Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-13
STRANGER, glancing at them,
might have thought they had
Quarreled. He sat on a couch

of the room, her hands claSped IN me-
l(p. They gased at each other -,
stared . . glared. But no, 1t WASH
giaringi They were eating each othel
up with their eyes. A ferocious happi'
ness sparkled Il his-they were blue
A lambert wonder glowed in hers,
they were hazel. Suddenly and stimuli.
t~aneously they leaped TO their feet anc
few into each others arms.
The truth of the matter was that they
3ust become engaged.
The lady freed herself after a few
minutes. Go back to that couch!.
she ordered, in a naughty voice. y
wish to talk business. But ! see that
I shall have to keep the distance OF q
room between us. Besides, I expect
Freddie Marshall"
"Darn Freddie Marshalll" Stephen
remarked. with conviction. Five min.
utes for business!" he permitted. TN
hold the watch on you, Kathleen"
He moved back to his couch. She
moved back to hers. From every move
ment he made snapped q percepuble,
swift viQor. From every movement she
made efnanated q subtle, languid grace.
Between them stretched q room deli
cately conceived In pastel colors. A
huge Chinese rug lpainted q pale blue
and gold sheen on the floor. Furniture.
French and fragile, dotted this sheen
rather too frequently: the frames. in
laid brown wood; the upholstery, a
time.worn pale yellow brocade. Cur
tains. family rose, sifted the daylight
and gave 1t glow. At irregular intervals
were lights with shades Of the same
color. worries. crystals, Japanese prints,
miniatures, all pallidly toned. frai, an
Gent, rare.
Kathleen's personality lay passive as
q lily leaf in this mellowed quiet; but
Stephen Stowe set up strange, electric
currents there. :.
IT don't deserve you, Of course"
Stephen said. And I'm sorry for the
other fellowsl Marshall, now. Mar
shall's really awfully decent, In spite
of his money. How could you. Kath-
leen, turn down millions In favor OF q
Door, starving book publisher"
''The correct remark here" Kathleen
said. sis that money isn't anything. But
I don't believe that, of course. Moneys
almost everything. I've never had
enough money at any time in my life.
However, when it anne to the ques-
ton of Freddie Marshall and you-
when I think what a lucky chap I
AM" he took up his triumphant paean.
"You see. a man in my business needs
a wife like you. You'll have to enter
tain all kinds Of people. OF course, l
would have loved you, you being you.
If you hated people and had no knack
with them. But as 1t is, III say I'm
lucky"
relations with all kinds OF people?"
kathleen asked. -.
T particularly want social relations"
E&a,hnyA ron1ind
at all sounds interesting enough"
Kathleen declared. "T've never met
many clever people, only rich ones.
Which brings me, thanking you hurably
for those kind words, to this question:
Where am I going to do all this enter
tanning? Where shall I exercise my
well known tact and diplomacy"
"You know you said you'd marry me
In june" Stephen reminded her.
1T know I did" she answered, land
I intend to keep my word. In these
last three minutes I've been planning
the wedding and my wedding dress.
But again, where are we going to liveP"
A slight shadow dropped v
Stephens glowing face.
"Of course, ! can't do you like thlS!"
beautiful DON
4AOLNN 0o9S0 4
said" Kathleen commented.
II had thought" Stephen said a little
tentatively, that perhaps you'd be WILL
ing to go down town. Apartments are
expensive there, but houses are cheap.
Would you object to living there?"
mo. indeed" Kathleen answered,
s'until we're prosperous enough to come
uptown again"
There was another embrace and then
he said. 1--WE got to get back to n
Office. I've an engagement with a girl"
so soon?" Kathleen commented.
"I'm hiring a secretary"
when you come to that, I've an en-
eagement with a boy friend" Kathleen
warned him.
$50 sooni"
eyes. Freddie Marshall. The house
he's building in the country Is almost
finished. He asked me il I'd advise
him about decorations"
CTEPHEN was scarcely ensconsed at
~ his office desk when the recep-
ton clerk appeared. There's q lady
to see you, Mr.. Stowe" She placed a
card on the desk.
Lucille Nevins," was written IN q
big, clear hand. and under it. apply
ing for a position as secretary"
"Send her I'M" Stephen ordered.
Stephen signed a letter, turned TO-
ward his yisitor-and barely suppressed
A start. The girl was a replica Of Kath-
leen. No, not a replica! A variant OF
her type, strange and coarse. No, not
coarse exactly.
Perhaps If he had never seen Kath-
heen he might have thought this Cir
~spersonable. But now he was conscious
bnly of an odd sort of ur1ease n dis
taste. a pe%rturbing pity.
Specifically the features n colors
of the two girls conceded. But where
kathleen showed a skin like satin this
girl was colorless, industrious. In tine
place of Kathleen's cleaning, hazel
ewes appeared, deep-set and far apart
eyes that were too black. The delicate
rose of Kathleen's exquisite mouth wa
transmitted to q too full crimson; the
thin, smooth arches OF her eyebrow.
TO black bows that were too thick. Ant
while Kathleen's bob was brown ant
chung to her head in waves that seemed
materialized shadow, this girls hail
was ebony, lying in shining burrows
too deeply indented. Everything abou'
her wa too pronounced.
Miss Nevins," Stephen began, WI
you tell me what your experience hat
been?"
Miss Nevins answered his question
fully, though concisely.
Her voice, Stephen thought, was tot
deep. Yet something from 1t vibratet
in the air after she had ceased talking
and he liked that.
Suppose I test you now" he sug
eested.
She took a note book and pencil
from her bag. At random Stephel
picked a book from his desk and die
tatcd half a page.
Miss Nevins moved over to the type
writer, busted herself for an interval
stopped, pulled out the paper. and with
out looking at it handed 1t TO him:
Stephen studied 1t.
There's no doubt of your qualifica
tions," he commented finally. Blu
here are some questions I'd like to as