Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-28


just before her enormous dark eyes
7 opened, peeping from the bright poo
of her hair. The clear Winter sun
light sprinkled white gold all over
the foot of her bed. 1t was wonderful, gay
day and Tina loved gay days. She loved rainy
days, too-all days, in fact. Life is exciting
when a girl is 20 and lovely and desperately
anxious to sacrifice herself to the one of four
or five boys who needs her most She must
save somebody from something matter what
the cost For that was Tina.
A tingling, merry telephone repeated its
reveille and Tina seized the instrument eagerly
from its cover.
Miss Tina Whitcombe is not quite awake,
she said win you waltz"
She wanted time to hug sheer neg1ige
about her, to close the windows with a shiveri
to rearrange three young gsntlemen's pictures
on her dressing table with a shrug, and to turn
on her bath.
Now she said, after flying leap for the
warm bed and the waiting phone-"now I'm
wide awake and what day! Things ought
to happen on day like this. You mean
for luncheon? I'd just adore to. Is there
any place where one can dance at luncheon?
And who is this, please2 oh, could never
guess. WELL can only try. Watt
With some idea, perhaps, of the future uses
of television, she nipped one of the pictures
from the dressing table, gained bed again and
gazing into the young, ardent eyes of the photo
graph, picked up the phone with confidence.
"I knew your voice, Bob dear, from your
very first word" AS If she could ever forget
Bob's voice, that voice which had poured its
passionate sincerity into her shell-white ear at
every mile-post of the Long Island highways
from Southampton to Greensboro Bridget "Of
course, ! did, Bob. You say-what? Well,
you needn't be angry about it, Freddie darling. y
In way Tina was glad, or at least more
excited; for passionate sincerity is often weari-
some and Freddie Wagstaff's air of yillainy,
although dangerous indicated character more
worthy of her zeal. She could see in her
mind his dark, dropped face. She would lead
him to nobler things.
co 1t was still more of shock when the
receiver began to burr and crackle in her
ear again and she said: What? Not Freddie
either? Well how should I know? Stop
swearing or I'll hang up whoever you are"
Only one picture, the plainest, the least hand
some, remained to be tried. Just an ordinary
brown-headed boy in gray suit, and yet Tina
flushed as she brought 1t to the bed, and she
held the phone an instant against the ham,
mering of her heart before she said: $50
it's you'll" Life was calling her, demanding
her, and she must give herself up to it.
It was this conviction about life which, i've
months before, had caused Tina to be delivered,
body, soul, and seven trunks, to her father
in New York-a conviction which all her years
of French governeSses, Swiss finishing schools,
dancing, fencing and riding lessons, as she was
dragged over Europe after the pretty but Gym
ical aunt who had undertaken to raise her and
forewarn her against establishment, had failed
to eradicate
Even Aunt Joan admitted that, and she ad-
nitted very little when it meant putting Tina
under the romantic influence Of her successful
but misguided father, who was responsible for
it ALL "You have ruined her, Harry, my dear, "
said Aunt Joan's advance letter. I'm spite OF
my lectures about suitable husbands, she yearns
over the submerged souls of Russian refugee
taxi drivers and gypsy singers. Only my hope
that q season in her native New York viii drive
this sacrifice nonsense out of her head moves
me to bring her home to you. Despairingly and
devotedly, your sister in-law JOAN"
The battle between Joan Aldrich and Harri-
son Whitcombe over his daughters soul had
been going on for years, almost all the years
since he'd carried Tfnas young mother from
that tragic hunting field and shed had just time
70 smile at him once Many women had smiled
at him in those many years since then, but he
hadn't been aware. He'd staggered about with
his baby daughter until Joan Aldrich rescued
her, and then he'd gone headlong at the career
for which he now was known. Except that
he'd fought to prevent Joan from poisoning the
child's mind with her own cynicsm, women
hadn't figured Just because the Romeo you
married turned out to bum is no reason why
Tina has to marry bank account, JOAN"
And your short but happy dream with my
little sister, Harry, should not make you live
the rest Of your life in pink cloud. III select
the young gentleman whom we shall allow TO
love Tina-n she doesn't run of with one Of
her submerged souls before. have chance"
H1R~w