Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-15

- he should have been the first Or,
at least, he was the first with almost
every other girl in town. But then,
of course it wasn't likely that any of the glossy
shingle- haired little debs who eyed him
raptly had ever known him when he was plain
Jerry Peyton without the wealth or the name
that he had since made for himself in the
world.
Plain Jerry Peytcn in his shabby tweed suit
with his whimsical slanting, one-sded smile!
How we'll she remembered him! How wildly
she recalled the many evenings he had spent
talking with her of the fancieS-the day
dreams-he had since turned into facts.
She closed her eyes and at once, as II 1t had
happened but yesterday, the picture was be-
fore her. The lamp light and the hearth light
and Jerry at ease in the worn leather chair
which he always pre-empted. With his blue
eyes blazing from lean, tanned face:
= I'm going far, and so will you Jane. You've
talent and pluck All you need is year or so Of
training in New York and as a monologuist
you'll have Ruth Draper looking to her laurels,"
he said.
Dreams Dreams How often on crisp, Win
try evenings they had sought the shabby
warmth of her 3-room fiat to sit and talk OF
their dreams.
And the promises Jerry had made to himself
were promises Jerry had kept He had gone far
In 10 years the young reporter for the morning
paper of a sleepy Southern town had become an
advertising genius whose services were sought by
the richest manufacturers of the Nation.
This man. Peyton, can make soap ad read
like tale from Arabian Nights" an inter-
viewer had written Of him in one of the maya
zines that feature stories of success And
when he writes of soup you smell it,"
oh, yes he had gone far. And she wished
fervently-that he had stayed far instead Of
coming back at Christmas time to find her still
clacking away on typewriter keys in the same
old Office.
Click-click-ping!
"To the Honorable Judge of the First Judicial
District Court"
AS her expert fingers few over the keyboard
TRANSFERRING the petition she was aware of him
standing beside her. The same, yet different.
Poised now and assured, with the look, the I'M
Inistakable aura of one who can command the
luxures of life.
well Jerry . ."
With his whimsical twisting smile, he said
Jane
For a moment their eyes met and held If
Zach would thus learn what caprices life had
played on the other. Then, noting his hat and
stick the fit CT his suit, the matching blend of
gle and shirt and collars:
THE world has done we'll by you, hasn't it?"
she said.
He gave his time, bantering chucke.
"Oh come now, Jinks. Give some credit
Say, rather, that have done we'll by myself"
She thought: "How gay and care-free he is!
used to know" and she searched his face in vain
for the tense, hard-driven look the pinching
make -ends-meet look that Jerry used to wear.
well, I'm glad" she commented quietly, I'm
happy for you, Jerry. You always said you
would succeed, and you've done it."
His face sobered He looked at her intently
A slim girl Not pretty, perhaps, as the world
counts beauty but with glory Ct chestnut hair
and somet hing-an expression-indescribably
lovely in her eyes.
PENDING forward he put his palm over the
shorthand notes to which the glance of those
eyes kept returning.
Come, Jane We can't talk here. I want you
to lunch with me-" he told her.
= She shook her head
II can't I've get to type this petition"
Positively:
mo, you don't. I've already spoken to Alcott.
I'm his house guest, you know. And he tells ME
this law office can wag along very well without
you for one afternoon" he said.
Somehow Jane hated that. AS she stood be-
fore the mirror in the wash room, powdering
her nose and pulling plain black cloche over
her vivid hair, she was thinking:
How foolish am. But can't help it.
knew him when his oxfords were scuffed and his
shirt cuffs frayed And now, here he is back
agaln-the rich and noted Mr.. Peyton of Chi