Evening star., 1932-02-07
Ghosts Are Laid by Laughter

kissed it, she Knocked him. "Oho! So you have
learned the ways Of Frenchmen."
when in Rome" he explained with
unmistakably Gallo shrug
He had drawn her away to lounge in
sheltered corner, and was seated beside her.
Already she knew that she had had no reason
to fear this meeting. There would be no
getting acquainted again. no strangeness to
overcome.
You're not married" he stated with a
hint of question in his voice.
NO And you?"
"Never. And you've lived In Paris ever
snce?"
Yes" To check his questioning she said,
"IVe seen couple of your things in Renard's.
In fact, I passed there just this morning to
take comfort in your poplars."
You were frightened, them"
"Badly-Same you"
They laughed together Then he asked
quickly, What do you do with yourself?"-
SIZE was ready for that. Il keep busy But
you've only day We mustn't waste it sitting
here like two old cronieS. I'd like" she said
and looked out at the Sun-waShed boulevard
I'D like to do all the things we used to do
window-shop, go to Notre Dame, roam around
the luxembourg"
That's what hoped you'd want That was
my idea"
They went first to Notre Dame. Larry had
not seen the great cathedral since its war dress
and the sight Of it restored to normal seemed
to move him deeply. He planted himself
squarely in front Of it and studied the lift Of
its spires against the clear blue sky. TT
stretches back far, and looks ahead so con-
f1dently-sort of gives a chap something to
hold on to-"
[ us musing tone made Lenore glance quickly
! up at him, and she guessed that he had
had to fight for what peace he knew He
caught her look, and little of what was in her
mind, and said with half-smile We're not
quite the same people We were are we, Len?"
mo, but we've changed in much the same
way"
Quickly he picked up her thought "Old
solemn-hearts. But I've vast store of gayety
in me STILL" he said, moving forward. IN
show it to you after we've done Notre Dame"
They wandered arm in arm through nave
and transept feeling the old spell, the awe,
the wOrshipfulness toward a God who could
SO inspire men TO image his transcendent
beauty in stone and glass. They had come
without noticing on the sacristie des messes
and Lenore, with a quick intake of breath,
looked up to see if he remembered as he looked
down. And somehow they found it hard even
to smile at the passionate young ghosts that
rose up there between them-at boyish Larry,
earnestly pleading, at the girl Lenore, trem-
bling toward him and then withdrawing sud-
denly, dropping her head to her hands as she
moved away.
Breathlessly Lenore whispered, I'D almost
forgotten about that-hsre"
so had / There were so many other places"
he muttered.
When they stepped out of the chill darkness
into the warm sunlight again she shivered.
"Cod?" he asked
mo. Those ghosts
You'd rather keep them laid?"
They're entirely too dead to let walk again.
And besides, you promised to be gay, and they
wouldn't let US. Well have to ignore them
They did the Riyoli next, and for time
were ught-hearted children, but during
luncheon Larry asked abruptly, If conscious
that the subject might be delicate one, Your
writing, Lenore-have you done anything with
it?"
She forced herself to look at him squarely
as she said I've been rather failure, Larry,
that way. During the war there wasn't time,
and afterward-not time either"
Il don't blame you" he said. Writing means
thinking, and after all that-well, parties and
books and theaters were safe way back to
sanity. But I used to think you might make
go of it."
Parties, books, theaters" He saw them all
in the lines of her costume.
While they were Strolling through the Lux
embourg Gardens Larry looked at his watch,
sghast. MY dear" he said, "it's half past
three already"
Had she imagined herself old! Ihat dear,
let fall so unconsciously stirred things she had
thought dead.
Il know where we must go next. Out to
Halevy's" He chuckled. Its alive with your
ghosts, I know but SOS everything. I only
hope it's still swank enough for you. And If I
come back in another Is years will you meet
me for another day?"
He Communicated taxi with an open landau
arrangement and, after seeing that Lenore was
comfortable settled back in his corner with
expression of glowing content. She had not
been able to avoid noticing the careless lavish
ness with which he spent his money, con-
trasting it with the caution of his younger days
He had done well, then, she reflected, while
she save for this one brief daY had gone to