The Washington times., 1937-11-04
Cast Of Characters in
Elijah s Raven"
PETER, who is down to his
last dollar.
MARY, a self-decreed city
hostess bearing gifts.

He saw her sooner than that.
She was the loveliest thing at the
dinner. The length Of the table
was between them, and he didn't
discover her until they were
seated. She didn't see him.
"D'ye know her?" the girl On
Pete's left inquired, her glance
following his down the table.
Mary Mcintyre. She's marvel
GUS in that white gown, isn't she?
You'd never take her for what she
is, would you?"
ESP" said Pete. TSP"
"She's one of the most active
workers in The Society for the
Improvement Of the Poor" the
girl said.
1t made Pete groggy. A little
faint.
Pete was shaken by a fierce
sense Of anger and injustice. He
felt flattened out, betrayed. And
suddenly.
I'm in love with her!" he
thought. That's what Is the mat
ter! That's why can't take it."
She had discovered him now
and was smiling at him and he
managed a natural enough smile
in return, but he didn't look her
way again throughout dinner nor
during the speeches after, n d
when they were over he put the
big crowded room between them
and kept it there until he wa
ready to leave.
He had got almost to the door
when her voice brought him up
in surprise.
Leaving so soon?" she said. IT
hoped we could have little talk
before you went" She smiled and
held out her hand.
WELFARE HAND
A welfare hand, Pete thought
grimly as he took it. A helping
hand.
Its nice Of you to suggest it,
but I'm afraid I must rum" he
said. And then lightly-determined
not to show any feelings-"Youu
be glad to hear, perhaps, that my
need for talk isn't quite so acute
as it was when you gave me those
two whole hours"
you have found out about me,
haven't you?" she said.
Everything" he declared. with
a laugh that didn't come through
quite as he wanted.
THAT you are not the City Host
ess; that one Of your windows
looks right down into mine; that
you're a worker in the Society for
the Improvement of the Poor: and
that you have a special talent for
-er-making people believe in
your friendship"
Quite unexpectedly she said:
did I make you believe in it?"
you know you did, don't your"
eyes," she said, quietly. eyes.
I think perhaps I did. Though I
haven't been sure"
"And now-now," she said, "you
feel thrown back on yourself. and
bitter and resentful, and you are
probably having hard time not
to hate me-"
He stiffened. He didn't want to
talk about it. Clever at putting
herself over" Well, he wasn't go.
ing to let her put herself over with
him again.
IT did see you from my window
washing your clothes and cook
ing your Sketchy meals and doing
a lot of things I knew you weren't
in the habit Of doing, but II
didn't feel very sorry for you, for
I also saw you breaking out into a
tap dance every once in q while.
and heard you whistling and sing.
ing moaning ballads through your
nose, and felt that whatever was
wrong with you it wouldn't last
long-that you wouldn't let it.
HER EXPLANATION
"And I thought you were just
naturally one Of the gayest and
the most natural people I'd seen
in an age" The flash of her smile
only added to his bitterness.
And I said to myself that I'd
give anything on earth to know
you'll was so tired of my solemn,
serious self and all the other Sc
rious people around me. But I
couldn't for the life Of me think
how it could be managed.
Then I remembered the visit
the City Hostess had paid me
when I first came here, and I
got out all the stuff and went
down. and"
Found me so dull and COM
monplace, and so different from
what you expected" Pete said
with the feeblest Of grins, that
You never came back"
I've been away" she told him.
Il went the day after / came to
your apartment. and I'm only just
back. I'D have written to you,
but"
Her smile flashed again, friendly
and warm and gay. and pretend
ing to be only that, but with
something back Of it-far back in
her eyes-that sent Pete's heart to
rocketing. you don't write to a
man to explain your absence from
his life when he probably hasn't
even noticed it."
! Get on your things and come
along" Pete said, In the queerest
voice he had ever heard come out
Of himself - the most deeply
shaken. "and let him begin to try