Evening star., 1936-04-14
INSTALLNIENT TX.

TAMARA went quietly to bed, to
lie awake, staring at the street
lights reflected in odd little
n angles and squares on the walls
OF the stupid boxlike bed room. Her
soul was singing. Mayne had returned
to San Francisco only this morning; it
seemed like week rather than day
since they had met; their friendship
had taken on a new color since the
parting six months ago. 1t was she,
and she alone, who had met his plane
this morning when he had arrived,
and every minute since had told her
what she so wanted to hear-to be-
1ieve, that he had singled her out
from the others, that they two be-
longed to each other.
She reviewed the day in happy
waking dream, stretching her young
body under the light bed covering,
wriggling her toes against the sheet,
sometimes laughing half aloud in
sheer excitement and eXultation. She
remembered her early start from home
that morning; she had gulped coffee
in the kitchen at 9, twisted her hat
to its most becoming angle and but
toned her new coat Snugly; she had
been picked up at her own doorway
at $50 by Murray, who always drove
for Mayne when Mayne was in town.
They had gone down through the
foggy burned fields that had smelled
of sharp dew on dry grass to Mills
Field.
1t was through this palling and
spreading fog that the great bird had
at last shown itself, throbbing noisily
in the still air, growing every instant
larger and clearer against the sky.
Presently it had swooped downward
and bumped on the earth with for
ward fitting run; stopped. Men had
run toward it, doors had fallen open,
the passengers had jumped out, and
among them had. OF course. been
Mayne. Mayne, browner and thinner
and taller than ever. beaming when
he saw Tam, throwing luggage about,
closing great arm about her as they
walked toward the waiting motor car,
"Hows my girl?"
Wonderful-now."
Tam, have you missed me?"
Missed you? You can't know"
And then they had been in the car,
their arms still linked and his face
close to her own.
Then had come the leiSurely, noisy
happy breakfast upstairs In the rooms
at the st. Francis, with every one
talking and laughing at once, and
Mayne telling them everything. Tam
beside him rather silent but smiling
in complete felicity, and his big hard
mouth busy with food while he talked.
He had done a good picture, and he
had known it, and the happiness Of
the worker well wearied and getting
his reward had been his.
And afterward? Well, afterward, on
this high-starred day somehow the
crowd had drifted away, and Mayne
and Tam had drifted on their own
account to Chinatown: his birthday
anniversary was approaching and he
had been anxious to find just the
right gorgeous oriental robe: TO blow
oneself to something decent for once,
to celebrate" Eventually they had
picked out one Of plain prllne-blue
silk with tasseled sash, and 1t had
been paid for and sent, and Mayne
and Tam had wandered on through
the queer odorous streets, and on
down to f1Sherman's wharf, where
they had had late lunch Of fresh
creamy crabmeat and Italian salad
and sour bread. watching the busy
freight and fishing traffic coming and
going on the bay, and one great boat
steaming slowly in through the Gate
with Homecoming passengers packed
at her rails.
So Persis and Joe weren't married.
Tam came back to the thought with
something Of her original surprise.
1t was funny. Not that it mattered,
really, and not that it was any Of
her business in any case, but it was
funny. Persis was really Joe's
-. 1t didn't sound right, and even
In her thoughts she left the sentence
unfinished. But she remembered
having talked embarrassedly and
rather guiltily with girl at the con-
vent once, Myra Roach, who after