Evening star., 1934-02-11
N0Guarantee- -WithLOve
But Who Wants One, Any2Vay?
One Of The Star Magazines
First-Run Stories.
By Katherine Greer
Illustrated by Il. G. Skrenda -
YDEAR, he's pure husband!'
~ n n Janey Mallon had warned
~ ~ her. mo injurious chemi-
Gals, no harsh irritants,
he'd Thanks


Sarita laughed. Thanks
er the information, darling. think. after ALL
accept Helens invitation. Ever since tney
oved back East I've been promising to spend
week at their place in the country, but
,.as holding off for fear Helens husband was
Ike Mary JOS
"Or like mlne-why don't you add? Oh L
NOW Jim was mad about you all last Summer
The Door lamb even boasted that he'd kissed
YOU the night of the club masquerade"
The traitor! didn't tell soul! But mes
over it now-he adores you. Janey-
oh. yes, know he does He adores me
and Francie Philips at the moment. But don't
think I blame you Sarita, or Francie either
It's never the girls fault when Jim wanders
He has the married mans Jitters-pracucally
ncurable You'll know what mean when you
marry Len Creighton"
Il don't have to marry Len to get your
meaning. In fact, as I've told you before
am not marrying him. But some other girl Will
and if it's any consolation to you, he'll be
oyen worse than your Jim as husband"
Sarita was remembering that conversation. as
ne stuffy local swayed its lelsurey way
lrough smoke-screened February draoness OF
0lling farm country. brakeman opened the
,or to call a station, and brought with MN
NV supply of nauseating coal gas Saf'a
,lried her nose in the damp woodsy fragrance
, the purple orchids, whose perfection adorned
,ne soft fur Of her coat collar.
She glad Len had sent orchlds tooaS,
stead of mis- usual gardenias She preferred
rdenias but there was certain olstmcton
. bout orchids prestige that might be useful
al Helen Yarrows. If it were true that Helen
could boast a perfect husband, she might nave
81 inclination to become patronizng. santa
might need proof that she had beau, at least.
II worst came to worst, she could ADMIT with
,ecoming modesty-and truthfulness-that ne
mad asked her to marry him. and that she had
With he
cf married friends would insist upon knowing
WHY she had refused him. Wasn't he going
+, survive the present crisis? Couldn't he
carry his liquor? Sarita should remember that
she was close to 80. though heaven knows you
don't look it, H"'An m eht add grudgingly
with the re-
\A/EIL, time enough to think up answers
w for Helen when she had had = look at
the guaranteed husband. She wouldn't have
too much faitn in Janey's description until she
saw Davis Yarrow. No married woman could
Judge another vomans husband not even the
canny Janey who knew more about her own
than most wives. Because she was the only
unmarried girl in the crowd, Sarita could have
told them all a thing or two, If she had chosen.
But she didn't choose. Ten years from now
she might want their children TO call her
Aunt Sari" Old maids, in these days
of boasted independence and opportunities for
women, were lonely and pathetic creatures.
Even Len had threatened her: you've got to
marry somebody
Another constitutional amendment, Mr.
Creighton?" she had challenged.
you're not cut out to be an old maid. You're
too attractive. You like men too we'll"
odd maids like men, don't they?"
You like me-
Sometimes she acknowledged when
you're good. you're very, very good"
And when I'm bad-go on and say it.
know I behave abominably at times.
eternal devotion; then, when you go out Of town
somebody sees me in q speakeasy with chorus
girl, or holding hands across q lunch table
with the red headed infant ut the telephone
desk at our Office. But Sarita, you're in my
mind every instant" He had become suddenly
earnest. IF I really had you-n were
marred-it would be different. I'd never look
at another woman"
That deep vibrance in his voice was hard TO
resist, but Sarta had withstood him and man
aged TO laugh IS she answered, "Oh, I'm not
jealous Of other women, Len, -sny more than
I'm jealous OF your golf foursome, and year
polo ponies, and the athletic trainer at your
club. You simply aren't the husband type.
And know too much about husbands to take
chance with the odds piled up against me-"
She hadn't heard the term then, but that was
what she wanted-a man who ives pure
husband"
THE train stopped with mild jolt Beech
wood Station" Sarita read on the neat
sjgnboard suspended between two posts. In
the cid days Helen would have met her, but