The Washington times., 1929-02-08

Mary kept the newspapers from
him that day. They were filled
with her cousins marriage; the
story of 1t rambled over whole
pages with photographs of the
bride, the wedding party, prom
inent guests. Keep him from see
ing this, she resolved, as long as
possible; save him from more un-
happiness because of Iris.
But she forgot to warn Blessing
and toward evening came upon him
settled in his favorite place in the
library with the papers all around.
She glimpsed the headlines, lin
gered a moment over a long list
uf guests and said. II hoped YOU
wouldn't find out yet. She wished
ME to tell you something"
He listened To Iris message,
wat hing the light play upon
Mary's sleek brown head, twine
brightness in the bralds coiled at
either side.
1T had to be this way, 1t seems.
I'm so sorry, Danny"
what for? Listen, girl; don't
get me wrong on this. Iris is all
right, see? But I'm not thinking
about her. Kind of funny" ne
went on. "She had me fast once.
ANYWAY that's all over. What /
mean, how did l get that way?
There was Iris and there was you
and / picked Iris" he added with
a sort of wondering frankness.
Mary flushed crimson, torn be-
tween laughter and tears. My
cousin is beautiful" she remarked
with an effort.
''Yeh? Oh, sure. So are you.
Only different" lie began to tell
about his mother. She listened
eagerly, avid for his confidence.
Yet a thought sang in her mind:
a thought that kept rising as on
shining wings, wheeling in a high,
ioyous freedom. There was Iris
and there was you and / picked
Iris"
He did not love Iris. He never
had loved Iris. Just an illusion had
held him, the lure of beautiful
face. He realized this. How differ
ent from the Spook she had known
in the beginnihg-this quiet,
thoughtful boy who no longer sat
with his back to the wall, turning
wary, furtive glances this way and
that. Not the gangster, the Grim
inal now, but one with life ahead,
willing to challenge fate and win
to achievement by fair play.
She wished never to leave this
place. never to have this pleasant
interval in their lives broken.
May moved by in a drowsy
sweetness; early roses began to
spread their petals and one corner
Of the garden was bright with
peoples. The trooper spent an
hour or so each day in Blessings
kitchen, offering only a friendly
interest in the place, and they still
found signs OF prowlers about the
house.
But the Spook, drawing upon his
Knowledge Of the mob, judged that
Clip and his thugs would make no
definite move until something new
happened. SO they settled down in
a. feeling of comparative security.
He talked constantly about his
mother and Mary listened with
never failing interest, understand.
ing finally how vivid a force for
good in his life was the character
of the woman who died long ago.
Once when she failed to under.
stand a figure of speech he used
he asked, rather shyly, IL she
would, teach him her way of talk
ing. "It amt 1 don't know the
right words but l forget. l want
t. start out right, girleen."
She called him "Gentleman
Dan" after that and they began to
read together. dictionaries and a
= thesaurus nearby. And often she
would look up quickly to see his
ewes on her with something in his
look that set her pulses racing.
And then one evening the news
papers said that Officer Timothy
Clancy, shot by Harlem gangsters,
had recovered and left the hospital.
CHAPTER SO
Now everything was settled, No
more waiting under the shadow Of
death reaching far beyond hos
pital cot and laying its dark terror