The Washington times., 1937-01-08


course-that Ann, her cigarette
lighted, took it from her lips and
drew a long, deep breath, like a
swimmer coming up for air.
CHAPTER XIV
"Tired?"
mot at all. I'd a splendid eve
ming. Did you enjoy it, Mr.. Brad
ley?" Did her voice sound nat
ural He must not guess the tu-
multi going on inside Of her! 1t
was wonderful-but somehow hui
initiating that he had the power to
move her, stir her, when he had
not yet spoken a single word of
love to her.
-"I certainly did enjoy it. 1t
made me feel-how shall I ex-
press it?-young again." He
smiled.
Watching him from the shadows
the moon obscured under a pass
ing cloud-the flash of his white,
even teeth and regular profile
drawing her irresistibly, she strug-
gled for compoSure, was furious
with herself for her lack Of savoir-
faire.
But you are young! It's just
having such an important posi-
ton in the store that makes you
feel-well-responsible. Isn't that
So''? (How foolish it SoundedD
I'm a good 10 years older than
you, my dear. And decade
makes an awful lot Of difference!"
"Why, you're not limiting that
we're like May and November"
slipped from Ann. Immediately
she thought: Didn't once hear
him telling a buyer that the great
est fault of women was that they
always take the personal angle?
Turn every generality to them
selves? That it was maddening
failing? And she felt ashamed,
awaiting his reply.
He opened his mouth as though
to speak, and then blew ring of
smoke into the air. The taxi swung
into Central Park South, and to
the left Of them, radiant in the
moolight, the japanese Lake lay
dreaming. Through the leafless
trees, the myriad lights of great
Skyscrapers.
May and November" he re-
peated idly. And then he gave a
curiouSly wry sort of grin. while
we're on this subject, what about
O'Hallohan? Didn't you give him
a good deal of-er-encourage.
ment this EVENING""
"Mr. OHallahan," said Ann
quickly, ''is merely a business &C.
quaintance. Please understand
that. He wandered alone into the
night club, and seeing me a wall
flower-a temporary Wallflower-
came over and asked me to dance
the bolero. love the bolero. He
really danced beautifully. D'you
think" she added anxiously,
"that in view of our business con-
nectionS, I should have refused to
dance?"
"Oh, not at all. There's no rea-
son why you shouldn't, but you
must admit you did permit him
to monopolize good deal Of your
time"
Was he jealous? Paul Bradley
Jealous of the attractive silk man
ufacturer Or was it that she really
had transgreSsed store ethics,
laying herself open to legitimate
RHcriticism from "the boss?
Forgetting that Paul Bradley
had seen what was apparently her
home address or telephone num-
ber being committed to his little
black book by Tim O'Hallahan,
she blundered, in her anxiety: "I
wouldn't dream of going out
with him, you understand"
'That'S a wise course to take,
for don't have to tell you a store
is a hot-bed for gossip"
Whereupon the fact that they
themselves were driving tete-a.
tete in Central Park long after
midnight struck them simulta-
neously. They looked at each
other, burst out laughing like two
children. The tension was eased.
They chatted on various sub
jectS, getting to know each other
better. Would she like to go to
Paris for the early spring open
ingS? He himself would probably
be going over. With a gay lift of
the heart, Ann eagerly assured
him that nothing would please
her more than trip to the
French capital
Paris in Spring-time! Flowering
chestnut trees along the Champs
Elysees! Perhaps gay little dinners
out in the BoiS-with Paul?
"a New York Spring comes in
with a rush, and is over quickly,
but a Paris Spring is the loveliest
thing in the world, surely" said
Ann, a catch in her young, vibrant
voice, her blue eyes lighted with
anticipation.
: He asked: What was It that
the poet Lord TennySon wrote?"
Something terribly hackneyed
Nowadays! In the spring, a
Soung mans fancy lightly turns
to thoughts of love-" she quoted.
-"DoeS it have to be Spring for
that, Ann" He was leaning for
ward towards her as the taxi
skinned smoothly under the leaf
less trees. Even in winter. can't
one" She was in his arms, lost
In the wonder and the glory Of
III.