The Ely miner., 1930-09-26

! from cold stream vending its way
! toward the gutterpipe in the floor.
! Pete was not likely to return before
| four or five o'clock. Ducky-Dear
| would catch cold. The only way out
of his balcony lay above him. He
knew nothing of the tenants below
him. but he'd seen an elderly man In
| the fiat above.
The ascent of the stone pillar was
| painful and his person bore various
wounds before he clambered into the
sixth floor balcony. The door stood
open ana golden oblong of light
streamed welcomingly out into the
wetness Half-blinded by the rain, he
| ped forward. He'd had but casual
glimpses of the elderly man. but he
now experienced feeling of warm
friendship toward him. "Say, old
chap. Let me in out of the rain, will
you?"
There was a stir within and he
stopped in the doorway to stare at
the pretty scene. A lady was hunched
over the buit-in writing table and she
wept thoroughly. Her rest-go was
fashioned from rosy silks and laces.
"Oh," sighed Leland. "Oh."
Widely her violet eyes regarded him.
| They were lacily lashed and her gold
en- curls were but gay mist. Her
amazed gaze wandered slowly down
| the TURQUOISE satin and remained upon
his large and now travel-wOrn feet.
Clutching her cobwebby mouchoir,
she sprang up. her pink lips parting.
Don't scream" he besought her,
'I'H go-only I'm locked out of my
apartment Just below here. II sup
posed man lived here and | climbed
up the pillar. / didn't know just what
to do and Ducky-Dear will get wet
| and my Aunt Minerva"
His. remarkable recital was cut
| short by a series of high giggles, the
tears still wet on her cheeks. Don't
tell me you got locked Out-in these
DAYS such story is" again mirth
intervened and she gazed at him help
lessIy. "Ducky-Dear," she repeated.
Apparently she did not intend to
| have him arrested, as he had feared
at first. Leland tried to make his
gaze soulful-never had he seen a
girl so well worth looking at. You
are lovely" he stammered, uncon-
scious of his bromide, wonderful.
My name is Leland Randolph and
Ducky-Dear is bird"
Her laughter fled and her eyes now
resembled hard and polished anne
| thysts instead of the rain-washed vio-
| lets of an instant before. "Oh! SO
you are the man who cannot be suit
| ed: my plots are threadbare-flched
from the time of King Tut. Built upon
| the long arm of coincidence-tOo
| frilly-too girly-oh" Furiously she
snatched up the letter that she'd been
weeping over and read: 'rm bored
by the indiscreet girl who gets locked
out into the night in her fascinating
pink stepins. I'm sick unto death of
the man who miraculously stumbles
across the girl of his dreams. Don't
waste your postage and my time"
Leland lifted pleading, satin-clothed
arms. Don't. perceive my error
and realize now that love may come
to any man."
$50 you've come to the 'come-to-
realize state'" she quoted. 81 sup
pose you'll begin to brush your hair
forty times nights and mornings
and"
"Forgive me. l 10" he caught
sight of a gold tassel swinging out
and he halted, belatedly aware of his
garb. MAY call upon you tomorrow
when properly dressed?"
| "Just how do you expect to get
dressed?" she impersonally inquired
81 hate to interrupt you so often. but
l suggest that you co."
IF yoy'd lend me something's
robe or anything, L could dash out
your front door and down. The JAM.
tor will have pass key"
A latchkey had clicked, the sound
drowned by Leland's frenzied tones
and a white-haired man now strode
Indignantly toward him.
"Dulcie Johnson, what does this
mean? Have you gone mad?" A cane
was furiously trained upon the guest
in SNUG satins.
A light broke upon the wild brain
of the pOrch-climber. There had beer
an elusive familiarity about the lady
that had puzzled him. "Just another
coincidence" faltered Leland. "Mr
Johnson, don't you remember me?
useG to cut your grass when Dulcit
was a freckled tomboy."
Dulcie grinned, losing entirely he1
romantic, soft appearance. "Yes. It.!
the same old plot that crops up II
his mail every morning. Daddy, dom
let him through our apartment unles!
he promises to run the story of mine
he rejected .Oday."
A gust of wind sent rain splashin:
through the open door and Mr.. John
son slammedsth halcOny door GROSSLY
81 take it yor are the editor who ha
rejected her TtOries You say you use,
to cut my grass. Well, if you'll Gu
your visit short, I'll lend you shaw
or something to cover your fame.
dress"
Leland, Sinking down the well
Lighted stairway, his attire hiddel
beneath an ugly gray bathrobe, won
dered at the pleased triumph upo
the freckled face of Pete, who. Oddl
enough, was standing in the door O
the fifth-foor apartment.