Evening star., 1934-08-26
CHAPTER XIV.

poi te conversation, there was
A. no warmth In 1t. A curious
nulnbness seemed TO have set
tied ,n the N both.
As their car stopped in front of
the nurses nome. Johnnie Casey's
shabi y vehicle was discharging pas
sengec just ahead Of them and john
ME galla at Robin Hood, was hand
ing o 1t Eirl in long cloak.
why, that's Johnnie Casey" said
Maid /. "tNurny I didn't see him
there I diin's even know he belonged
to tn fraternity and so wasn't even
loo;i for him
wv lit a minute, Cookie" came
john de's good-natured voice. You
seem to have little trouble navigat-
ing"
Ee caught hold of her arm but she
jerle'; away petulantly and Johnnie
had - run after her to give her her
cloak Cookie stood in the doorway,
a +ol lorn and tawdry figure of a
Col II 1oine, with her red wig askew.
~ lat!" shouted Gerald Pryde,
seizn Malta oy the shoulders. Were
there two Collmbines?"
$50 it appears" said Mazda coldly.
He nigh have had sense enough to
know that The creature who had at
taclet DR.. Gillespie was not the girl
he IA 1 found attractive earlier in the
eveIlil &.
'"Tten IL wasn't you with Giles
piei" he stammered Did you hear
what heard tonight?"
"Ce -tainly H. wasn't I. How dare
in fry in TO Mt "a 7
act lii e thst?"
Sl1a King With anger, Mazda jumped
out Ct thu car and ran into the
nurses home
"Dii you have a good time?" said
Bert, waking when Mazda came into
the re ON.
Mal1a fe't like giving her a sulky
enswe-, for the events of the last
hour lad ooiled the memory of the
party, but &he forced herself to some
enthu iasm In an account of the cos
tunes and The dinner.
"Wl did Gillespie take?"
sol 1e terrible woman named Alien
hof. Papa owns department store.
Giles lie WIS strutting all over the
place because he went with her"
Mai Ia turned off the light and
preral ed to crawl into bed.
'IIe5 =" sad Bert, what about your
mar? Was he wet smack?"
Tie e hail been a tire when Mazda
would have answered this by a pane
gyri;, but now that she was so angry
with him she said indifferently,
''No;h ng tc' write home about Have
heat, Bert, I have TO work tomor-
row"
She had morning hours the next
day aid on coming off duty found
note. Please call Mr.. Pryde at Green
tree 1884" She supposed he wanted
to mp )logizr. Well, let him. She
wasn't enoug gh interested in his apol-
ogy to telephone him, hat was sure.
She t,ok of her cap and bib and
threw herself on the bed for a nap.
Coo,ie wis looking rather washed
out Il is mCrning and took pains to
steer clear OF Mazda. Although MAZDA
she hf d beGn observed the night be-
fore, size evidently did not want to dis
cuss tie dance.
'ri6 you know Cookie was there?"
eskei Trum bull. "She is acting very
upstags abo1t it. You know, sort of
whats mere dance in the life of
society girl like mel She's a sulky
brute, anyway"
''vrs.s it a wild party?" asked some
one else avicly. They say Cookie got
liqucred up at dance last year and
put IN quite show"
1T was rlild enough while I was
thern. I had to be back at 1890. of
course
Thus far in the rapid questions and
comments Nadia had been able to
avoili mentioning Cookie at all and
she intendet. to continue to avoid it.
She knew vtry well what a juicy It'd
bit her account of the scene between
Cookie and I)r. Gillespie would be, but
although Co ,kie had been no friend of
hers she die not mean to get the girl
into trouble 1t had appeared last
night that The was already In some
mess.
When MAZDA came of duty at a
few minutes after 7, she found Ger
aid Pryde waiting at the hospital
door
I've been trying to get hold of
you toiay," ne said anxiously.
les i k.~ON. SIZE TeplleO.
"Y'ou didn't want to talk to me?
Is that what you inply?"
Other nurses were hurrying in and
out of the C0or, and all gazed at the
handsome n. an talking to Mazda. She
was conscious Of diss pproving glance
from one o. the head nurses. Miss
Jackson herself might be the next
one to come along.
I'm afraiG I'll have to CO." she said
stif1y. we are not allowed to stand
talking here"
"I've got my car here. I'd like
Awflllly 70 talk to you a few minutes.
Would you come OFT for a little
~hils?"
Il have to take off my uniform. All
righ;, I'll meet you in a quarter of
an hour"
No use being silly. 1t was natural
enough for him to have thought the
girl III the Columbine dress was the
one ne had left in that same spot a
short time before. Mazda realized
she would hot have been so annoyed
with him fer failing 10 recognize that
the girl was net the same if she had
thought of him merely as a casual
"blnlo da-e. 1t was because she
really liked him and felt that he had
a particular interest in her that it
hurt.
Well he was nothrg to her, and
she would not dignity the incident
by refusing to meet him. In spite
of her indifference, she took time to
comb 1er hair again and freshen up
her m makeup.
Il d1rt Lame you for being angry
with lie fer MY tactlesS speech last
night" he plunged into the subject
at cnce, af@sr he had settled Mazda
in the car and turned into the park.
9TH, girls voice was not like yours,
nor was her choice of words" he
added with e. half smile.
''Iiut what was I to think? I had
left you there and when I came back
folni you or your double having a
rather vulgar alteration with Giles
pie. 1t was one of those damnable