Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-05
[ BEG YOUR PARDON
By Ellis Parker Butler
A Wedding Gown for June in Each Year

was open at the flyleaf and he saw his
name there-Roger Nottingham Ross
and he colorcd again.
IF a man has any critical ability.
can stand his jawings AS well as any
man." said Roger Ross but this Fame
is a conceited puppy with a hollow
head"
would you mind not talking?" asked
Icky II prefer not to hear Prof. Fane
spoken Of just that way. l took drama
under him and still admire him..
And suppose you think as ne
does?"
Il would rather you did not talk to
me at all. If you please" said 1cky
fligidly. Il did not begin this CONVEX
sation and do not want to continue 1t.
And. as for Prof. Fame. think as !
please. AS matter of fact" she said
in the tone in which one might say "Oh.
poof for you!" II think he is absolutely
wrong about your Ladies and Lions "
Now, there you're wrong said
Roger Ross. There's the one place
where he does hit the mark. That's 2
disgusting play. bumptious piece OF
raw ioiocv. Grass bait for moron ap-
plause.'
"Oh!" gasped Icky. who had loved
the play and gone to see 1t three times
with Jet.
Would you mind sitting in some
other seat?" asked Icky.
mot at ALL" said Roger Ross. And
I beg your pardon"
RoGER ROSS took his book and his
~ suit case and carried them to
vacant seat halfway up the car. He
settled himself in the seat and opened
Modern Drama" but he did not see
the page at ALL He had not made good
the loss of the girls ticket and he had
probably given her the idea that he was
a blatant mass of conceit. He arose
and walked back to where Icky sat.
For protection. Icky had placed her
suit case on the seat beside her and she
had now opened the suit case to take
from 1t a magazine she had provided
against possible ennui. AS Roger Ross
came to the seat he looked down on
what could be nothing but a wedding
gown. Ioky closed the lid Of the suit
case quickly.
Il beg your pardon" said Roger
Ross
This was meant to be a renewal of
the conversation that had not marched
we'll, but no particular words followed
the beginning. because Roger Ross was
conscience stricken. Here was this nice
girl. really nice girl. going 10 her we'd
ding. with her great happiness in her
heart. and he had crowded In and
turned her happiness to distress.
Great heavens he thought. Il
wonder If she is on her way 10 marry
that Fame man. Else why was she
reading his book? He probably gave
her that copy No doubt he wrote her
name in it. 1t was treasured gift,
And I tore it to shreds and threw It IN
the floor"
Young man. said the voice o: e
woman in the seat behind, Il can see
you are trying to bother that young
woman. and she does not want 1t. You
go back to your seat and leave her
alone. or I'll go get the conductor.
Il beg your pardon" said Roger Ros:
to the woman. but do do not under
stand"
Il understand enough said the
woman tartly. L know enough"
She raised her voice considerably. and
other passengers in the car were be-
coming interested. Roger Ross looked
at her more In sadness than in anger
and went back to his seat. Icky was
holding the magazine open at the fifth
page of an article on behaviorism and
thinking that It was too bad her first
and probably only meeting with the
prominent young dramatist should have
been like this. One does not meet cra-
matists-even ordinary ones-every day
She read page for fully l6 minutes
and then her station swooped down
upon her and she changed to the train
that would take her to Bimf's. and
eventually arrived there That Is TO
saw, she found Bimf at the Hutton sta