Evening star., 1933-01-30

to learn precisely that which he knew
by instinct
He was good-looking boy, and the
girl at the desk was easy" He left
with leer in his eyes and a sneering
smile on his lips. and he thought TT
won't be long now, it won't be so long!"
Carroll, meantime, was smoking a
cigarette and trying to look as If It were
just nothing to smoke cigarette But
once and again the smoke would get In
her eyes, and when this happened
Michael, so tactful always, looked else
where
Mike" she said, 1--WE often thought,
since knowing all about love the way I
do now. Of your losing &iiss Terrill Did
you suffer terribly, Mike. and all that
kind Of thing?"
NO" he said bluntly, when I found
the exit knew what had been miss
ing"
Did I make that trouble?" Carroll
questioned; she had always wondered.
NO" Michael answered. Il couldn't
love any woman who treated a shy, lit
tie faltering girl as she treated you. No
man wants to tie himself to coldly CAL
culating cruelty"
.! shall never forget spilling the tea"
od1o SdIIOl.
Nor shall T." said Michael
The old days came back to Michael,
and through a very genuine variety of
pain; the old days that had made him,
as old days make all men, SO much of
what he was. His final interview with
Marcia: her dangerous calm when she
said, Michael, I am forced to ask you
to choose between me and-that child,
whom Malcolm Wetheran has never ac-
knowledged."
He had tried to explain that she was
not asking him to choose between her
self and any human, but that she was
asking him to choose that which he
must see was wrong. And it became
obvious as they talked, with increasing
neat, that she did not care how much
he compromised his sense of honor of
which he never spoke, SO long as she
had her way.
Carroll" said Michael, his revery
done, "does Mrs. Norris know Of your
being engaged to her son?"
Il think not" said Carroll, "but Of
course, Arch will tell her very soon"
"Oh, of course" Michael agreed. per-
haps a little overloudly. 'Any man
who is proud Of his girl wants to shout
1.-THE grand fact that he's got her
from the penthouse roof"
Mike, he is proud of it," she stated;
a little added colcr was on her cheeks
and her eyes held good deal of re-
sentiment. Hes terribly proud of it.
He said to me he was lucky; he said he
didn't know what he'd ever done to be
SO lucky he said lots of things like
that, SO you needn't think. just because
he hasn't happened TO tell his mother,
that he isn't proud of it,"
: Right. dear said Michael, sorry II
I annoyed you"
"You did, little" she admitted, with
a return to her usual gentleness, be
cause you see. Mike, I can't bear to
have any one fail to realize how won-
derful Arch is!'
Il want to meet him soon, Carroll"
oh, yes, Of course, Mike. He'll be
wild to meet you
Michael doubted this. He said,
echoing CAROLS modern phraseology,
I'm wild to meet him He also
thought. grimly, I'm wild to knock all
his teeth, including his wisdom teeth,
II he has any, down his gullet" And
the wish made him wonder whether he
was being unfair to young Norris, but,
seeing again young Norris shifty eyes,
he thought he was not. Then, after a
murmured apology. he looked at his
watch. 1t was, as he had feared, quite
time to take her home.
but mother Will be out anyway" she
said. wistfully. She told me she was
going to the place early tonight; that
she had things to do" Carroll didn't
want to go. A round silver moon was
growing bold and frosting the world.
Sorry" said Michael, but we must
go; for although your mother is out,
others are out too. and here and watch
ing, and We can't have anything happen
to you that isn't little bit nicer than
anything that could happen to any one
else.
Mike was darling and dear, but he
was old. Carroll realized. For instance,
Arch would have let her sit upon the
enchanted terrace for half the night, or
longer if she liked
1T has been lovely" she said, con-
scientiously; she was adjuring herself to
remember what she had had and not
what she had lost, but this form Of re-
membering is not learned early nor
easily.
TO Be Continued Tomorrow