Evening star., 1933-10-18

she'd wait until she got to Paris, then
she'd tell Hume to take his old job:
she was going to find another, here in
Paris, here in Dreamland-
The fellow next to her was being
Objectionable again. She would have
to call the porter-no, she would ask
Mathilda to change seats with her.
Matty would know how to take care
of this kind of beetle.
Sue opened her eyes. Mathilda was
leaning forward. tapping her knee with
a folded paper
AN attendant has been motioning
to U.s." Mathilda said. Il think he
means for us to follow him to the
dining car
Sue was not hungry. The thought
of food, at the moment. was repellant
to her. Yet, anything would be better
than her own thoughts and the con-
sciousness of the man beside her.
Better leave your coat" Miss Feth-
erstone advised, 'on the seat"
mo, I'd rather not" Sue held the
coat close: 1t was the one tangible
treasure she had managed to Smuggle
out from behind the gates Of dreams.
her sole souvenir Of Dreamland. She
stepped through the door of the COM
partment into the narrow passage, di-
rectly into the path of man who was
moving forward, his head turned to OBJ
serve the country through which they
were passing. The train lurched, jos
ting him against her! Stupid! Why
couldn't men keep their elbows, their
hands, their whole hulking bodies to
themselves! She loathed coming in
contact with strangers. The man
"Sorry. Clumsy Of me. Beg your
M rdon-'
Sue allowed her eyes to cover him
with contempt. So that's who was
stumbling along, cluttering up the pas
sage, humping into innocent bystanders.
The solitary gentleman, the elegant one
who must have a compartment all to
himself so he wouldn't have to be an
noyed by human beetles crowding
against him. Most certainly she would
not pardon him for blundering against
her, and she would let him know as
much. She turned an uncompromising
leaving Miss Fetherstone to follow.
my, but wasn't you the Miss
Uppity!" Mathilda said when they were
seated at the narrow little table. no
more than a board in the wall. What
makes YOU so touchy? The young man
couldn't help the train jerking like
Il hate clowns" Sue said. Then she
smiled. When Sue smiled the sun
came out, sending warm golden lights
to dance in her dark eyes.
HE did look so funny" she told
Mathilda, when scorched him. AS
though I'd slapped him or snatched
his toys or something" He had nice
ber which, because they had been 50
startled by her sting. And he had
whisked of his hat, quickly ruffing
his hair so that the stubborn lock at
the back of his head stood up straight,
making him appear more than ever the
small boy smarting under an unde-
served reprimand.
"Matty," Sue pretended to look out
of the window, hes come into the
diner. There's only one vacant seat, at
the next table. facing us. Wouldn't
you know It? Maybe this is his private
table, too If it is. he'll have to fight
left our jinx behind in Paris
Sue chose to appear unaware OF the
young man. 1t was affectation,, OF
course. There was not moment our
ing the lunch she scarcely touched, but
over which she fingered, when she was
not conscious of him. She could feel
his eyes on her face. She could catch
the glimmer of his quizzical smile. So
he thought she was amusing, did he?
Bugs under microscopes were amusing,
too. She had made rather show OF
being bad tempered. She was. Ill at
ease and he was enjoying her discom-
future. Then she would stop being Ill
at ease. She would be nonchalant in
stead. And If the red dared mount to
her face when he looked at her again
she would hate herself forever.
Perhaps if they fingered long enough
he would finish his lunch and leave
| Then she would not have to pass his
table. But the young man opposite, it
seemed, was making quite ceremony
of his lunch. Sues patience gave out.
She walked past him with eyes fixed
| forward and was relieved to gain the
comparative comfort Of the crowded
compartment. She had arranged with
| Mathilda that they should change seats
When she caught herself watching the
passage for the tall young mans return
She commanded herself to look the other
way, but she knew when he passed. He
had hesitated the fraction of q second
and glanced in at the door.
Sue did not see him again during the
journey to Havre. Nor did she catch
SO much as a glimpse Of him as they
Comfortable cabin Glad she was shar-
ing it with Mathilda. Matty was COM
Portable, too, and comforting. Deck
chairs in the stern, out In the sunshine.
When you're closed up in an Office all
year, better soak up all the sunshine
you can get.
Sue made a leisurely toilet for dinner
and was glad she had yielded to the
extravaganza OF French hair cut the
day before. Might as well have one
last fling. Frenchmen certainly knew
their coiffures. They could lift you up
somehow, give you light and chic. The
dull green dress with the tray shoulder: