Evening star., 1936-03-29
March 70. 1896


Phil" she said with odd anxiety,
II won't let you go. You can't 90.
There's no car to take you"
I'm going to walk" he answered
and turned toward the door.
Does it occur to you that you're
being very rude and andheartless?"
His face grew red but color did not
soften it. Weren't you heartless," he
asked, Ito invite me here when you
were engaged to Bob Wallace? You
can omit the look of surprise, Melissa
Your mother made me welcome by
telling me. She and you and that
damned dog haven't been exactly
polite" She tried to break in but the
hushed violence of his speech swept
her words away. You're heartless.
You're a selfish little flirt - and |
love you more than everything else in
life. That s the exit line of my scream
ingly comic act. You and Bob can
laugh your heads off at it,"
Phil! she called. oh Phil -"
The slam of the front door cut her
off.
Dust clogged Meredith's progress.
The suitcase banged against his leg.
Yet he marched on. The drama of his
departure sustained him. He had at
least disOwned the role OF clown for
which Melissa and Pluto had cast him.
He WINGED at memory of her hurt
look, cursed himself for a fool and
shifted the suitcase to his other hand.
The road lay empty ahead - SYM
Dol of his future, he told himself.
He thought runaway horse bore
down upon him. He wheeled and
found he had exaggerated his solitude.
Meredithleaped aside and the foiled
Pluto slid past. all brakes set, whipped
around and came galumphing back.
Pluto's ears tapped. his tail was a
blur. the body between displayed all
the erraticism of poor coordination,
but in the sOrrowful eyes below the
beetling brow we're love unutterable
and the joy of reunion.
Go home." Meredith snarled. Go
home. you =" No lack of invective
checked him. Pluto sprang upon his
beloved. who reeled and dropped his
suitcase and at last pushed the dog
down. Get out of here" the man
stormed, with the ghastly impotence
of nightmare. Go homer
Inspection of his plight increased
his horror He could not march to the
station. squired by gargantuan and
mildly insane Newfoundland puppy.
He picked up stone and flung it.
Go home." he yelled "or III -"
Pluto had looked startled as the
stone had whizzed past and now
bounded away. Meredith grinned.
then groaned. With the missile in his
mouth, the pup returned, gambolling.
He laid the stone at Meredith's feet
and looked up eagerly.
"Oh Lord" the man surrendered
and retraced his steps. About him,
Pluto ranged in dishevelling glee. He
leaped on stone walls to the clatter of
dislodged boulders. He beat up dust
storm by frenzied galloping along the
road, and he ranged through the
fields like embodied havoc.
Meredith walked on tiptoe past the
empty porch. The house seemed de-
serted. He might tether Pluto more
securely and flee again. unobserved.
He stole into the backyard. By the
kennel, Melissa waited.
Sun-smitten hair was glory above
her face. Her fairness pierced even the
leathery sensibilities of the puppy,
who bore down upon her. roaring. She
bent and gathered the great dark head
to her BOSOM. Meredith found him.
self walking toward her. He babbled:
He got loose somehow. He followed
me. l had to"
She rubbed her cheek against the
velvety, domed forehead of the New
foundland. "He slipped his collar"