Evening star., 1937-02-14

that fragile, futtering thing known as
first love- Though, of course. forty-three is
rather late for a first love.
He had seen the muffler in Walbrook's
window five days ago. Not the front window
which faced the avenue revealing on the
left an intimate display of what explorers
wear after day of vigorous sport there
was the explorer in salmon pique pajamas,
sitting upright in his rough-hewn chair -
mosquito netting dropping over the tent f1ap);
while on the right, two effete-looking young
men in full evening dress rather balefully
faced each other
No. the muff1er hung modestly in side
window, but it was so correct, so gentlemanly
right, with its two toned blue check on ivory,
that Ernest felt it must ultimately be his.
He saw Marjorie stepping close to feel the
silk. Perhaps he would catch her hand in
his before she could take it away. Perhaps -
"Oh, come now, Ernest" he reprimanded
himself, Come, come!"
At any rate, he had gone inside the store
at noon on the fifth day and asked the floor
walker where mufflers were. The man had
put his head on one side Didn't get you,"
he said
Ernest didn't like that get you business
very much. He cleared his throat for firm
tone, and broke into perspiration when the
word "mufflers" came like thunder from his
lips.
At the counter, he asked for the blue and
white muff1er, half expecting they would have
to 60 to the window for it, but the salesman
pulled open drawer with two dozen mufaers
inside. They were all blue on ivory, and they
were four dollars and eighty cents apiece
Ernest tried one on and the man showed
him how to fix it. Very restrained" he
murmured down Ernest's neck, which wasn't
just the way Ernest had hoped he and the
scarf would react to each other.
He was thinking of Marjorie, the assistant
file girl who worked in the room next to him.
The very day she had dug out the nineteen
thirty records on the Murray deal and had
said in breathless kind of way, Here you
are, Mr.. Kleek, " he had gone out and bought
Herbert's Preparation. which showed on the
label bald. morbid-looking chap, who. when
you turned the bottle around. had developed
a terrific amount of hair, all through the
faithful appliance of the contents. Soon after
that, he had known it was love that was the
matter with him, and had felt pretty foolish
about it.
Once, long ago. when he had gone to dane
ing school, he had thought himself in love
with girl who wore blue and whose red curls
hung so far down her back that they dangled
against his hand. The curls brushing his hand
had reduced him to an unintelligent state
in which neither his feet nor his lips moved.
She had burst into tears one afternoon in
the middle of waltz and told the teacher,
Ernie Kleek is stupid animal!"
But that was years back, and now he knew
about love. 1t was the smiling upward of
face into your own. 1t was brown, smooth
hair drawn softly back. 1t was, Good
morning, MIR. Kleek," set to music.
He carried the muff1er past the floorwalker
who this time said, Good day, sir" quite
respectfully; past the explorer still manfully
alert in his jungle surroundings, and the two
young men who now seemed on the verge of
calling each other some really stiff names.
He Strengthened his shoulders and thought,
well, there, old man. Guess you know some
thing good, all right"
There was someone else who had to see the
scarf. Ernest fingered the change from five
dollar bill nervously. 1t was lot to pay,
but, heck, couldn't he afford it? His mother
uo,1d hold tho y,,,,ff1er IN to the 1iuht in old