Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-11-06
CHAPTER XXI.

Continued From Yesterdays starr
IN ARBARA stood slim and straight
- in the doorway. Her clothes
Peter noted, were slim anc
L. straight, like herself. So were
the clothes of every other CIR
on the street, but the fact had escaped
Peters observation. She was girl who
never bothered with being surprised
The cascade of coins on the hall floor
passed without immediate comment.
Nellie needn't have put you In the
coventry like this-out in the hail." she
said Come on in, won't you?"
She held aside a curtain and they
were in small, rather jolly little room
which seemed to be full of a fireplace
and orange marigolds Peter followed
the casual wave of her hand toward an
armchair.
He was already in it before he noticed
that Barbara remained standing, her
elbow crooked across the corner of the
fireplace. Another of the tribal Gus
toms. He ought to have waited till she
sat down. But it was too late now to
jump up.
WELL" said Barbara, gazing down
into the fire and addressing the glowing
heap Of coal: 7 don't suppose you came cam:
on purpose to play with the card tray.
Don't tell me you're after another
story"
Peter rose from his chair with DELHI
Grafton. He was more angry than he
had ever been in his life before. Anger
broke over him, wave upon wave, and
left him trembling.
He forgot that he had ever in his
life gone after q story and been proud
of it. He stood over her, tall and men
acing, by the fireplace, with less than a
foot between them. His clenched hands
were drawn back, the arms slightly
bent.
Barbara stared into furious gray eyes.
If she had been man, she knew that
she would have been knocked down.
She squared her shoulders, ever SO
slightly.
"Story-be-damned!" Peter said slow
". striking each word separate blow.
''What do you take me for? came
to see you, tell you! I came to
to make a CALI"
ooh! Oh! Oil" Barbara's laughter
was not polite, controlled. musical
laughter. It was the helpless. choking.
clutching laughter of one seized and
shaken by an irresistible hurricane OF
mirth. $3.50, that's the way you
make call, is it? Do you-do you-do
it like tllis-very often?"
She leaned her forehead against the
mantelpiece, her shoulders shaking
Against the mighty wind Of such laugh
ter there was no defense.
Peter was caught up in 1t, helpless.
Barbara lifted her face, scarlet from
chin to brow, and wiped the tears from
her flooded eyes.
"No," said the grinning Peter. II
never made a call before"
Lets begin then. The first thing
people usually do in the course of a
cali is to sit down. Suppose we do
that" But before she turned from the
fireplace, standing very straight and
small before the towering Peter, she
held out her hand.
It was a small, slim hand. and yet
somehow not Incompetence hand that
would be accurate and sure in all its
movements, q hand that would never
flutter nor fall helpleSSly nor make fu-
tile, bungling gestures. Its clasp was
very firm, very alive.
II want to thank you," Barbara said
her face grave now and sharpened into
the withdrawn yet alert look which
Peter remembered. "I haven't laughed
like that since-for long time"
The instant's hesitation brought Pc
ters mind leaping back to forgotten
reality.