Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-17

an excuse. stand on the pavemen
and survey the building complacently
feet apart and head held high.
Once Mrs. McCook found him OF
her side of the street. looking across
Guess I'll have to paint those
shutters this Spring" he said. "Tot
good house to let CO."
It's very handsome house." said
Mrs. McCook--and won him com
pletely.
At last. there came a truly great
day. He sent up a player-piano-$25
month on the installment plan. II
came on Margaret's birthday and he
kept her downstairs and the first she
knew Of it was when the strains OF
some popular air arose to her. over
head.
Mercy" she said to Holly. "Who
on earth ever let that hurdygurdy
into the house?"
After that James spent a great
deal of his leisure time at the piano,
with cigar in his mouth and his
unw;nding before him. He pumped
vigorously. and the faster the time
! the better he was pleased.
That's got some go to it," he
would say. One evening, when he
was playing some sentimental thing
and had sore foot. so that he had
to play it softly, he looked up to
hear Warrington closing the front
door and to see tears in Holly's eyes.
That set him to thinking, and that
| night while Margaret was brushing
her hair. he spoke to her peevishly.
Whats the matter between How
ard and Holly" he demanded.
They're like pair of shuttlecocks!
In NJ
isn't natural. Have they quarreled
about something"
Il don't think so. Why"
We'll. I can't make them out. If
Holly isn't crazy about him after all
he did for her! And, as for him.
where are his eyes. anyhow? I've
good notion to up and tell him."
you let them alone" said Mar
garet. They'll work it out some
way"
And. for a considerable time, James
did let them alone. When he could
stand 1t no longer he devised schemes
to throw them together, but with
out much result. For instance, he
would stand down in the lower hall
and below up to the third floor.
"Hi-Warrington!" he would yell.
Put down that book and come on
to the movies. Hurry up!"
And sometimes Warrington went.
The desire to sit next to Holly in
the warm darkness was too much
for him. They would sit side by
side, saying little or nothing, and
sometimes one or the other would
lean a bit to one side and there
would be, for an instant, a sense of
contact that warmed and thrilled
them both.
And then James, sturdily holding
Margaret's hand, would shift his
position and glance over at them and
they would straighten self
ly and miserably.
Once James caught Holly in the
hall looking up after Howard had
disappeared above and he put hand
on her shoulder.
"See her, sister," he said, ''if
you like him. why don't you let him
see it? think he's darned unhappy,
myself"
why should he care for me?" she
asked him. II used him; we all used
him. I don't see how he can bear
to look at me-"
"Well ] do" said James stoutly.
"And, as for the other matter. that's
all water over the dam now. He's
none the worse for it. is hep"
There came, however, a terrible
day, when James came home to find
a car in front of the house and in
the drawing room a tall young man
with prominent eyes and rather
pasty skin. The door was open and
James stopped there and gave the
visitor a long. hard look. Then he
stamped back to Margaret in the
pantry.
who's that in the parlor with
Holly?" he demanded.