Evening star., 1928-10-21

~ Carlovinglan and hurried to ths
elevators. Returning with them
an hour earlier from a musical comedy
matinee and lying on the bed in his
room. adjoining theirs, he had seen
that it was impossible for him to 60 TO
dinner with them. to another revue. TO
another night club. He knew he must
have the evening alone.
This was quite clear to him as he lay
there in the darkened room trying to
rest. But he knew he could not explain
his necessity to Mr.. and Mrs. Wills, who
were paying for this holiday in New
York. He could net explain it to Es-
telle. though he and she were to be
man and wife at 10 o'clock tomorrow
morning. He could not hope to make
them see why man might desire to go
away by himself for few hours.
Dreading being alone. finding existence
tolerable Cnly in crowd, they would
condemn his wish as strange, II not
suspicious.
Nevertheless. the desire to go over
came the hazard Of their inability TO
understand. so he got up and knocked
on Mrs. Wills door That lady was in
the midst Of retouching her features for
the evening and in making certain that
Mr. Wills went to the trouble Of putting
on his dinner coat. so when she saw
that the caller was her son-in -law-elect.
a person practically in the family. she
made no effort to conceal her annoy
ance at the interruption.
AS the young man stepped into the
room he had a pfesentiment that actual
dislike had glinted across her express
sion. Certainly her look had carried
something more than the irritation Of
fatigue. She had reason for fatigue.
The Wills family and James Reeside
had been to five musical shows and
seven night clubs in four days.
The intimation of Mrs. Wills dislike
and the flash of Marshall P. Wills
round red face peering from the bath
room caused Reside to speak up clear
ly He said they would have to excuse
him: he could not go to dinner and to
show. He had to go out; Mrs. Wills
would understand. Estelle must be
lying down; would they please tell her
he would see her early tom norrow? But
he could not go out with them tonight.
Sorry: he had some things to do.
AS Estelle appeared. a little tousled.
been trying to sleep against the eve
nings pleasure, he said it would be all
right and began to withdraw. Where.
he asked, would they be after the show?
Mr. Wills mumbled the name Of a night
club from behind a towel.
Il got reservations" he added. They
say it's the one place you don't want
TO miss. You better change your mind"
1t was just the kind of place Rec
side wanted to miss. but he said, in a
modifying tone. We'll, if get through
I'll drop in there"
He had no intention of being through,
but Estelle's face TaS so amazed as she
took in the fact that he was affronting
her mother and father that he decided
TO soften the situation shade. But he
stuck to his resolution: he went away
as rapidly as he could.
He was getting married and sailing
for Europe with Estelle Wills in the
morning-Sailing in a luxurious cabin
with all expenses elaborately prepaid by
Mr.. Wills. For the next six months he
would find money waiting for him in
various parts of the world. And after
the tour he would return to America
and settle down In the firm of which
Mr.. Wills was president. The position
and the title had been created for him
after Estelle Wills had made clear to
her father that she desired to marry
James Reside.
Estelle had discovered James in the
city that was the home of her fathers
business, and she was not long revealing
to her father that she would like to
have the young man provided for.
Within three months the trip to New
York, the wedding and the Winter
abroad had been planned as Mr.. and
mrs. wis idea OF meeting Estelle's
wishes
Everything just ahead would be as
lavish as the luncheon he had hardly
tasted little while ago, and as the tea
after the matinee. There would be no
end OF luxury. which was a reason why
Reside felt like getting out into the
rain by himself. He had a fierce incIi-
nation to plainneSs and quiet for a few
hours.
HE turned on Fifth avenue and
walked south. hurrying along all
most happily. He reached Twenty
third street. paused and considered
Wnere to go. He concluded that 1t
might be pleasant to go up Broadway.
past scenes Of delightful episodes grow
ing mostly out Of the enchanted year
OF his return with the Army, a youth
nnolng the Nation ready to entertain
men who wore khaki.
AaN oOCh ia AlCIpdlIy III the west
since then, going about, making his
way. beholding the world, getting ready,
he hoped, for career. He Thought
now he would go up Broadway and re-
create old times. some of them remem-
oereo from college week ends. All he
needed. was to meet a friend of those
days. 'O
But before he reached those scenes
seeing the carnival of lights from below
Ilmes Square, the impulse had van.
ished. What he had done. walking
away from his party-which really rem
resented his engagement with life-now
seemed little strange. Ee began to
tnlnk that he should not have done it.
The Wills family had kept, were keep
ing, tnelr part Of the bargain. And he
was not ready to admit that he did not
care for Estelle. He did, and he hon.
estly hoped to make her a good hus-
band. Such an impulse to escape. to
run away, to abandon his favorable DO
sltion was. he admitted, queer. People
dlo not do such things. He decided
YEARLY that he had better go back to
tne MOTEL. dress and go to the theater
with Estelle and her parents.
Suddenly he found himself passing q
little, humble theater that was about
10 have performance. Something
ABOUT 1.-THE contrast. perhaps, with
the expensive shows he had been taken
10 for week-claimed his attention
he had not heard OF the play. but,
from the entrance announcements and
photographs, he suspected it must be
an earnest little piece. probably not
well attended. It's atmosphere was
that Of play struggling, OF a COM
pany OF actors working anxiously to
keep 1t alive: something different
from the air Of the musical successes
Tor which Mr. Wills had been buying
seats as $3.50 each.
Reeside stopped to look at the photo
graphs. He saw that one of the play
ers in the pictured scene was Mary
Dument. He lighted q cigarette and
neld the match for moment against
the glass, his hand shaking just per-
ceptibly. 1t was Mary! no doubt about
IL. Mary DIlment in q Sta arualinn