The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1931-01-30
By
Henry Kitchell Webster
said. Lets go down and dance
Copyright by The Bobbs-Merrill Co.
wNU Service

said. Lets go down and dance
again."
Just then-they'd moved to leave
the box, but even the girl wasn't yet
out In the corridOr-he saw Babe Jen-
nings coming along with client in
tow, and he got f1eeting notion that
some sportive Olympian was having
fun with him. For the one thing he'd
decided he was certain about concern
ing his own companion was instantly
demolished.
Babe said to her, with sisterly
familiarity, Hello, Red! You through
with that box?"
His girl-"Red," indeed answered
in a perfectly matter-of-fact way,
Eyes, come in. We're going to dance. "
1t wasn't until then that Babe recog-
nized him. Hello, MartyI" she said.
in lively surprise. 1--WE been looking
around for you. But didn't know
you two knew each other"
His companion smiled. "We DON'T"
she admitted. 1--WE picked each other
up in the middle of the last dance"
Il wish," Martin put in, shat you'd
be good enough to introduce u.s."
1t amused him to see that Babe was
shocked. Miss White" she said with
cold formality. "let me introduce Mr..
Forbes" She added, as she turned
away to summon her companion who
had been hanging in the background,
that she liked some peoples nerve!
Babes disapproval of their manners
advanced their acquaintance another
step. He said to her as they danced,
II don't like that name: Babe Jen-
nings' nickname for YOU"
She smiled good-naturedly. "Red?
Why not? 1t fits"
''That's just what 1t doesn't" he In
sisted. II want better name than
that to think of you by. wish you'd
tell me your real one.'
She looked rather searchingly into
his face for a moment before she an
swered, but the decision she'd hest
tated over was in his favor. ''You
may not like my real name either"
she said. tits Rhoda. You don't like
it, do you? Or if you do" she went
on, overriding the protest he made,
"what made you look so funny when
I told your
He didn't try to deny that he might
have looked funny. ''I've got some
association with the name that I can't
spot. I'm sure I don't know anybody
named Rhoda. But the names been in
my mind within the last three days"
swell, don't try to find it now" she
admonished him. 'You don't dance as
well when you think"
So for the next few minutes they
dispensed with thinking altogether.
They allowed themselves. indeed, to
become a little too oblivious to their
surroundings. In the next pause, as
they stood waiting for the orchestra
to go on, Martin saw flicker Of
frown cross the girls eyebrows and the
next instant voice said at his elbow,
"May I have the rest of this dancer"
"a rather scared voice; it wouldn't
be Lewis, anyhow-and he turned to
see blushing eager youngster who'd
cut in on him.
Annoying as the intrusion was, Mar
tin couldn't help liking the girl better
for her kindness in putting the shy
boy at his ease. She introduced him
to Martin-Higgins, his name was
and danced away with him. 1t pleased
Martin, though, to observe that he
danced badly.
He left the floor and made for a
vacant sofa, q low, high-backed, over
stuffed thing, one Of a pair that stood
back to back thwartwise in the side
corridor. Its fellow had, he noted, for
its solitary tenant a girl whose ag-
gressive blondness made a really TO-
cused glance necessary to satisfy him
that she wasn't Babe Jennings. Reas-
sured on that point he dropped into
a a 4 y q n ~ v