Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-26


partially The trees and gras
were a hot green. lethargit
lfeless in the still air. like landScap
raintcd by a dispirited artist Witnii'
the square Twins room of Neal Col
licr,s apartmert should have looEct
cool, but didn't Awnings barred IN
sun, yet The walls. papercd III sTcnci
gray. appeared SceSy ana STICKY oIl
small table two green candles max
writhed like LaocoonS serpent ana oie
in their frenzy: between them, N a sli
yer frame. the photograph OF siri II
white furs smiled idiotically, he ma;
never. reflected Neal Golfer. liked ina
girl anyway! .
electric fan and the open WINDOW. eyes
closed: until he spoke there was noih-
ius about his attitude to indicate thai
he aad heard syllable OF LaErj
Hunts complaint ..
INTERESTING If true" he said tnen
feehlv. But l have love affairs OF MI
own to worry about.
But I'm serious" Larry protested
rconninc his pink forehead. 4 tel
you this is the real thing. Neal. It's
..ser;ous," said Neal. o.sconsolatsly
"You're always ssrious-cten IN weatnei
ike this, DO you think 1t isn't serious
that I've got 10 take that McLoasal
esl 70 dinner and the thsa.er ana so..is
roof tnn;cht?" He closed his eyes anu
.ver.sS his fare unsympathetically.
The heat wave had caught New YORK
c;ty that morning The Gay mao
Srsrred through lis hours as though
the thermometer had reduced time as
Nell as men to a complete inertia. Ano
now. when he had been hoping Tor an
hours relaxation before the evening
Larry Hunt had appeared. was lhs
mere accident of having ATTENDED the
same university and having belonged to
the same fraternity suMclent 10 meri'
tn,se Neal asked himself Ever since
he had come TO New York. year past.
and found him out Larry hao maze
Neal the recipient of his WOES. woes
Girls. And what girls. ana now!
L want you 10 meet her. Larry per
sisted. If only didn't have 10 go 70
r1etrnit, / can't bear 10 think Of AM,
3lone in this hot city. EcacSt. you
viii she be coolcr in M company
Neal interrupted.
"r'd like to feel that some one was
veil. Keeping an eye on her. OF course,
she thinks now that she won't marry
RE. but she may change her MIND. AND
mountaineering brother ano ali
Neal locked p;ivinsly at his friend:
Larry. mopoe5. II tell YOU. Neal.
never sew girl Ike Ann You'll Ike
"It1i b. the first of ycar girls 1 ever
liked" He signed. "Aw, be yourself
Go take a shower or something
Girls. Neal sighed again. Little
sirls, This Dorothy McDousal-Tas OF
tonight that New York was. after all
the worlds greatest Summer resort. he'o
st,ow her. So help him! The telephone
fans and he reached for 1t laooriousiy
.Eelio? Oh. hello. Peggy dear" The
sweetness in his voice vas oddly al
variance with his facial expression
which was not sweet NO, have al
engseement-I'm 50 sorry. What?
Sunday I'd like to so much. Peggg
dear. but It! going cut CT town Tor tn2
eeek end. Yes-up TO Marblehcad with
Larry Hunt. No. can't, then. just a.
soon as &c, back, Yes. Peggy dear
So sweet of you 10 call e" He shook
his head mournfully at Larry. i WISH
some nice young fel!a would marry thal
little girl" he said. Certainly would
Be relief 70 me-.
Larry had r!ssn-at last. I've lei
AIMS address on your cssk. II youo
Nothing stirring. Fat Boy. I got
troubles Of my own"
And hadn't he? After Larry de-
parted he sat. slug2ishly. counting
ti.em up on his fingers. Peggy I'll
Enenast was the worst. She vas BE-
ginning 10 cook little dinners at home FOL
him to show him the really serious. do
Ynes.ic side Of her nature. Perhaps
gentleman doesn't admit such possibili'
ties. but In the solitude Of his apart.
nnent Neal Collier had to face the FACT
that Peggy vas all for marrying him
Dorothy had decided charm. q charm
that had been not in the least unap.
preciated by several other young men
But now that bis own fool persistence
had st1oved them TO one side he seemed
TO have her, as IL were. on MS ilanoS.
Fay Franklin vas safely n Maine foi
the Summer and Carol Blair vas play.
Ing stock In Chicago. The only one oil
the bunch whom he really enjoyed
that oliye-skinred young Norma Day
had prancec Of 10 Provincetown les
than a week after he met her. There
vas a girl a man didn't forget. II onl,
she acre IN New YORK! The telephone
interruoting his reflections. made hin
remember Susanna Weston with 4
guilty start. On. the life Of younf
man il New York who wanted only oc'
ess.onsl conlpanionship and the oct
dance vas hazardous thing.
THE evening vas fully as bad as III
= had expected. Dinner was merel!
finner-oLe has 10 eat. and why do j
eicne?--nQt the tneater Vas suffocat'
ing. sot only did Dorothy not tninl
II 100 hot 70 Dancing make'
one forget f.le weather don't yOt
think ?"---Dsit she chose the most crowd
% nigh. club In the city. 1t wasn't II
o cellar exactly. but decidedly it wa
not roof
In his own apartment he piugges
both CcorbeN and telephone bell ant
lsy himself down
Why didn't be 20 down u Province
town the nezt night? IL was-ol
gaoEid be-ccoi there. End Norma Dal
would be crisp and fresh In Sum
nasr frock.
But the neat Of The morning defeat
Cd any ambition. Going somewhere
anywhere. meant buying tickets AM
putting things into Il bag He wen, u
the Office, OF course znc returned honl'
In q cab When. at haif-pas,
he discovered that he was hungry. h
Kni1trasteo nis own stomach. How couis
any one be hungry IA such weather.
There Wzs 9aroom block north
ward that advertised q garden. kea
Collier hated naroJms, but this wa
near snc il might be comparatiYei
cool He felt ike .esroom f0Jd-~saiaf
:ced TEA, si1erbet, all the silly thing
that silly women Ike W eat In sac
places
II wss crowded. AZ be might hay
known IL would b., but the waitress lH
him 70 a table, ano he regarded Wnz
presumably We .-.e eighteenth caibo
copy Of the typewriter menu. fooe
Hs tooked hotelessiy at the food Defoi
ise y.M,g woman who sat facing hin
Il e cold oonsomme's quite GOOD
sne said Unexpectedly
Thanks" He glanced al her symps
tnatlesIlg One could see that she Ia