Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-10

|
! V passengers when she entered
1 i the dining car. The nervous
little woman with the fretful
| baby relaxed somewhat as Margaret sat
down beside her. Richard Adams,
across the aisle, unpuckered his fore
head and seemed to think better of the
caustic criticism he was about to adj
dress to the ebony attendant about the
length of time it took to broil q steak
Two children being piloted out stopped
inStinctively to smile up in the brown
friendlineSs of her eyes and were start
ed again on their way by impatient
parents.
The nervous little voice Of the ner-
vous little woman rasped out COM
monplace and was answered by Mar
garet'S velvety contralto, which made
Richard Adams smooth the last faint
wrinkle from between his eyes and
sigh contentedly.
She did not notice the extreme de-
liberation which enabled him to nm
ish Just as she rose from the table.
and the keen look which followed
her bronze head would have been lost
on her If the train had not given
a sudden lurch just as she reached the
door. Some one of the line waiting in
the vestibule had loosened the catch
that held the door, and only a quick
brown hand thrust against 1t prevent
ed it slamming on Margaret's fingers as
she regained her balance.
"Oh thank you," frankly looking up
into pair Of surprisingly blue eyes,
which would have been stern If they
had not been crinkled at the corners
by the action Of the sun without and
sense of humor within. She felt his
| strong hand steady her for q neces-
| sary moment and only that. 3
Making up time. guess, and none
| too smooth roadbed to do 1t on" she
heard above the roar of the train as
they crossed the space between the
two cars, with its himsy accordion
like cover. Then he seemed to draw
into himself with q reserve equal to her
own. His seat proved to be opposite
hers in the Pullman.
She sat quite motionless, entertain
ing herself with mental pictures of
the end Of the journey, sure-enough
holiday in California, after a year of
exacting hospital duty, following her
ion made 1t flattering, insisted on
having her as their special" when
they could. Now she had only Jack S
eager face before her and she blew
him an airy radio kiss, though her
hands remained idly clasped in her
lap, hands whose every firm curve
said, "let me help you"
She was barely conscious of the
man opposite, though she had taken
a nurses satisfaction in the ease with
which he had swung his heavy Glad
stone bag up before him and when ne
burrowed for the book which now alb
sorbed him. Poor Jack! Never well.
but so debonair and appealing that
n {v1n ofen 90
marry him when he was better.
The next day was passing and Rich
ard began to inwsrdly curse the con-
ventions that kept them apart. Hang
; it all! I suppose If were q young
sheik and she @ happer we wouldn't
be miles apart. I could walk right
over and tell her she Is the frst wo-
man ever really saw"
She seemed so oblivious of him,
friendly only with children and never
firing of them. Her seat became O
mecca for all the little chaps in her
car and adjoining ones. Over the cor
ner OF his book Richard saw the most
amazing toys evolved from candy
most unpromising material that the
children produced.
AT last he could stay out of the
charmed circle no longer. II could
whittle those handles bit and then
they would stay in the wheelbarrow,
he volunteered, carefully adjusting the
milk bottle top which served as a
wheel.
That's just what we need, isn't it,
Billy?" she said, admitting him with
out demanding a countersign, an ac-
curate account Of his genealogy, or a
letter of introduction as he felt that
she might.
I saw q ship a-saling, a-sailing on
the sea,
And, oh it was all laden with pretty
things for me-"
she crooned to q waiting Swear -old
as she ballasted q half walnut shell
with Softened wax and adjusted O tiny
sail on its toothpick mast.
There were comfits in the cabin and
apples in the hold, s.
The sails were made Of silk and the
masts were made Of gold"
he finished, and they smiled in alb
surd freemasonry over the shared nur-
sery rhyme.
why do people look for ships which
dered. ~
Because we all want the impossible, /"
ne replied, then we are not bored by
our wishes coming true too SOON"
But isn't 1t ironical Of fate to pro-
duce what one has always longed for
when the freedom to take 1t Is gone?s
She had an odd and almost uncanny
sensation Of having known this man
before, of having always known him.
ALI her ~ years, or at least as long as
she could remember, she had wanted
and expected playmate with exactly
this caHnrady smile she saw opposite.
A year ago she had given UP his ever
coming, and had more than half
promised herself to Jack Dunston when
he left the hospital after long III.
mess. Now she could see that what he
sa&fs6ad a., v.@~ ...as %l,a saanirn e. xokkh ass