Evening star., 1928-05-27

a about Terry Malone. InaC Is,
If ksarvel's mother had been
able even to picture a Marvel to whom
marrying Terry would not have been a
step 10. Terry's present salary, to say
nothing of his future possibilities, would
have seemed princely TO her in North
Dakota, 10 years ago. But even pretty
fair salary doesn't 60 so very far In or
around New York City now, and the
future of even a fairly brilliant young
man of 80 is, as any sophisticated girl
knows, as it may be. Marvel, slim ana
sleek and striking, was not perhaps
quite so sophisticated as she looked, but
she was wise enough to know that mar
rying Terry would be rather likely to
slow her down.
Nothing so far had ever slowed Mar
vel down.
It was a far cry from the shabby 49,
year-old who had landed in New York
in a November storm with wicker
suitcase and a knitted wool hug-me-
tight under her homemade Spring suit
to the Marvel whom Terry met 10 years
later, the Marvel who wore original
Patou and Miller Soeurs models. Mar
vel had taken each step as 1t came, un-
uuestioningly. Till she met Terry, she
had never been tempted to slow down
one moment on the climb.
It was not that MarvelS mother, back
In those Fargo days, had ever conscious
" started Marvel on her climb toward
smartness OF course, Mrs. Mannerlng
had hoped prayerfully that all her chill
dren would be smart, but smart, to Mrs.
Mannering was something that one was
or was not in school. She was very
little widow and she had managed by
working in a store six days week and
Iof, f1An xfo cfl haKinQ
and cleaning on the seventh. Her goal
had been to get the four children
through high school and she had
achieved it IN the very teeth of North
Dakota's sleety winds that whipped the
tears out of her eyes and froze them on
her lashes.
1t was a two-mile trip home, but
Marvel's mother always walked 1t to
save the scent Street-car fare.
ANY one can save and get ahead, II
they've a mird to-" she used to tell the
children Folks that think they can't
can't, because they don't really figure
it's important. So they leave it till the
last. They say, III save all I've got left
at the end of the week And then, when
the end of the week comes, like as not,
there's nothing left. The time to do
what you figure is important, is first"
preached. Saturday night after Sat
urday night Mrs. Mannering went as
the crow flies from the cashier at Her
ford's to the receiving teller at the
bank. It never apparently occurred to
her that it was possible to get money
back out of bank. All the hazards of
life she met without touching her saw
ings.
Save and get ahead. Money for getting
ahead came out of the envelope first,
too. Lessons in driviil and motor car
mechanics for Bill, business college for
Stewart, a course in millinery and
dreSsmaking for Ruth. Funds for these
were accumulated in a handleless blue
teapot on an upper shelf of the pantry
and were held. in fact, if not in theory,
as sacred as those in the bank. They
were never touched, save for their ap-
pointed purposes.
When Mrs. Mannering died. as though
she had hung on by sheer nerve till her
Job was done. and Marvel, the baby,
was through high school, there were
thousand dollars in the bank. A thou
sand dollars that it had taken IS years
to save. A thousand dollars out of a
tiny income, with four eager, hungry,
growing handicapS. -Four handicaps
triumphantly fed, clothed, educated.
fitted to face the world. And thou
sand dollars in the bank!
X X
MARVEL, before her studio fire, 10
AsA years later, looked at Terry Ma
lone. She had her fathers eyes. Lovely
eyes, long, long-lashed, pure amber.
From her father, too, had come her gift
for drawing. But these two gifts were
all that had come from her father. 1t
was her mother in her that had known
that she must make the most of these.
And Marvel had done so to an amaz-
ingly effective degree. The impression
of a striking, almost beautiful, young
woman that she made could be picked
to pieces till nothing native remained
but the eyes.
AS to the gift for drawing. it had
not been much of a gift at that;
scarcely more than feeling for line, a
bit of style and dash. But Marvel had
taken that gift and made of it some
thing so successful, so ambitious, SO po-
tent, that it could stand between her
and Terry.
1t was nearly and the model had
gone for the day. cold october rain
beat against the broad windows. Terry
had built a fire in the fireplace at one
end Of the big room, and Marvel had
made tea on the gaS-plate behind the
Chinese screen at the other end. When
Terry finished up early at the Office, he
often dropped in like this for tea, and
then later he would take Marvel out
for dinner.
81 don't see how I'm going to live
alone three months without you, Terry"
Marvel said lightly.
Better marry me and come along,
fnn - he cIIOppSfpd
"a honeymoon in Easton," said Mar
vel. How idyllic!"
Terry said nothing. For few mo-
ments the mood of Marvel's words held,
light, laZily hard, mocking. Then, in
Terry's silence, it died like the fippant,
unreal thing it was. Marvel laid her
hand suddenly over Terry's.
Don't mind anything I say" she
said. "rm just whistling in the dark,
you know"
They sat there together, barely touch
ing hands. The fire blazed up hotly,
cracked in the silence.
"A year is long time to wait" said
Marvel.
"a year!" Terry's echo was sharp
with strain. IF we were even sure it
would be only year"
Everything ought to be all right in a
year." said Marvel. by that time, I'll
either have something settled. or I'll
know that I'm not going to have" She
paused a moment. UNLESS" she added
reluctantly, 'they should give me the
chance to go abroad. That would take
another six months or So"
six months or So" repeated Terry,
with sudden bitterness. When think
of the way this three months away from
you stretches out ahead. And then to
talk of adding six months or So onto
year! Then suppose don't make
the jump at the offlce-you can never
be sure, of course. Another year may
be two more"
"I know"
I'VE could go on waiting and waiting
and waiting" said Terry. A little
pause. "Of course, just being married