The Coolidge examiner., 1937-05-20

often he only talked to her, drink
ing orangeade at the fountain, di-
verted, for a time, by her pert
gaiety.
One evening, when there were no
other customers in the store, she
leaned across the counter and asked
him a question.
whats the matter, Mister?"
Natter"
Are you rushing ME or some
thing?"
"Why?"
you've been dropping in pretty
often"
II have a secret passion for
orangeade."
Apple She looked at him
shrewdly, her elbows propped on
the fountain, her chin resting on
her folded hands. You look like
you did the first day you came in
here"
How was that?" Jim tinkled the
ice in his glass.
Sunk"
"Oh, yes. I was playing Ham
let"
"You aren't playing now. It's
natural expression. The Vaughns
have company, haven't they?"
Dolly" Jim said evenly, ''how
well do you know him?"
HIM" He saw that she regret
ted making the statement. Her ex-
preston, all at once, was too inno-
cent, too bland. You mean-Jerry
Clyde?"
Miss Innocence! You know do"
"Oh, not very we'll" She aban-
doned her confiding position, moved
glass. wiped ring Of moisture
from the fountain. He used to
meet Miss Vaughn in here and a
couple of times" Her brows drew
together in an exaggerated frown.
"Who do you think you are, po-
lice sergeant or one of those guys
from Scotland Yard?"
Excuse me, Dolly" Jim smiled
contritely. That was a personal
question. I'm sorry. 1t doesn't mat
ter"
"Oh, no, it doesn't :natter!" Her
voice Haunted a sort of mocking
irony, knowing, not unsympathetic.
ut doesn't matter to you who visits
Miss Vaughn. 1t doesn't matter,
not any more than losing a leg or
an eye."
Think you're pretty shrewd.
don't you"
"Oh, mol" She was smiling again,
joking him out of the doldrums. MY
disposition is soured from shaking
up lemon phosphates. Let's go for
ride or something? have a date
with Herb but I'll fix it. You fade
away and I'll meet you. I'll tell
him my grandmother is sink
ing again."
But Dolly was diverting only for
time. Sooner or later Jim's
thoughts returned to Cecily. Dolly
was part of those circlin2 thoughts
only because she knew, or pretended
to know, something about Clyde.
Jim could not trek her into telling
him. He doubted whether what she
knew was important. He suspected
that she used those vague hints to
hold his interest.
She wanted to hold his interest.
He was sure Of that. He began to
have an uneasy suspicion that Dol
ly was thinking of him too much,
falling a little in love with him.
Small things made him aware of
her increasing interest, sudden un-
natural reticence, moments of ST.
lence, an expression, question.
How long will you be here,
JIM"
II don't know" >.
Leaving SOON" A sharply in
drawn breath. Hands with nails
painted raspberry red pleating her
apron, twisting & button, drumming
silent tune on the fountain, ta-
BILE, the door of the secondhand
roadster.
Il don't know that either. Look
here! Why, Dolly? Haven't l an
swered that question Defore?"
Nothing" A toss of her golden
head, blue eyes glinting and yet
with shyness in their depths. Moth
ing. l was just wondering when I'd
! have free evening. Rudy Vallee
wants a date"
Jim realized, then, that he had
spent with Dolly a part of seven
| evenings in row, part of every
evening since Jeremy Clyde had
come to 'MeadoWbrook." The dis
covery surprised him. His visits to
the drugstore, to the small frame
house with the sagging porch, had
been casual, never pre-arranged,
just something that happened,
way of getting through the mild
September evenings, brilliant with
starlight, nostalgia with summers
lingering farewell. Obviously. seven
| evenings in a row meant something
special to Dolly. Jim made an
other resolve.
Wire Rudy" he said lightly,
smilingly, I'm signing off after to-
night"