Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-25

Ou for two minutes" he announced
can remember. I've been going 70
parties day and night"
II know" he said.
DO you know everything I do?" she
| said a little angrily.
Not quite ALL" he said little grave
! ly. II wish I knew less"
! why do you always have to say
! such things to me?" she said. "Other
people like newly can't you? What
| do I do that's so dreadful?"
Nothing but what girls are sup
posed to do today" he said.
I'm not Puritan" Helen flashed.
Neither am l." he said. MY peo-
pie, as matter of fact, were cava-
| liers."
He looks it." Helen admitted to her
| self unwillingly. The tall, strong
! grace, the crested fair hair, the long
steel-gray eyes that looked half-smiling
till you saw them closer; the fencer's
manner of absolute poise and guard,
the smooth capable tanned hand, that
should have held plumed hat in
stead Of tweed cap.
Il suppose" he said, as II he didn't
want to, that I'm always wanting you
to be what you look like-and act
| like"
What is that?"
He spoke, suddenly; almost, she
thought, as If he liked her. The King
Of SPANS daughter" was all he said.
And then, hurriedly. as if he wanted
to forget it, will you tell Nina for me,
please, that I'm called out of America
suddenly on business? came by on
my way to the Country Club to ask
her forgiveness in person for having to
cancel dinner engagement for next
Wednesday. Tell her 7 will write, but
please"
Surely" said Helen, smiling I'D at
him. Shall you. be gone long?"
IT'S uncertain" he said.
Why are you going, really?"
One reason woulo amuSe you too
other is that am summoned, I am
AFRAID, to assume small but trouble
some responsibility"
But you work so hard at RESPONSE
bilities now that you are never to be
asked to any Of my parties - only
| Ninas!"
Who told you that?" he demanded
I confess envy you 20-year-olds your
beautiful sense that you needn't do
anything unless it amuses you.''
Helen was suddenly furious with him.
It was always so. Something in him
would draw her, would disturb her, as
II friend were just behind the fencer's
| steel, then he would say some such
thing as this. If he knew-she resent
| ed, yet smiled little, thinking of Jes-
S1ca and Nina and Ronny Higginson.
| Ninas step-son, and even Tommy-all
more or less turning to her for help
Delng looked after, all saying what a
darling she was.
She Shf1IpOpd her sbO,tIdarc dinro,.A
with gallant effort. I'D rather be
anything than be thought Victorian!"
You won't be-" said Mr. KingsWay,
You are about as Victorian as the
| Sphinx. Goodbye, Miss Helen" She
watched the erect slender figure NOV
ing down the tree-shsded old street.
Arms clutched her violently from be-
hind. Beware" said Tommy's voice
mechanically. Stare not so sternly
on the King of kingsway or a terrific
| doom shall be thine, rash worm!"
She gave herself with relief to the
tide Of possessive glamor which came
with Tommy'S voice and touch.
Worm yourself" she retorted.
you've proved it, wasting Is literally
shining minutes when you might be
taking shots, crawling around by the
back of the house just to scare me.
Don't you know you can't scare me,
Tommy Delamater swung her around
and faced her
You get sweller to look at every
time 1 take my eyes off you for two
minutes" he announced. Gee! I'm
nuts over you. Ready? C'mon."
She stood up and set on her head
the wide transparent black straw hat
she had bought last week, which lay
ready and they drove away together.
a branch Of the Wissahickon wound
within driving distance, and Tommy
wanted to see II some of it wouldn't
look like an ocean, properly treated.
They took shot or so.
Matter of fact" said Tommy en-
gagingly, Il don't care whether we get
shots o. not. just wanted to he with
Did youP" said Helen. With any,
BODY else she could have thought up
wonderful comsbacks, but her heart
was pounding so that she was just be-
ing dumb.
Tho spirit OF coquetry came back a
little. Mustn't let him thinl. you cared
too much
She stepped back from the boulder
on which she had been supposedly
looking for scenery, stared across the
river with imitation indifference and
began to hum something under her
breath.
She went on. The words followed
the tune, and she began to remember
what it was: 1t turned out to be, of
all things, the nursery rhyme Ethan
Kingsway had whistled; the one her
mother had used to sing her to sleep
with She finished it defiantly:
"The King of SPANS daughter,
She came to visit me
All for the sake of my
Little nut-tree!"
Tommy strobe up and down, silent
and sulkily, for a moment. Then, as
she finished, his mood changed with
characteristic suddenness, and he threw
an arm around her and laughed.
Funny song. Who taught it to
your"
She turned around, to see II he was
too jealous for comfort or not jealous
enough. She decided that 1t was the
| former.
Why. Tommy pelauaatey, where You