The Washington times., 1936-11-10

Caroline is one of those women
who won't stay by a man when he's
not doing well. She's so selfish"
Mel thought that was too bad.
"But he's got you to comfort him, "
he said.
eyes, he's got me-" Evelyn said.
eff he didn't, I don't know what
he'd do. He depends on me So"
She went back to have another
talk with Peter and this time she
didn't get on so well with Miss
Dunno. Perhaps her guilty knoWl-
edge showed in her eyes. Miss
Dunno was preoccupied, and quite
unimpressed by Evelyn's wiles.
But Peter was glad to see her.
They had a long talk and for the
first time in his life, he took her
to lunch. They got along famous
ly as long as they stuck to the
mutually safe topics of Caroline
and the LaWrenceS.
Then Evelyn said something
about Mel Steig.
THAT 10-cent contractor"
"Oh, yes? Well, I'll have you
know he's building one of the
finest apartment buildings in this
city. He's going to have genuine
Bokharas in the foyer and full
hotel service, and a marvellous
class of people! The kind of
place that real people want to
live in. Why. with place like
that"
"An right, all right. But he's
not offering you the job Of man
aging it for him.
"Oh, isn't hep"
mo, he isn't"
"Well, let me tell you, Peter
Failey, that that's just exactly
what he is doing!"
"Yeh. Maybe, maybe. :. L said
what I thought of you and Mel
Steig once and you didn't like it.
I'll say it again"
'There you go! Judging every
body by YOURSELF"
I'D like to know what you
mean by that"
''Oh, T know. Butter wouldn't
melt in your mouth and all the
time you're carrying on with that
stenographer of yours. I know!
I know whole lot more than
you"
Nov you've gone too far.
Waiter! The check please!"
"And let me tell you that Mel
Steig is different. He's going to
finance my divorce, that's what
he's going to do. I don't see you
or David Byrne doing it!"
waiter! Where the devils
that waiter gone to? David
Byrne! You still have that idea
in your bonnet. Why should he
finance any divorce? Do you
think he gives a hoot for you?
Oh, he did when you we're young,
but that's over long ago. When
David gets married, if he's fool
enough to do it, it will be to some
young woman, no old grand
mother like you!"
GRANDMOTHER! I like
that, Peter Failey! Talking that
way to your younger sister. Oh,
if Mama were only alive-if she
could hear you say that! If my
father knew"
Peter got his check. They
Stormed out of the place together.
Evelyn couldn't wait to reach
the nearest telephone. Mel Steig
didn't like to be interrupted dur
ing business hours, but when
Evelyn'S gentle voice came cooling
over the telephone, he forgot all
he'd said about women who pes
tered you at the office. He asked
when he could see her.
"Tonight?" she asked.
"Tonight," he said.
So they went to dinner to-
gether and before they'd got as
far as the coffee everything was
arranged. Evelyn would start for
Reno on the first Of the month.
The girls were sullen and quiet
when Evelyn told them about it.
''It's your affair, I suppose"
Dorothea said.
Jan didn't say anything. She
was too near tears.
No one slept very much that
night, but in the end it came to
nothing. It was Evelyn'S old fail
ing. She couldn't concentrate
She'd proved to herself that Mel
was all that she'd told Peter he
was. Now she had to prove that
David still loved her, too.
That meant telephoning and
dating him up again, and since he
was as elusive as ever it took time,
and interfered with her conquest
of Mel.
After all, Mel Steig, who had
worked for every penny he owned
and made a fortune by industry
and shrewdneSS, was no fool. He
didn't want to believe it at first.
He couldn't believe it. He was
sure that Evelyn was as faithful
aS his late Augusta. But when one