him with a kind of cough. Then
he had a bad cold once or twice-hut
he was very forgetful OF himself. He
didn't pay much attention. First he
hn doctor said Il .QA III
Home That's a place out near Dla'
mond Head for people with tuber'
culosis."
what did you do when he told
you?" asked Desiree.
The Gilly.person said simply: What
could l do? We were still--on the
surface-iust friends. He'd never
even kissed me. He was Scotch, you
see. They're not-gushing."
Yes, but. il you-you knew. II you
felt sure-how could you bear"
ut nearly broke my heart" said the
Gilly.person. She repeated: But
what could I do? He held me off
some wayne turned cold and queer
and formal with me. He wouldn't even
come to see me, unless begged him. y
"Oh, the poor kid" said Desiree.
"And you let him get away with it?''
I'm part Scotch, myself"
''You might have known"
az did know-but I couldn't throw
myself at his head"
women make me sick"' said De.
stree. Her dark eyes smoldered; her
soft lips curled. They haven't any
nerve. They don't dare go where they
know they're wanted-untl they've
been asked"
Wait" begged the Gilly-person. 1T
wasn't so bad. / haven't finished"
What did you do? Run away?"
yes" said the Gillyperson.
you didn't
''Yes, did. When he wouldn't come
to see me-wouldn't say he cared-it
was more than I could stand. I re-
signed my position and l took a boat
to the States"
''You walked out on him--when he
needed you" said Desiree. openly
contemptuous.
'And you were on that boat" said
the Gilly-person doggedly. You and
John Conley--on your honeymoon"
Curly said Desiree-nothing
more.
THE Gilley-person nodded. They
said you called him that"
"Yes-I did," said Desiree.
''He was awfully good looking,
said the Gilly.person.
Desires said, "Yes--he was"
And you--" said the Gilly-persor
earnestly. do you know how beauti
full you were?'
"Werei" cried Desiree. She couldn't
help it.
The other answered, slipping bach
into her little, eager stammer: "Of
of course, you're m-more b-beau'
tiful now-in a way-m more fin
ished-and all . but then-yot
were like a gardenia bud"
Was 1-really?"
"He must have told you so. i
was in his eyes-whenever he looked
at you. He used to look as if he
could hardly keep his hands off you
Walking around the deck sometimes
he used to look scat your hair-a'
| your eyes-at your m-mouth. | usee
to sit in deck chair and watch you
| Everybody watched you-of course
| Such q nuisance" said Desiree
languidly.
Not me. You didn't know l was
alive. You never knew what yol
were doing for me-"
| y
gown. hanging on the door of thu
stateroom-as it had hung on the
door Of the room at the Seashore-
swaying slowly, from one side t.
the other, with the motion of thu
ship. Curly's cigarettes between he
cold cream and powder-roses in
pitcher-stunted island roses-and /;
book, one book. on the shelf. Sway
ing sunlight on the wall.
What d'y' want to read for?"
But, Curly, this book is a new
one-a Knockout 1t ought to scree,
like million, There's a part in i
could do bet you."
"All bets covered. Gosh, your
beautiful"
Blue eyes laughing. close. closer.
will you read it, Curly"
What for-when l can play witt
Iyou?"