The Washington times., 1935-11-09

In handy on a rainy night or
something"
She shook her head. "I almost
never get this far downtown any
more"
Kipp sighed and slipped the key
IN his pocket. But you will have
o cocktail?"
"If you could be very quick
about it. I have a dinner en-
gagement at six"
Kipp said he could be very
quick about it. He said then:
''But about this dinner engage
ment. Couldn't something be
done about it? Couldn't you get
out Of it and stay here and dine
with me? You see I've just moved
in here and I feel the occasion
calls for some sort Of a celebra-
ton. sort Of housewarming, II
you see what I mean. -" He
smiled at her hopefully.
She said: 'I see what you mean
.. but I couldn't. Not tonight"
"Some other night, perhaps?"
Perhaps"
For a moment their eyes met
across the firelit room and, meet
ing, admitted certain things.
That they liked what they saw
when they looked at each other,
that they were both finding this
encounter Unexpectedly exciting
and stimulating.
Then Kipp said: about that
cocktail. I'm afraid it will have
to be an orange blossom. VIII that
do?"
It would do, she assured him,
beautifully. And she got up from
the sofa and followed him into
the kitchen and began helping
him squeeze oranges. When she
stood beside him, the top Of her
head came Just level with his
shoulder. Her fingers, pressed
against the oranges, were very
slim and brown. -...- .....-..
Little thing, aren't you?" he
announced gravely, looking down
at her. "But sort of sturdy too. e.
nice, flat shoulders :"
"Oh, yes" she assured him
gravely, I'm quite husky, thank
you."'
"I didn't know" he told her
seriously, 'that eyelashes really
grew as long as yours. They're
positively disconcerting."
$50 I've been told"
"I1l bet you have. I'll bet you've
been told lots of other things. "
''I have. I've been told, for in
stance. that I shouldn't drink
cocktails in Village apartments
with strange young men. -"
But I'm not really strange. I
mean you know Ted and Judy
Sleeper and I don't know them
but I've rented this flat Of them;
that ought to make us something,
don't you think?"
"Well, I would hardly say it
made us old friends. casual &C
quaintances, perhaps. ="
Cali right. Let's leave it that
way. That's good enough to start
on, anyhow. There certainly is
nothing wrong in drinking a very
mild cocktail with a casual ac-
quaintance. Is there?" he de-
manded triumphantly. "a n d
whether there is or not" he con-
tinued gravely, "you are going to
do it because this happens to be
one Of the more important days
Of my life and it's just occurred
to me that finding you like this is
going to make it still more i'm
portant."
She lifted her eyelashes and re-
Garded him with nicely amused,
smoke-gray eyes. Then very slowly,
they lost their amusement and
became gently astonished "'Why,
you mean that" she said slowly,
"you really mean it.. how awfully
funny"
EYES," said Kipp, staring at her
and discovering to his own aston
ishment that he did. IT do mean
It. And it's not funny at all. On
the contrary, it's damned discon-
certing!" And he broke an egg
viciously against the side Of a vel
low bowl. ViciouSly, because sud-
denly he was remembering that
he had come here to this flat to
work. and that he didn't want
to get emotionally involved at the
moment with any small girl in a
gray wool dress and red patent
leather belt. He would give her a
cocktail and send her on about
her business. He broke another
egg.
WELL" she said, and she now
was laughing at him quite openly,
"you needn't get so frightfully up
set about it. After all, it was
your suggestion. not mine.
'I haven't the slightest desire
to become important to anyone, ]
assure you."
There are some crackers" he
told her shortly, lin that blue jar
and there's some anchovy paste
about somewhere -"
Perhaps" she said, a little
mockingly, wed better not bother
with these cocktails after all. Per
haps I had better go at once. .
"It would probably be better fo1
me-" Kipp told her, with a cool
deliberateneSS, dropping ice cubes
1ntn khA ShokaT GGiF xyo1, lid I