Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-27
INSTALLMENT Nv.

1NS1ALLNkEGNA ave
~ WANT YOU to 60 back, after
- you've taken me home, and give
this to that man I was talking
to, by the elevator. VIII you?
He'll be expecting you. and ne
knows what it's all about. Martha hesl-
Fated. "I couldn't give 1t to him my
seif-there were too many people
"But-" said Peter. Mrs. Thay-
er--" :, o,o.
"Oh, please-please;-" her voice
rose. He knew already that It couIo
never be shrill, but there was note OF
sheer desperation in it that Stlenced
him. 81 can't help myself, and l cant
explain now. I will later-and l think
You'll understand But-oh-I promised
to give him $500 tonight, and couldn't,
and I've, got to let him keep this TIL
"Just a second" said Peter I'm not
got to do this?''
ayes, am" she said. very quietly.
"All right, then" said Peter. keep
your bracelet, though. III get 5000 De"
fore Emmas closes, and give it to him.
But I'll be damned if I'll give that NUT!
q bracelet any number of people would
recognize as yours If they saw it
He held out the bracelet, ana, aLCer a
u,
were pretty far east, by then, and the
cab was dark, but Peter could feel the
way she was looking at him.
'iBut-why?" she said. why should
you do that for me, Peter Wayne?"
Because I'm, the same sort OF
damned fool you are, I expect" he SAID.
THAT'S reason enough for now, anyway.
Take it or leave it. Ill give him the
money, and gladly, but not the brace
lat
peter thought she might be angry.
What happened, though, was the one
thing he didn't expect She laughed,
and it seemed to him that no one VINO
had never heard Martha laugh as she
did then could really know what those
two words mean.
"Oh. I'll take it--and thanks!" she
said. "Pve been nearly all the sorts OF
damned fool there are, but I'm not the
sort of fool I'd have to be not to take
this from you"
Peter, sitting on the roof, caught his
breath at the memory OF that moment.
From his place he could see the ele.
waited; a train was rumhiing past, ana
he remembered that one had drowned
been humping across the trolley tracks,
and they had shaken hands, he and
Martha, on the understanding they
had reached and the friendship that
they both knew had been born in that
moment.
the FIRST time. He had come upstairs
with Martha and they had found the
pent house lighted and had heard the
sound Of a piano as they stepped out
Of the elevator. In the living room, the
same room In which he was sitting now,
Tack had been at the piano, In his pa
iamas, with every window open and
half an Autumn gale blowing In on
him, playing Chopin's Revolutionary
Etude, and playing it nnagniacently
with an amazing verve.
he had remembered then that Tack had
bean noted as pianist at college, and
he'd heard some one say once that
music was Just one OF the things IN
which Tack might have achieved great
ness If life hadn't side-tracked him
Martha had started In at once TO close
the window, and Peter had helped her
Tack had paid no attention; he had
played on until, with the last crash
turned on the bench and seen them
He had gTinned at Peter, because he
had been expecting 70 see Ross, prob
ably, Peter had thought.
"aellol" he'd said. Have q drink
Trying 10 catch pneumonia and END
e all, dariing?" Martha had asked. INC
soap. You wouldn't die. I'd have tx
play the devoted wife and nurse yot
back to health"
"God forbid" Tack had said.
Connolly, Peter reflected, as he re
anembered that, was going to hear o
plenty of such exchanges. Not tina
particular one, Of course; Peter mao al
i6ea. and having IL made his lips Tool
rather grim, that Connolly and Charlie!
and the rest Of them weren't going T.
learn very much from him. But he''