Evening star., 1933-05-28

~ Terry MOnCgOmery--
You didn't know him, did you?
n Well, I'll tell you, he of
those nice lads who was always
getting himself in jam because he
was too nd-hearted. You know, the easy
going sort who is constantly being imposed on
not only by friends, but by total strangers.
There is something in that kind of person
that you can recognize at glance.
Old Terry was in hot water most of the time
because of his good nature, but nothing really
serious happened until he met Hortense at a
dinner at the Parkers. OF course there was
the time he nearly got jailed as a kidnaper
because he agreed to hold a squalling baby in
his arms while the mother went into a shop,
but nothing came of it.
Hortense was a different matter.
Yes. Smiths daughter-you've seen pictures
of her in the papers. Large, almost handsome
girl with too much chin.
At the Parkers dinner Terry found himself
paired off with her and he admitted afterward
when he told me the whole story, that some
unidentified part of his nervous system snapped
q warning at him that she spelled trouble for
him. If he'd had any ideal Hortense seemed
to like him right away and concentrated her
attention on him all during dinner. Being
what he was, Terry didn't attempt to break
\ay from her and by the time the coffee was
wed she had developed quite possessive air
toward him.
I've always thought-although, of course
couldn't make authoritative statement to
this effect-that HortenSe had decided with
the meat course that she would marry Terry.
Possibly it wasn't until the dessert, but I'm
inclined to favor the former theory. When
I asked Terry about it he unable to help
me because he confessed, Hortense had
him frightened by the time the fish was
served that he lost all track of time and was
incapable of coherent thought during the rest
of the meal. But he was able to tell me
positively that when he rose from the table he
had the sensation of not having risen of his
own accord at all, but of having been picked
up gently by Hortense and put in her pocket
He was intensely miserable during the re-
mainder of the evening and was not at all sur
prised when he found himself escorting Hor-
tense to her home
Poor old Terry spent sIeepless night and
his nerves were ragged when the phone rang
the next morning at o'clock and a CHEEKY
and unnstakable voice said Good morning,
old dear!'
Good morning" Terry mumbled in what he
hoped was disguised voice. Mr.. Montgomery,
isn't in"
The response to that feeble effort was a
gay laugh from the other end Of the line.
Joking so early in the morning." You
must be feeling happy. I'll meet you for lunch
on East Fifty at l. Good-by till then"
Terry wasn't given chance for another word
Hher, of course, for lunch and realized all
cser again that he could never hope to combat
that firm chin and that proprietary manner.
Her breezy self possession terrified him. but he
simply couldn't do anything about it. Any
other man, you know, would have bid her a
firm farewell at the end Of the lunch and
allowed himself to be exposed to her
again. But TerTy's old inability to hurt any
one made him as clay-and very pliable clay
at that-in her hands.
That lunch date. by the way, was the first
OF series of meetings. From that day on
Terry could not call his soul his own. He ate
lunch with her, drank cocktails with her, took
her to dinner and the theater danced with her
at night clubs followed her around picture gal
leries sat next TO her at concerts and finally
-tthis was evidence of the final breakdown of
any character or morale he might have laid
claim to-, rode in the park with her before
breakfast! Not having known Terry you may
not be able to appreciate to the fullest just
what that meant, but you can believe me when
tell you that till then his one streak of stub
bornness, his evidence of a mind of his
own had been his determination in the face
Of any obstacle to sleep until at least IL in the
morning.
II was enough to tear the heart out Of you
to see Terry drag himself from his blankets
at IN the morning To watch him cantering
bEiskly around the bridal paths of Central Park