Evening star., 1928-12-16
By Sophie Kerr


II do love you" She hesitated. "And
I've never been In love before. can't
quite believe it, even now"
Neither can /. I've been so afraid
you're SO different from all the women
know. You're so marvelous-oh, how
/ wish there were other words to tell
you In, Avery / say marvellous and
wonderful and glorious and all the
other hackneyed old stuff, because I'm
not clever at the poetry and romantic
sort Of thing, but feel the other words,
words of color and fragrance"
Dear Robert. I don't want words.
Just your loving me Is enough"
''That-that seems nothing to offer
you. You know. Avery, I've never cared
about money, but now It's something
to me, because can give you the things
you haven't had, the things you ought
to have: can make it possible for
you to stop your work."
A pang of dismay shook her happi-
ness. But could never" she began
weakly, and he did not hear her. He
was raving on in the fashion of happy
lovers the world over. She listened and
forgot the phrase that had startled her,
But the next day, as they were leav-
ing the pier, he said, MY car will be
here; I'll take you wherever you CO.
where you do co.
81 thought we'd stop at the old Veda
House, until I can find an apartment.
We've been there before; they know
u.s."
MY dear, you mustn't go there
it's a grubby old hole"
II can't afford the big places"
But just for few days-it's not
suitable, the Veda, mean. can't tell
the family you're there
Still she did not take alarm. Don't
be bossy," she said smiling. THE Veda
isn't elegant, but it's respectable, almost
painfully so. I simply can't pay the
prices at those Others
But, Avery"-he began, and then
stopped.
They had agreed that his first eve
ming must be with his sister. but, as
he left Avery at the hotel, he said, "Ill
be here early tomorrow. Well have the
whole day together"
This startled her into reality. ooh,
Robert-Tn have to be at Kiehler's
office early. I promised him I'd not
lose minute, and haven't the least
me telephone when I'm through"
His look of shocked remonstrance
shocked her also. you forgot my con-
tract" she added. "I've got to keep it."
He hesitated, looked with diStaste
about the dingy lobby of the Veda.
This isn't the time or the place to
discuss, well, what we must discuss.
I'll phone you. We must come to some
sort OF understanding about-certain
things"
Yes, Avery was sure they must. She
went on up to her rooms with the
feeling of one who has been making a
long and beautiful air flight and has
suddenly landed on cobbled street
Robert actually resented her work. He
had said that he was glad she need not
That life, the life of her former
patrons, network of trivialities ex-
alted into duties, of strict laws as to
where one lived, of what one wore. of
how one spoke and smiled, of the peo-
pie one knew-what had she to do with
this life? Nothing, nothing at all. And
yet this was Roberts life. If she be-
came Roberts wife she'd be a Fraser,
too. With shock she realized that she
had thought "if" instead of when"
II might have considered this be-
FORE" she told herself. She did not
reflect that this was the first moment
she had been out of the glamour of
Roberts presence.
X
A BASKET of flowers was at that
moment delivered at her door. It
brought Robert back to her with
rush. Good heavens, what was all her
worrying aboutl What did anything
matter but Robert? She glanced at
the clock--it was not quite g. She
would Just call up Crane Kiehler's
Office, on the chance that he'd be In so
late, and tell him that she'd got herself
engaged, that she was going to be mar
ried very soon, and that their contract
was of.
The words never left her lips. Great
Caesar, young woman, I'm glad you're
here" shouted Crane Kiehler. "Stick
on your hat and hustle down. I've
got the most interesting thing that's
been In the shop for thousand years.
It's the chance Of your life"
Once in his Office, the long tables,
the men STOPPING over them, the blue
prints, the drawings, the very instru-
ments and lights made her feel at home
This was the world she knew, this was
her place.
''It's a bank" announced Kiehler,
with no preliminary greeting. "A big
bank, and, when you see the chance for
decoration you're going to be tickled to
death"
They went over the plans. At last
the telephone on Kiehler's desk buzzed