Evening star., 1928-12-16

her seasons round Of the restaurants
and dancing places. Things immedi-
ately began to happen. She summoned
Avery and shrieked for JOY over her
appearance. Il knew it! I knew it!
told you SO! What little fool you
were to wait so long!" That was her
frank comment Whereupon, she in
vited her to lunch at the Ritz, intro
duced her to various American resi-
dents in Paris, and browbeat one of
them into letting Avery do the music
room in her big apartment on the Ave-
nue. Kleber
Other commissions inevitably fol-
lowed. But they did not have to be
rushed and jammed and hurried over.
Avery worked steadily, but she found
time now to hear music, to go to the
theater, to make social contacts, and
she brought to it all the keennesS that
comes from being previously starved.
Mrs. Madden had begun to hope that
they were settled permanently in Paris
when Crane Kiehler. the architect,
chanced on some of Avery's work and
urged her to come back to America and
join forces with him.
TITS time you got out of here" said
the great Kiehler. IF you stay too
long, Paris will do something queer to
you, just as it has to lot of other
Americans with talent. There's no
future here for you--you can exhibit,
and so on, but with that, you're done.
In America you can have the big
things. the public buildings, the new
at art in the making there. Come
along with me and do things. I've been
hankering to get a lot more color into
architecture, but never found the per-
son to put 1t over. You can"
To go back to America with the
prestige of an association with Crane
Kiehler was to go trailing clouds of
glory. Avery knew that such a chance
comes but once in lifetime.
At their table on the boat, Avery and
her mother found a honeymooning
couple, fat man, and a man who was
protesting to an apologetic steward
that he had ordered single table
weeks before.
But for dinner tonight, sir"
Every time I sail on this line, the
same thing happens" began the man,
but he spoke lower as he neared the
table. That voice-it stirred memories
in Avery. She glanced up at the
speaker as he pulled out the chair be-
side her own. 1t was. surely, he of
And, at the conventional exchange of
names, he said. I'm sure I've met you,
or seen you. Miss Madden"
We've never met, think" said
Avery. She wasn't going to remind
him
Presently she was rewarded. II
knew I'd seen you. You did a room in
the house of cousin of mine, and my
sister and went in one day, and you
were working there Afterward, I asked
Mary Townsend about you, and she
said you'd gone. So I never had
chance to tell you what stunning
piece of work I thought it was"
His voice was more deep and delight
ful than she had remembered. "I'm
either going to be seasick, or I'm falling
in love with him." she thought, and
added scornfully, Il must be stark star
ing crazy"
In the morning, when she came on
deck, Robert Frazer was waiting for
her.
They walked. Avery was silent, and
willing to listen. She learned that he
had but one sister, married, and not
very happy. There seemed to be many
cousins.
L 116 WIlOlS 1dUIlC OI MS Ille unrOlleO
before her He had been every
where, done everything that had to do
with sports. hunted, flown, explored,
played about with all sorts of people
everywhere. He touched deliberately
on these things. Avery, listening,
smiled. He was telling her what he
could offer her, and there was an en-
dearing quality in his thus showing
her his possessions, a sort of humility
as if he had said I'm not so much
myself, but maybe you'll like what goes
along with me-"
So he was stark staring crazy, too
She had only to put out her hand, |
only to make one least gesture of un-
But she did not do this.
She waited, content.
There was fair weather. He was with
her every moment of the day.
On the last night out, Avery and
Robert Fraser walked the shadowy deck
together.
ct can't pretend any longer" he
said. 'You know what's happened,
don't you?"
"Why-of course"
'I'ye said to myself that was
You're not original; ! said it, too."
His arms were round her. Were
going to be married as soon as we land.
Avery, tell me we are. Say you love
me-"