Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-22

She touched the humble little gold shield
with gentle finger.
"Oh," she said.
''will you wear it? Alongside the other?"
She meant to refuse, of course, but Eddie's
face, strained and wistful, smote her.
at won't do any HARM" he said.
Eddie" she said suddenly, Eve must get
this straight Are you really serious about all
this?"
Am I serious?" he repeated duly. well.
what do you think?"
"Oh, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings
but I mean-well. I've told you I'm crazy about
Gerald, and I honestly think I'm going to
marry him. Hadn't you better forget me?"
ct couldn't ever forget you," said Eddie.
ST see Well, but Eddie, how can you
even think of being married when you want
to save your money and write books?"
"I want both want to marry you and I
want to write books. I don't believe that q
mans work ought to keep him from his love
and don't believe that q mans love ought
to interfere with his work"
at think that's rather fine," said Connie
slowly "And I think that it might be fun,
If you loved man, to share his poverty. and
then, maybe, his success. You'd have to be
rather decent and sporting
"You are decent and sporting said Eddie.
~cosh, you're a swell kid, Connie!"
She felt tears coming "An right, I'll wear
the pin, Eddie"
In week Comics affairs were receiving
full family publicity Gerald came one night,
whizzing up the drive in his own car; Eddie
came the next, cindery and hot after his jaunt
on the railroad. Tuesdays, Eddie's day OF.
he came early and stayed late. He played
tennis and danced miserably, he didn't like
to swim, he was not at all at ease with Con-
MES hght-hearted young friends.
Connie liked Eddie more all the time and
in some ways less all the time. His untidineSs,
his blunt manners, his carelessness still shocked
and displeased her. But his cockiness she grew
to understand. He believed IN himself and
he didn't care who knew it. He had exactly
two ideas in his young head, his work and
Connie.
And as she liked Eddie more and less her
liking for Gerry both increased and dimin-
iShed. But somehow Gerry seemed a little
worthless compared to Eddie. He had never
known anything but ease and luxury.
July went by. The two youths were par
ticularly patient They were both In deadly
earnest, and Connie still liked them both.
Late in July Kathleen gave q large party
to which she told her sisters ana brother they
might each invite one guest. Connie invited
Eddie because Gerald had gone motoring with
his family for a week.
The party was the grand affair Of the entire
year 10 COunle. bic SOOOQ Ii Tic uK&WulB
room, with her mother and Kathleen. She
kept watching the door. Eddie was boor,
and this was a grand party, but he was also
q dear
And Eddie did not come. At half-past 8,
when the guests trcoped out to the garden to
little tables, Eddie was not there.
Everybody was painfully kind all evening.
But they all knew: Eddie Yackey, that con-
ceited clown, had ditched Connie Leacroft
She was glad when II o'clock came and
she could creep of upstairs. She was so angry
she couldn't get to sleep for hours: every
nerve burned with hot, indignant fury.
But she was asleep when somebody raped
on the door,
Miss Constance! Telephone"
She rolled out s1eepily. It was Eddie Of
course And it was o'clock in the morning.
"ConnieI"
Eddie don't want to talk to you"
''Wait ninutei"
"And please don't telephone again at such
IN ungodly hour" And she hung up.