Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-11
The Story Of a Battle Of Wills Beteoeen
7'evo Women. And, of Course, the
Man in the Case Mas of Very Little
Consequence.

HELBY WAYNE first became aware
of her on the tender at Cherbcurg.
s. u She was speaking to a greedy and
insistent pair of porters.
~ mo- no. my laGS," she said amiably.
s'Ive given you 20 francs apiece. very high
tip, indeed. Who do you think you are any
Way-little Jesse James and his brother?
Allez vous en-! Rien ne va plus!"
He saw that she was tall and slim, that she
had laughter in her eyes and natural color
on her cheeks; that she was very well dressed.
and that she had personality and charm. With
her was an older woman, who registered the ef-
feet of being some one OF importance-some-
Where
shelby Wayne learned that the younger
woman's name was Leila. but the older one
remained in obscurity, which didn't matter
1t was delightful to find that they both had
low and softly cadenced voices, but exaSper-
ating, too, because he couldn't catch more than
an occasional word. The girl interested him
more than any girl he had seen in yearS-and
he had seen many When she laughed she did
it so deliciously that he felt his own lips quirk
ing up at the corners. girl with laugh like
that-a girl who called porter Jesse James
to say the least, she wasn't a rubber stamp
sort of girl.
He spsculated on how to meet her. He
turned and studied them surreptitsously for a
clue. Their hand luggage was variously ini-
tailed. Some with big L. H. Some with an
even bigger r. B. c. He deduced that the first
belonged to the girl-his girl he was calling
her by this tinie-the other to the older woman.
THE tender began painting and snoring its
way out to the waiting ship, and in some
20 minutes or 50 they were all aboard. Wayne
had crossed so often on this boat that he had
his own pet cabin and steward, and he knew
every one from the captain down to the per-
sonnet of the barber shop. Before the tender
was half way back to Cherbourg a note came
down from the captain asking Wayne to sit
at his table. "Confdentially," ran the note,
there will be. besides you and myself, only a
baronet and his wife, and two charming ladies
-compatriots of yours"
IA hunch!' thought Wayne "Old Perry's
picked my two. Talk about predestination!"
So he went down to dinner sure that he
would find what he did find-Leila Hardness
and her aunt. Mrs Cliff, the girl lovelier than
before, now that her hat was of and he could
see her eyes and the brown wave of her hair
Wayne snatched the chair beside her with an
eagerneSs that surprised hineelf. Better 60
little slow, old top" he admonished that eager
ness. mo bachelor of 80 ought to fall like
sophomore"
II was staring at you all the way over on
the tender, hoping for this he told the girl
at once.
IT knew you were staring but didn't know
you were hoping. Aunt Rhoda thought you
were card shark who would try to decoy US
into a stiff bridge game"
And what did you think?"
II thought you had nice taste in neckties"
els that alp"
"But aren't you vain! You want me to tell
you that I noted with pleasure the distinguished
gentleman in the brown overcoat and thought
that he might be the lost Dauphin, Or"
"Or Jesse James"
"You heard me scolding that pig of porter!
Perhaps you're Sherlock Holmes"
She intrigued him so that several times he
said to himself:
What's the matter with you? You're get
ting all excited about girl you've known only
o few minutes!"
But he could not help being excited. She
drew him, she held him. He wanted to have
her look at him, he wanted to hear her laugh
ter, he wanted-very much, but he didn't do
Ito stare at the wilderness of her throat the
adorable straightness of the back of her neck.
and the delicate elegance with which her head
was shaped and set on her slender round neck.
When dinner was over he asked her aunt
Tor coffee and liqueurs in the salon, and added
IhereI be dancing later"
For few minutes guilefully he devoted him
self to Mrs. Cliff. He let her know who he
was and where he came FROM his connections.
his clubs. He felt that Mrs. Cliff would treasure
him far more if she knew that he belonged
TO good clubs. When he found out where thew
lived he named several people he knew there.
In a very little while Mrs Cliff was satisfied
that he belonged to her world-the only world
worth belonging to. in her opinion-and she
was talking to him as friend
yul bo
ing began, and he asked Mrs. Cliff first. she
was quite charmed with him. And then he
was free to dance with Leila.
I. Afterward, in his cabin, he lived it over.
tive fallen in love with her. I'm glad it's this
way. I'm glad I've fallen in love with her like