Smyrna times., 1930-12-31
Eve Easily Won
Over Jerry
By LEETE STONE

lat the SILK lingerie SecllOn VI
the mammoth Pendennis depart
ment store, was spending sleep
less night. Her consciousness was
whirlpool of conflicting emotion;
fast revolving wheel of desire
and doubt.
Every hour she would rise from
the narrow cot in her meagerly fur
nished room, switch on the small
electric bulb that jutted out above
the bureau, and feast her dark,
startled eyes on a beautiful, blue
white diamond, simply set in a
svelte circle of old-fashiOned vel
low gold. Each time she rose she
slipped the ring caressingly on the
third finger of her left hand;
arched her wrist and curved her
finger upward to the Highland
revelIed in the tiny. sword-like
flames of fire that lurked and
leaped TO meet her excited gaze.
She might have been measured for
the ring. A fiawless gem that nc
perfectly.
Eve visualized the nonchalant
manner she would employ next
morning as she flashed the treas
ure before Alice Foster. Alice
would spy ii the moment they fold
ed up their counter COY er together.
1t was matter of nip and tuck be-
tween Alice and Eve to gain the
permanent devotion of Jerry Ed
wards. the jnlliest and handsom-
est department store detective that
ever cast a keen eye over the daily
thrOng at Pendennis.
Seeing the ring, Alice would
surely and surreptitiously point 1t
out TO Jerry when he stopped, as
he always did, for a moments
chatter at the lingerie counter. OF
course. Jerry would mask his curl
osity, twinkle his eyes. and say
something like:
Putin on the Ritz this morn
ing, what. Evie?"
"Who SAYS SOP she would re-
turn casually.
"SOme solitaire, eh?"
'Oh, that?" she would tinge her
reply with flippant provocation.
That's an heirloom, an seeing it's
such a nice morning l thought I'd
air it."
And so might banter proceed IN
til she succeeded in angling a din
ner invitation from Jerry. That
accomplished. in view of her COM
binatiOn of charm, sympathy, soli-
taire and one fancy frock, how
could Jerry remain silent any
longer? Eve was sincere about
Iarrv She lOvad him
When finally dawn peeped
/ through the narrow window, and
time arrived for Eve TO dress and
breakfast for another day, she was
4 still lashed 10 the horns of her first
/ dilemma. But the sting of cold
4 water. action. and two cups of
/ black coffee freed her A definite
4 solution presented itself.
v AT the store that morning, mat
\ ters transpired as Eve had fanci-
4 fully conceived Alice pounced on
\ her before the counter covers were
/ folded with q high-pitched"W Where'd
you get that?" Eve high-hatted the
\ query. leaving Alice no course but
| to retire into envious silence.
4 Jerry stopped at Alice's end of the
1 counter about nine-fifteen, before
! the floor became crowded, and Eve
! saw her thrust a pert head toward
| his ear; watched Jerry grin and
| come strOlling over. The dialogue
| took place almost as etched in her
mind during those long sleepless
hours. He did hold her hand; he
| did examine the ring. very closely,
| adding:
rs Crown Jewel all right,
! Evie. Used to work In Maiden
! Lane when | was kid got
so | could pick 'em. Say, Evie, you
1 look swell this morning. How
/ about a bite with me tonightT'
! That was the first event of the
| day for Eve. The second was the
reprimand she received from the
floor manager for being fifteen min
| utes late in from lunch. How the
hours dragged until the great event
| of the day-dinner with Jerry.
Over dessert, after a merry hour
at little place Jerry liked. he
said:
Let's glimpse that sparkler
again, Evie. You know how 1t is
| like to mold your hand, see? Sure
enOughl But honest, kid" an in
fectious grin as he reached for her
unresisting fingers. sit kinda gets
! me. your havin' that. Isn't our
kind of ornament Evie Goes with
| silks and swells an Say,"
his expression changed and a pro-
fessional Jerry spoke quietly,
"where's the sparkler you wore
this morning? That one was worth
thousand dollars in Maiden
Lane. This cost two-fifty or three
on Nassau street. What's the game,
little girl?"
Some detective, Jerryl 4 took
the real one back 70 the swell lady
that lost II. She lives on Park ave
nue. and she gave me twenty-five
dollars. That's how ! got a call
down for being late this noon."
| Her eyes filled with longing !.
| II was wonderful. wasn't II, Jerry?
| got this fake just to play
! owned one like that And | put
twenty dollars In the bank, jerry"
Jerry just sat and thought and
thought still holding the capable
little fingers. Finally Eve began
to be afraid.
Gee Evie you could nave got