Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-17

crimson. How unutterably silly! 'I won't hang
on Martin Crosbyis words. He has some ap-
palling ideas. And he'd think me ninny if
suddenly turned around and agreed"
For, of course, Martin Crosby was the candi-
date for her newly vowed intention. No Sc
lective process had been necessary to determine
this. Martin was simply the only man she knew
who was eligible at all for the honor of her
hand. There was the high school principal, of
course, who so far had resisted the blandish-
mentS of the some 40 or so unattached females
who had passed his way In the Girls High
School, but marry that old woman-I should
say mott And Toms friends? No. not one of
them would do, roistering vagabonds all OF
them. And although Anne loved her brother
better than anybody else in the world she
wouldn't have married anybody like him, for a
thousand Derrys, for lifetime Of lamplit hours
and comfort and country gardens, and dear
labors in cookie dough-
Clumsy, honest, stupid old Tom How did
Parky endure him, gallivating all over the world,
with never moments peace?
Remained, then, only Martin the Ianky alb.
stracted, fanciful, inky-fingered, untidy, pipe
smoking queer duck who lived above her in their
chelsea converted dwelling. and with whom she
had such casual, unimportant friendship
Martin. who dropped in on her at all hours
every day for a week, perhapS then passed her
by completely for month as If all that init
mate companionship had gone for simply
naught.
A slippery person, Martin How could she
ever get him to marry her. sliding In and out of
her horizon as he did? You have to lead up 70
marriage. You couldn't lead up to ANYTHING
with Martin, not even q substantial friendship.
Not that she had ever been sensitive about Mar
tins flckleness She always knew, during every
lapse that he'd come bounding back to her.
and he always did He'd pound impatiently at
her door and pump her arm and his eyes would
rove dehghtedly around her rooms and he would
act the simpleton, quite as If at last he had
found her again after . frenzed search
pleased, eager, self-congratulatory, his Co
lumbus- discovering America mood she always
called 1t. When the truth was, he just hadn't
tnougnt OF her for days. Oh, he was such
o Ounce, Martin.
Nor. upon these Temperatures, did he ever
of1er the least apology or excuse. Simply. they
would go on where they had left off two or
three weeks before. He would Scold her for
not using her mind He thought her sim
pie, hopeless case Intellectually, because she
wasn't up on the Enstein theory, and never
could remember how far 1t was from the moon
70 the EARTH or was 1t the sun?
She wondered tonight as she sat before her
nre. just what Martin would say If he knew
she was planning to get married and adopt
o baby. Aside from the consideration that
ne was TO be the lucky man, what would
he really think? That was one Of the things
about Martin: you never knew quite what he
was going to think-his old variability again.
I'm going to get married and adopt q baby"
Now, she could see him tear the pipe out OF
his mouth and stare ut her and say, There
you are. I always knew it. You're nothing
but . woman, after all"
a ND again, she could see him. upon her
announcement, scrutinizing her with his
kind gray eyeS-Martin's eyes could be kind.
though they were as often merely impudent-
nfNEwr -
There was one thing Anne was sure of: Mar
tin would not give single hang whether
she married anybody else or not.
Now, how to marry a man like that?
This Is going to be difhcult," she said
She rolled up her sleeves to wash the
supper dishes and smiled. She was rolling
up her sleeves to begin work on poor old
Martin, too
Poor old Martin. Nonsense Snug thing.
He needs a jerking-upl" Marriage was a
jerking-up. she considered and besides.
what grand life he'll lead, bossing me
around from morning till night"
She finished the dishes. poked up the fire,
tried to write a letter. tried to read, and sue
ceeded only in hdgeting from one chair to
another for three mortal hours For Martin
didn't come.
1.-The pig" she fumed isn't it Just like
him9 Surprising he doesn't come back for
two or three weeks? Oh Derry you're worth
1t. suppose, but this is hard"
Then, just as she had lost herself in an
old familiar vision-it was DerryS sixth
birthday clatter on her door startled her,
and voice demanded, none too gently, Hey,
there let me in!'
Fluttering, Anne reached the door. Slut
tering in panic she told herself, st can't
snare this man. can't, and I won't"
Martin iounged in, took his favorite CHAIR
the best one, and rummaged In his pockets
Il brought you something. Gosh where
Is 1t? Oh, yes" He brought forth a stick
OF chewing gum In pink paper
Soothing to the nerves Good for in