Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-06-24

'MBE'S GRASP AND FACED HIM
Duke Nicholas of Russia, Steve" said
Trudy. They hunted together in
Africa"
"Gee!" said Steve. ct certainly would
| have liked to know himi Was he as
| tall as he looked in his pictures, Mr..
Combe?"
You're always running into people
in queer places that way" Combe went
on to Trudy. II never met Roosevelt
while he was in Washington was
pretty young then, of course And I
| finally met him in Nairobi, of all places.
| And got to know Kipling on p g.
o. liner, coming back from India And
remember another time, in Tahiti
His voice fell away; Steve. who'd
dropped into a chair some little dis
lance away. couldn't make out the
words, except occasionally He could
just hear the low, growing voice And,
for a while. he didn't mind particularly
being left out of the talk Combe was
pretty big man, and much older
man.
But gradually he began to feel that
there was something deliberate about
it. Anger began to stir in Steve. slow
~. What was this man Combe doing?
He was-hang 1t, he was Just making
love to Trudyi And he knew he and
Trudy were engaged-She' made that
plain enough when he came He got up
and moved over toward the other two,
and Trudy looked up and smiled at
him. But Combc got UP abruptly and
leaned down to Trudy, and the way he
shook hands with her was like an
embrace.
Good night" he said. And he
didn't so much as nod to Steve as he
went.
"Trudy!" Steve said. when they we're
alone:~. What's the idea? What goes
on here?"
I-oh. Steve. I don't KNOW said
Trudy. Il don't know what to say
don't know what to do"
Il dol" said Steve. you tell that
chap where he gets off-or else I will!
Tell him to take the air-tell him to
take all the air there isl"
Trudy laughed wretchedly.
'Oh, Steve" she said, life isn't as
simple and easy as all that I wish it
was. He-he thinks he's in love with
me. He says he's going to marry me-"
Steve stared at her
He does, does he?" he said. But
but--Trudy, how does he get that way?"
Its so mixed up." she said. Il don't
know how to make you understand,
Steve. But I've got to try"
LIE just looked at her. waiting. He
couldn't get this at all. 1t was a
mile over his head.
You remember the way We talked.
that day at the wedding"-ile nodded
about having been In love before
having thought We we're in love? I
meant Arthur Combe. Steve. ! was
crazy about him until met jim
Gosh didn't know that" said
Steve. II didn't know YOU knew him.
even. Didn't you say last night you
just met him at a party, the night be-
fore he went away?"
Eyes. I did He'd asked them TO
have me. never dreamed he'd noticed
me. / had a crush on him-every girl
I knew did I think And then. that
night-he made love to me. Steve. 1t
was the first time any one had ever
really kissed me. Steve-I mean, so
that--oh. you know what mean. If
he'd asked me to marry him the next
morning and so off with him. I'd have
done it. But he didn't. He Just told
me was TO stay home. and grow UP,
and wait for him-and he was coming
back for me. And"
Sounds like him, all right" said
Steve. "Gosh-who does he think he
Is. anyway2"
And then he went off. the next day"
said Trudy. And I couldn't stand any
OF the men met who--well. liked me.
until Jim came along. He was like
Arthur, a little. YOU know, And--well,
YOU know what happened. Steve. / was
Id been about Arthur And forgot all
about Arthur. I hadn't thought about
him for weeks, till We were talking. the
day Jim was married You know. AND
then--well. then, you and Its been
sweet, Steve--Ive loved IL. being en-
gagged to you. You know ! have. It's
been so calm and peaceful, Id almost
forgotten about Jim. too. and I hadn't
thought about Arthur at all, And then,
last night"
She stopped.
"Oh. I can't talk about It. steve"
she cried. TIN so ashamed! He
just---I don't know--he just swept me
away. He kissed me, and let him
wanted him TO-"
Trudy! This was Trudy. Steve knew,
who was saying these things, But il
couldn't be. 1t was, though.
Il didn't think I was like that SN
said, "I-oh. Steve. hated myself. but
I couldn't Stop-I couldn't stop him
tried to- told him about you. But he
Just laughed. He knew II wanted
him to keep OH"
'Here" Steve got up; he cried out
in voice Trudy had never heard from
him before. There was anger IN il. and
bitterness and misery. "Here-1 can't
stand this"
Ia To N,ss "a.
porch. She was sitting down and the
tears We're running down her cheeks.
Tin sorry. Trudy" he said II
mean--look here--it'S all right YOU
YOU can't help It, You needn't care
about me, If~if you love this ehap-if
you want TO marry him"
II don'tt" Trudy walled steve. I
don't / want TO marry youi You're
more fun than any one I've ever known,
He~-he ScareS me 10 death, And don't
believe he's ever really laughed In his
life, except when he was killing some
thing!"
Steve wanted 10 shout.
And I'm afraid OF himl" said Tludv.
He's terrible. Steve. don't know what
he'll do, He-~he told me l must tell
YOU and make you clear out-~he said ne
was going to watch mel feel as II ne
were around this minute
HeF What can he doS" said Steve,
contemptuouSly, Gosh. this amt At
rica or Mongolia, or wherever he hangs
OUT"
Il know-~hut, Steve--Im afrai,i--l
wish you'd 60, Tomorrow~-when les
ilght-~we can think what to do"
She was up. fairly pushing him down
the steps, going along With him, cling
ing to him.
EY lstao kk1s III rtct.t y k.u -.