Evening star., 1934-04-29

" Marloriy gropeo WIN one nana i,l
I for a possible morsel OF milk
chocolate This quest proving
hopeless, she brought up the speed again. She
was hungry and Providence was still IS miles
away.
It was midnight, with the stars cleaning
low in an April sky. The quiet darkness gave
a frame in consequence, to a large, clumsy
white truck parked few feet from the road
at her left.
She saw as she neared this curious caravan,
that the body of the truck had been converted
into small diner. Crisp white curtains
adorned windows hardly larger than headlights
a series of small green steps led to the diners
open door. large sign announcing that this
was Bobs Place completed an invitation TO
coffee hamburgers and hot-dogs. Mar]ory
drew in a long breath, anticipantly-and
headed her ear into the parking space.
She sauntered into the diner as she would
have sauntered into the Ritz This manner Of
possession seldom annoyed anybody-becauSe
Mariory Trents self-assurance was quiet, and
even engaging. At the moment the belt OF
her tweed coat was fastened tightly about her
waist-and she had the waist of schoolgirl
Her hands were showed into her pockets and
her thick, bronze -colored curls were swept back
from a face that remarkably easy to con-
template. She could dress simply, even shah
bly, because she the daughter OF G. b.
Trent of the railroads
There was no one in the diner save tail
young man who was busy putting fresh dough-
nuts into a large glass jar. Marjory swung up
to a stool before the counter and requested
coffee with cream and hamburger without
onions.
The young man turned around, glanced at
her briefly, and smiled.
"A /HEN she was about 10 years old Marjory
w Trent had decided what the man she
wanted was going to be like. This image. save
for a few subtle changes, had persisted through
the next 13 years. And here. at last, he was
in white duck suit that didn't have anything
to do with yacht.
Dazedy she watched the young man knife
roll and flip a large pellet Of hamburger on
the gridde Of a small, well-polished stove
"Mustard?" he demanded, over his shoulder.
"Please," said Marjory.
"There you are," said the young man.
'Well," said Marjory after she'd buried her
teeth in the hamburger. "this is terribly good.
Have you had 'em patented"
He laughed.
1.-THE success Of a place like this" he ex-
planned, "s due to the fact that no one would
stop here If he weren't hungry enough to eat
hardtack-and like it."
'It must be fun," she said, running place
like this
"If you were interested" he said eagerly.
'I could show you the ropes"
She stared at him.
"of course it wouldn't bring in much Just
at first" the young man went on. "There'd
be your initial outlay"
She asked herself frantically, II he could
see her big car through any one Of the win
dows. For the first time in her life she was
ashamed of the car-and of all it represented.
Running a place like this would be an anus
ing thing for her to do in the Summer, he
said if she were putting herself through col
lege anything like that.
Marjory agreed with him, and changed the
subject deftly.
But all the time Marjory was wondering
how she could explain to her father what she
felt about young man whose name must be
Bob-because he had gloriaed hot-dog stand
called Bob's Place on the road to Providence.
Maybe" said Marjory to herself. "it's the
Spring. 1t gets people" But never had Spring
had effect like this.
At that precise moment he looked out Of
one of the windows and saw the car.
"You were telling me about that book you
were reading" she reminded him, with Ger
tain uneasineSs.
I'm afraid it would be rather dull" he said
coldly, "for some one who wasn't interested in
economic problems"
'You thought was some sort of-of I'm
pecunious college girl until you saw my car"
she said slowly.
He gave small, noncommtal gesture and
turned back to his well-polshed stove with an
air of finality. He had a sef-confidence al
most obvious her She tried to
analyze curious emotion-and discovered that
it was anger But it was the controlled anger
of the sportsman, quietly determined to win.
She gave him smie-conscious that 1t was
smile she seldom bothered to expend on any
body.
"Hov much?" she asked.
Fifteen cents" he told her