Evening star., 1936-05-18
IS A NIGEL EYES" He Graded
~ the fower-like young face
~ in his tanned hands and
y hAayed a tremendous mock


"Yaller," the girl giggled self
consciously. and screwed her eyes
tightly shut. "or pink, maybe"
Pink eye is catchin'. Git out Of my
vehicle!"
Don't like your ole kiddie car any
way!"
She laughed and pushed his hands
away. But after short tussle he
pinned her hands behind her and bent
back the curly, close-cropped black
head. his close to her lush, red mouth.
This is romance. Don't be so con-
tagious, woman! I could never marry
q gal II I didn't even know the color
of her eyes, could I? Wait! I have
1t! Powder blue!"
Through the wild beating Of her
heart, Janell heard him repeat softly,
powder blue" and he seemed to have
forgotten to try to sound light and
airy.
Through a mist she felt his lips
on her mouth and all self-conscious-
ness left her So that for the first
time in her II years she answered a
boys kiss. Janeu Keats resented the
presumption of the callow youths of
her crowd who took her out and
parked and tried to make love to her.
1t was long time before Hi let her
60. She rested her head on his
shoulder with little sigh of content.
But the boy slumped down and stared
at the wheel of his bright yellow car,
an expensive imported car.
Back in Janell's mind was the irking
consciousness that it was probably
past the lunch hour-that she ought
to be getting back to her switchboard
at the Green Acres telephone ex-
change. But she closed the powder
blue eyes tightly against such ire
levant reality.
It helped to shut out the black,
eun-baked Kansas landscape where
green acres of wheat had once waved,
and where sunhowers had once nodded
In the fence corners now piled high
with drifted sand. On small. sand
buried ranch few miles away Janells
parents, Jan and Nell Keats, strug-
gled valiantly against just such a
picture.
The boy sighed, without moving.
$50 this is love" Then he glanced
eidewise to catch her small nod Of
assurance. But he did rot kiss her
again. His hands gripped the steering
wheel.
II suppose you know this means,
I'm asking you to marry me, Jan.
Janell squeezed her eyes tightly to-
gether again-this time to keep the
tears from falling down her cheeks.
"A-are you?" her smile trembled.
tThe-the answer is-y-yes."
She expected he would take her in
his arms again. But instead he kept
his eyes glued to the wheel Let's get
married right away" he said. With
out any fuss or feathers. Okay, sweet
heart?"
Jannell nodded happily. That's
what I'd like, too. couldn't afford
even one lii feather"
"How's about getting married to-
morrow morning? Then I'll buy you
a million lii feathers. Ill buy you
the moon, trimmed with feathers, II
you cry for it,
The powder blue eyes, wide with
dreams, looked dubious. Tomorrow?
That's an awfully big hurry"
I'm superstitious about long en-
gagements," Hi urged. Let's elope
tonight. In my ship"
Jannen had a strange feeling Of
unrealty-as though she would surely
wake up and find it all dream. She
was not really sitting in Hi Totten's
car by the side of the little closed
road two miles from town. Soon the
alarm clock would go of and she would
have to wake up and go to work.
Even in her little girl dreams when
she was still in grade school. she had
flown away to become Mrs. Hilary
Payne Totten, Sd. The richest woman
in Green Acres! But this was no
dream. And it was impossible to re-
sist the pleading in the dark blue
eyes OF the boy who had always been
her Prince Charming.
please, honey" His straight blond
head was close to her black curls, his
slender, warm cheek brushing hers.
Don't tease me any longer. Say you
will! Well hop to Kansas City to-
night and get married, and to New
York for our honeymoon tomorrow.
Well see all the shows and night
clubs"
Janells last thread of resistance
snapped. I'll go for the ride" she
laughed softly.
Good grill" Hi said with great re-
lief. Then he remembered to kiss her
egain. Wont we give our fair city
something to talk about?"
Jan caught her breath.
your mother! What will she say?"
Hi shrugged. 1T never worries me
much-what mother says. And Dad
thinks you're the champion shining
example of Kansas and parts west
But what will your folks say?''
''Oh, they'll be all right about it,"
Jan assured him. Patience is the
boss of our family anyway. I'll just
have to tell her."
A worried frown gathered between
His eyes. Maybe she'll say you have
TO tell my old man"
Il can handle her easily" Jan
boasted. She bosses the folks-and
I boss her"
Janell jumped when she looked at
her wrist watch. Hill" she gasped,
ats an hour and half past my lunch
hour. What am I going to tell Sally
Shay? She'll be starved"
What do you care?" Hi said, but
added, "1'n take her lunch to her.
Shes q swell woman-she can't be
mad. And I'll tell her you're sick"
He started the car. I'm an expert at
selling a woman bill Of goods. She'll
believe me-"
Hi was thoughtful on the way back
10 town. In front of the little cottage
where Jan lived with her sister
Patience, he jumped out and opened
the car door.
Look as though you had terrible
headache" he grinned under his
breath. Mrs. Smith is sitting on her
front porch. I'll be seein' you at 8