Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-11

beTths were not made up for the night and
soon after Martin had taken his seat the occu-
pant Of the lower berth in his section returned
from the dining car.
Martin glanced up and noted that his section
partner was young wOnaan-rather pretty, he
thought, and then the image Of Virginia checked
further reflection along that line. A few mo-
ments later he realized that the girl was gazing
at him.
Aren't you Martin Halsey?" she asked a.
he looked up.
Yes"
II thought you must be. I'm Alice White
Jack Whites wife, from Omaha. Jack has your
picture on his desk and I've heard him talk
Of you so much that felt sure would know
you If ever saw you. And when your home
station was called was reminded Of you Jack
is always talking about the times the two Of
you had together at college"
When Martin finally retired to his upper
berth to begin his study of the papers on the
Haskins job it was much later than he had
thought Alice White was one of those rare
women who had refused to let her brain become
atroph1ed by devotion to husband and children.
She talked entertainingly and Interestingly.
She talked on a dozen subjects with some q
which Martin rather noundered.
Jack met them at the station next morning
and Alice stood by smiling while the two men
went through the somewhat embarrassing and
another that they are glad to meet again Jack
and Alice insisted that Martin make their home
his headquarters while in Omaha, but Martin
pleaded that he must attend to business first.
They compromised with an agreement that he
take dinner with them Saturday night
The next two days passed in a whirlwind Of
conferences with the engineers and attorneys
Of Haskins g. Co.
But when Martin appeared at Jacks for din
ner on Saturday he had tucked away in his
pocket signed contract which meant a profit
for his company Of at least $1,000 more than
Carter had figured on making out of the
original bid
Before dinner they had cocktails made from
genuine pre-war stuff" "I made it myself last
week." as Jack explained Martin felt pleasant
glow stealing over him. overcoming the trepida-
ton he had experienced as he thought of what
Virginia would say II she saw him drinking .
cocktail By the time the third cocktail had
been consumed be was quite the successful busi-
ness executive and had decided that he didn't
care whether Virginia would like it or not. As
they went in to dinner Jack remarked:
1--we asked Alice to dig up a nice juicy steak
with oniOns-remember the kind we used to get
ct Ptomaine Joe's' when the monthly allow
anCe came IMP"
"YOu couldn't have pleased nae better" Mar
tin replied. IT haven't had a steak with onions
since I've been married. Virginia doesn't like
onions"
"Oh, you should teach her to like them" said
Alice IT hated them when we were married,
but Jack has converted me-"
A FTER dinner Alice sat and chatted for Q
few minutes, then effaced herself ON the
pretext that the children needed attention.
Martin and Jack gossiped and reminisced before
the FIRE until long after midnight.
Martin left for home Sunday night. AS he
hat ~
would be home Monday, he realized that y
would be the first message Of any kind she hAA
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