Evening star., 1933-10-01

Good match" Mr. Yates said Let's wash
it down. They're on me. won eight bucks
on the deck races this morning
In the bar Mr.. Douglass discovered that Mr..
Cleaves dress importer. Mr.. Dobenfeld
a lawyer, and Mr. Yates was in rugs.
They were travelling on business and OF course
were going to the Grand National. From their
wallets they produced tickets the Sweep
stakes. gazed sidelong at the numbers and
murmured Wonder how it feels to win a mil
lion dollars?"
Mr.. Douglass left them with a pleasant
tightness his chest He reached the
dining room few minutes before the doors
closed. Mr.. Tinsrnore and Mrs Lenihan were
finishing. Mr.. Douglass was delighted to be
able to say, Il hope you don't mind my being
ones
He sobered quickly on a cup of madrilene,
large slab of cold ham, some rissoIe potatoes
and two cups Of coffee. He aware then
that Van Skaat and his party had entered
the room and were moving toward their table.
Mr.. Van Skaat walked toward Mr. Douglass,
who looked uncertainty behind his chair to
whom Van Skaat wanted Van Skaat
smiled and said Il beg your pardon. My name
is Van Skaat"
Il couldn't very well help knowing that"
Mr. Douglass said. Mines Douglass
Il hope you won't mind my descending on
you this way, Mr. Douglass"
Not at ALL" He liked this young man
Il saw some Of your tennis" Van Skaat said.
Il never played before in my life
You shouldn't have told me- / thought
you did we'll The fact is I've come to ask
if you'd be willing to team up with me in the
doubles tournament We'd win"
I'm sure" Mr.. Douglass said, you can
find better partner"
No, really. Mr.. Douglass He nodded
toward his table. "Cheltner isn't bad but he
says the center Of court is too far away from
bottle And Gissing has no wind"
"An right" Mr.. Douglass said. 1t was evil
dent that Gissing was too fat. and Cheltner's
lids were heavy and his hands uncertain
He did not tell Mr.. Tinsmore and Mrs
Lenihan of the honor that had come to him.
At IL o'clock in the darkness of some
body's deckchair against the aft stack or
the top deck. he was thinking that the trr
could stop at any time and it would still be
a success. For once he was on the right side
OF the footlights, in the show. sense OF
accomplishment flowed in his veins and
frightened his horizons. As he sat in the cold
blackness he heard footsteps and low voices
He saw Mrs. Van Skaat and Cheltner cross the
shaft of light from the emergency battery
room. They paused in the lee of ventilator
near him.
If you wouldn't drink quite so much" Mrs
Van Skaat said, Il might pay more attention
to you
DO you want me to drown my sorrows in
tea?" Cheltner said.
You might try amusing them. I'm sure
there are beautiful women on board who would
assist Jason Cheltner in amusing his SORROWS"
rs that one of the nice things you'd say
to me if I Strengthened out?" he said
you're idiot, Jason"
I'm in love with you"
IF you're in love with me-" Mrs. Van Skaat
said you showed horrid taste in accepting
Dicks invitation to come along There were
other sailings, you know"
Lets leave Dick out of it," Cheltner said
"You love him and I'm rather fond Of him
and that's that. All say is what he doesn't
know won't hurt him"
Il think, JASON" she said, wed better join
the sane people"
Mr. Douglass tried to erase what he had
heard from his mind. 1t disturbed him.
The next day in the fEst round of the
doubles tournament Van Skaat and Mr..
Douglass beat two young English boys, 14-8,
15-11 Mr.. Douglass had pretty good time,
and yet uppermost in his mind was the fear
that perhaps Van Skaat's home was burning,
in manner of speaking, and he could not
tell him.
There was a changed attitude at luncheon.
You're the quiet one," Mrs. Lehman said,
mot telling us you knew Mr.. Van Skaat."
Mr. Tinsmore said he would be much obliged
If Mr. Douglass would introduce him.
During the afternoon Mr.. Douglass met Mrs.
Lenihan alone on deck and they chatted for
some time and he was forced to revise his
opinion Of her. He found her to be a restful
person who poured out her troubles in a half
humorous, half f-impersonal way. Looking at
him as though she had suddenly discovered
gold, she said, Il like you, Mr. Douglass. And
yon know, believe it's because you don't
preach"