Evening star., 1933-08-27
INSTALLMENT XIV.

his cry Shame-facedly ne
lifted his head from the steer
4 lrs *'heel and wiped his eyes
after the StorIYi.
The cobWebS felt all washed out OF
his brain For the first time in many
days he felt he could think clearly
Women were lucky. They turned on
the tears at the slightest provocation.
He'd never know what relief letting
down like that could be.
Tommy looked up at the orange
trees bathed in the California moon
light and saw that the world, after all,
was not such bad place. He was
surprised to find that he could even
think of Mary coherently.
Well, one thing was certain-he'd
have to see Mary the next day and be-
gin to get back into her good graces.
Curt Little was trying to ruin her-of
that all the reasoning in the world
could not diSSuade him. There could
be no good in the association of an
old man with money and young girl.
Even if the old man were only 80.
But if he (Tom) kept on making
Mary angry and giving her the impress
sion he thought she was only a child
with no common sense, he'd have no
chance to get in his evangelistic cam
paign. Mary must be saved in spite Of
deal more cleverly than he had been.
Tommy sat reasoning with himself
for an hOur-turning plans over in his
mind. When he nosed the old car to-
ward town he was almost smiling He
didn't even blame Freckle for getting
haro boiled with him. She was a good
egg. A diamond in the rough. She
didn't have MaryS bringing up or good
breeding--but she was human and no
doubt meant well He guessed he had
waxed little clerical at times in his
eagerneSs to make Mary see things as
he saw them.
Tommy even slept we'll that night.
He went out job hunting the next
morning with great deal of pep, good
resolutions ooZing from every pore. It
was the same miserable round he'd
made every day-with no luck. BY late
afternoon he was dog tired and heart
sick with encouragement.
But he meant to see Maryland he
squared his shoulders and fought back
his impulse to slump into the blues
again. Tommy knew Mary left Nine
Dumas at 6. So at 4:30 he hurried
back to his room to get ready to meet
her.
When he surveyed himself in the
mirror in his room he realized he
needed hair cut badly. He'd been SO
in the dumps he'd neglected himself
So he ran downstairs to the barber shop
and parted reluctantly with the price of
trim.
Then while he bathed he rushed his
one suit down to the tailor to be pressed
Carefully he selected his most becoming
tie and after his bath sat champing at
the bit until his suit came back
In the mirror he practiced smiling
naturally-and made up his mind just
how he was to approach Mary at the
door when she came out. She'd be so
surprised to see him looking all spruced
up and like his old self again that he
felt certain of victory Happily he pic
tured her hopping in the old car and
riding away with him. He'd take her
home and they'd talk it over. Mary
would see that he just wanted to be
good friends again-and at least part
of the time she was spending with Curt,
Little would be his. AS long as Mary
was peeved with him Little had all the
tire to get in his dirty work.
Tommy drove up in front Of Nine.
Dumas shop Is minutes early and sat
impatiently. his heart humping until
he thought the people passing by must
hear it. The most beautiful girls OF the
movie colony passed by and glanced
in the old car. They thought he was
a college boy. College boys, no matter
how much money they had, often drove
old wrecks 1t was smart But Tommy
paid no more attention to the Turing
half smiles of the lovely damsels than
if they had been ugly and toothless and
tottering on the brink of century. His
eyes were glued to the door where he
knew Mary would emerge when she left
the shop.
He was so busy watching for her
that he was not aware OF the fact that
a limousine had stopped behind his old
car. Nor that the chauffeur Of the big
car had honked disdainfully for him to
pull up and give it more room.
And he. also was unaware that the
chauffeur had turned with a rueful
grin and apologized to his master for
not being bale to get closer to the door
of Dumas. A tall, handsome man with
wavy snow-white hair jumped out OF
the car and glanced in amusement at
Tommy. sitting all shined up and dead
to the world in the miserable old wreck,
Then he sighed little enviously that
one could be young enough ana lnoe.
pendent enough to sit like young goa
and ignore car that had PROBABLY cost
more than he could earn in 10 years OF
his eager, happy life.
1t was Curt Little. And he felt
little older when he turned from his
amused perusal Of Tommy and his car
and hurried in through the door OF
Dumas shop to meet Mary.
The minutes dragged like hours Tor
Tommy while he sat waiting. Tor MS
zero hour He saw a curtain drawn at
the window display and knew ne
wouldn't have much longer to linger.
When the employees began to leave the
building he got out of his car ana
STOOD first on one foot, then on the
other. pulling at the tie and Wettlng MS
lips nervously.
Then he saw Mary, She swung
through the door lightly, and ne mao
never thought her quite so little ana
dear and desirable. His heart gave a
great leap to his throat as he took a
step toward her.
But the smile that he had practiced
so diligently died before he had a
chance to use it. For almost as sud-
denly as he had seen Mary he saw
fall white-haired man take her arm
and smile down at her. NV
lust then Mary saw Tommy. roi
the fraction of second he saw ner 1aCe
turn white with fear-and he thougnt
II was anger. Mary was petrlfled. Sne
was so afraid that Tommy would sud-
denly pounce upon Curt Little and reno
him limb from limb that she felt ner
knees weaken under her ana sne
turned cold all over.
To hide her terror she threw ner
little head back and curled young, req
lips in a disdainful little smile. Tommy
stood rooted to the spot, while sne
passed him and got into the Limousine.
h1ycu y,vIftiYD