Evening star., 1933-01-29
INSTALLMENT XIII.

uV YES, we got money to throw
- " around for salty Ice cream
a body can't hardly eat,
i amt we?" Agnes asked.
Tomorrow maybe re could
see Jersey some way, Big Bill reflected,
and maybe he couldn't. what with the
little high-hat f1lly around "lile shed
be now"
I'VE got plenty. Agnes" he said
mildly and he knew his mistake They
had plenty. but she was one to store 1t
away. He had never grown beyond the
apologetic feeling when he gave, as he
did now, on street corners to beggars.
Agnes had always said they had plenty,
and more than plenty, and she invari-
ably gave them piece of her mind.
"We-got-plenty!" he heard. Oh.
Lord, what had made him say that?
1t was true. they had, but she wouldn't
see it. Her voice went on and on, a
rasping, querulous, abused whine.
Bill had learned to endure 1t In
silence, but he had never reached the
point where it didn't kind Of get" him.
Now she'd got into 1t; faithful and a
most detailed recital of his failures
from the day of their marriage and be-
fore. She reached the time he had
burned hole in the rug by hot ashes
that had dropped from his pipe. That
had been the preface for his not smok-
ing at home 1t was funny. he decided
how women could wear out love that
couldn't be replaced by harping on
things you could duplicate.
He heard, Il was awful fond of that
rR; I'll never forget that night and
seeing it and how I cried"
He wasn't likely to forget that night
@ 10 N m nr, An
those who criticize the drama could
sometimes look behind the scenes the
world would be kinder, gentler place
Michael. that evening. was sitting by
another window. thinking of a great
many things, and all OF them, as roads
to Rome, lead to Carroll
He was thinking -fatuously, he was
to learn soon-of CarrolPs rare fluidity.
Her gentleness made it seem that any
suggestion would control her. and this
/ is trait that is universally loved by
! gentlemen.
He presumed that this desirable soft
ness had been made by her conform
ing to the chaste and subdued measures
of good school. and then swinging
equally odorous bath salts, loud anger
and peacock laughter.
| He thought on: He must drop in to
see his tailor (feathers Of RomeoS in
birds are ever bright; he must write
| his Aunt CasSandra. in Boston-and
why shouldn't Carroll visit her some
time? He must spend the week end at
| Easthampton with his sister Joyce,
much depressed since her trouble with
! her husband and why not hunt up
some nice places beyond the city where
| he could take Carroll to dine; and who
/ was the young man who had stood by
| the ships rail looking down on her
with all concentration?
| As a clock struck IL in some distant
| tower and its softened assertion floated
| to Michael, he decided that he must
| help Carroll to find some manner OF
vital interest. If she languished in that
| lurid apartment with nothing to do.
discomfort would. in spite Of her bal
ence. claim her. Therefore she must
be trained for something special and
set to work at it. That is, If she did
not marry His heart seemed to miss a
beat
OF course, he reflected, she might
marry. 1t was very probable. indeed,
that she would marry. Michael dwelt
upon the possibility and probability OF
| her marrying at great length and be-
cause it hurt and because he knew he
| might have to grow used to this form OF
! hurt and because he had never yet run
1 away. And he found, making ready for
an almost sleepless night, that he was
quite down"
Michael heard of Arch Norris at the
! beginning of the following week; he
! had hunted up the nice place beyond
| the city where he could take Carroll
to dine, and she. at least. was dining.
Her infantile appetite had survived,
| Michael saw with little of tender
amusement, and yet she remained, IN
the proper zones, as slender as reed.
Everything is so good, Mike!" she
said.
You darling!" he thought: he said,
Ever so glad it suits
IT'S charming, too," she added as
she glanced around the terrace at which
| tween them, land 1t makes you coolor
eyes now turned toward a bit of the
| Hudson, which glittered between a gap
in trees, a mirror for the last sunshine
| of that clear day. She smiled across
| the table at him then and he stif1ed a
tendency to draw deep uncertain
| breath
I've so much to tell you, Mike" she
confided, land especially of the Sum-
mers when We travelled under the best
OF chaperonage. l have positive
genius for admiring the very worst in
modern stained glass. Do you ever
do things like that?"
ITS not too often" he answered
staring fixedly at her. that I admire
anything entirely grade A. but occa-
sionally I do, and very much"
We'll. / almost never do" she mur.
INJURED, adding fervently. Mike. you
have ordered the most divine dinner!"
He said he was frightfully glad she
felt so. as he strove to please.
Well you have" she said warmly
I'm particularly sort of fond, you see,
of Russian dressing"
Carroll" he said. after a short
stretch of an entirely pleasant silence
Yes? That was good salad,
| Mike"
Glad Carroll, have you thought of
anything in the way Of work you'd like
to do?"
We'll, no." she admitted uncertainty,
and he saw that she was happily en-
barrassed.
! Il want you to-" he said. you see
| to do"
"Oh, yes" she agreed II think
work, almost any sort of honest work,
is sort Of ennobling. Will you please
pass the salt?"
I've been thinking of some manner
of special training for you," he stated
as he passed the salt.
She drew a deep breath, she tried
not to smile, but will lost out to in
stinct. Mike" she said, I'm going to
be married"
The moment had arrived during
which he had planned to lean toward
her end to say, MY dear, I'm very
happy for you," but now he couldn't
say it. He could merely stare at her
with anguished eyes. After few sec
onds that had stretched long he pressed
heat from a cigarette by bruising it
upon an ash tray. 1t had shaken vio-
lently between his long, strong fingers,
and he didn't want her to see what was
going on within him.
I'm so happy!" she confided tremu-
| lousy.