Evening star., 1936-06-19
INSTALLMENT xxx.

SInu uSBCu.
so what?" His grin was
- strained 1T had to happen
some time. It might as we'll happen
Christmas eve. Gray is only the di-
rector. I'll get in touch with Levy.
It's his money that's tied up with the
show"
II feel like a dirty crook" Jan cried,
desperately. After all Mr.. Gray has
done for us!"
You've done plenty for his show,
Shell said as he went to the telephone.
Hell get over it."
While he called several places, try
ing to get Levy, it was Patience who
explained to the befuddled Johnny
what all the excitement was about.
When he finally understood, his face
crumpled He looked as though he
were going to cry.
Gosh" he blew his nose, noisily,
"I come all the way from Kansas to
cheer you girls up for Christmas and
look what I up and done-the first
thing Messed everything up and
made jamie lose her job"
Jan smiled affectionately through
her tears.
Bless your heart, Johnny! 1t isn't
your fault. I'd rather have you for
Christmas than all the jobs in the
world"
You're just bein' polite" Johnny
wiggled, miserably. But, gosh, why
didn't you write and tell me?"
Il didn't dream you'd come to New
York to surprise us. And when We
started this crazy idea I thought I'd
be dressing like a boy only few
days. But don't you worry. We're
going to have a grand time showing
you New York"
Il kind of thought I'd like to go see
the Statue of Liberty" Johnny cheer
ed up a little.
Shell tri-a every place he could
think of II d Levy might be, to no
avail Finally he gave up.
It'll keep till morning." he said,
lightly, going over and fitting Pa
tience's worried face to kiss her. And
you stop looking as though the world
had ended, Mrs. Pease."
Johnny's jaw dropped.
Gosh! You amt married.
Jan looked thunderstruck as the
truth daWned on her. She ran to
Patience and Shell and tried to kiss
them both at once.
"Oh, I'm so happy!" She cried and
laughted at the same time, forgetting
her troubles in her excitement. why
didn't you tell me?"
I'VE didn't know ourselves-until
this evening after you left for the
theater." Patience held all the hap
piness in the world IN her shining
face. 1T all happened very suddenly"
When are you going to be mar
ried?" Jan smiled, wisely, feeling she
had engineered the whole thing.
LAS soon as the license bureau opens
the morning after Christmas" Shell
supplied the answer Before this
tickle Wench here changes her mind
and marries for gold"
A worried look crossed Patience's
face when she thought of facing Col
Steele and telling him the truth. She
hoped he would understand and that
he wouldn't think too harShly of her
for giving up her job so soon.
Shell had demanded, most maScu-
linely, that she give it up without any
notice whatsoever. He would not have
her going back to the millionaire's
Office after she became his wife, In
fact, he had seemed delightfully."- 5eal-
GUS.
Johnny accepted Shells invitation
10 share his apartment. At o'clock
he went to bed across the hall. Jan
went into her own room and lay down.
But there was no use trying to sleep.
1t was wonderful to think that Pa
thence had found love and romance
some one who meant more to her
than Col. Steele and all his millions
could ever have meant. 1t was mar
velous to love like that. Patience, she
was afraid, was made Of little finer
stuff than herself.
She faced Janell Keats, squarely,
and her heart grew heavy and sore
when she went over all her past mis-
takes. Why, oh, why had she been see
ing Hileary. for one thing? She tried
to make herself believe she had loved
him.
But she hadn't. She had wanted
Hilary Payne Totten. Sd, because
he had the biggest car in Green Acres,
and the most money. He had been
away to college and he dressed better
than any of the boys she had known.
She wanted pretty clothes and bright
lights, and the title of social leader
of Green Acres. That was why she
had let him come back.
She knew then that she could never
keep her date with him the next
evening. And she wondered, feet
ingly, what her Christmas present
was to have been. He had told her
1t was being made and it might
take several days longer before it
was finished.
He had made no attempt, in so far
as she could see, to get job. as he
had promised. And she wondered if
he had really been interviewing dif-
ferent people about jobs, the even
ings when he made excuses for not
taking her out. Strangely, it didn't
matter.
Whatever her future might be,
Hilary would not share it with her
in any way. She had no desire to
pay MIN DacK III Ine same coin ne nad
paid her when he ran away and left
her to face Green Acres. But she
meant to drop curt little note to
his hotel and ask him never to bother
her again.
At o'clock, Patience and Shell
went for an early morning stroll
along Broadway.
This is the coolest thing I've
ever DONE" Patience said, smuggling
cIose tn his arm and lauchino I'm