The Washington times., 1937-11-19

/
suggest you see an attorney first"
THAT Is final"
Serge hummed a little tune.
your attitude is bad, Karen.
The whole transaction would be
profitable for everybody-includ-
ing your judge-friend, Karen"
Karen's eyes flashed. Driver,
stop the cab" Her voice was per.
emptory and the man stopped.
Serge tried to hold her arm, but
she shook him off. LET me out Of
here or you'll be sorry"
A traffic officer was at the cor.
ner Serge saw him, and he let
Karen go with a smile. She ran
down side street and got into
another cab. When she dropped
into the seat breathlesS she won.
dered If she had done right.
Should she pay Serge.
But Karen was intelligent
enough to know that If she paid
once, she would continue to pay
all her life. She gave the taxi
driver an extra dollar to hurry,
and she came into the restaurant
where Dick was waiting for her.
Breathlessly she gasped out her
news: Serge came into the office
today. He was waiting for me
when I came out tonight"
Then she told Dick what had
happened.
"You are quite right. If he
keeps on we'll have him arrested"
How can we? Think what
would happen?"
Dick could not meet her eyes.
He could see the headlines, the
rehashing of that accident. The
runaway marriage, which had
ended in such fiasco.
Dick took her hand and pulled
her to her feet. Come along,
we're going to eat spaghetti"
"Where?"
cat the Mariettos. We've been
invited for $50. We've got to
hurry"
They went out to Dicks waiting
car, and the proprietor watched
their departure wondering again
who they were. He wiped up the
counter and sighed. Something
in the girls lovely young face re-
minded him Of a girl he had
known once, long ago in the
Spring, back in Greece. He sud.
denly felt old and life seemed
meaningless to him.
For the second time he wond.
cred If he ought to tell the fellow
that t1xy0 1,oa~n nod [aavA oraSSvaI
asking about him lately. Then
he was busy serving customers
and decided he'd better keep quiet.
That was the New York way.
'"The Mariettos have moved, you
know" Dick said as they drove
along. "Up near where the old
man Is going into business. OF
course, they don't know where
their good fortune is coming from.
Not now"
WELCOMED NOW
It was a far different greeting
Karen met this time when she and
Dick visited the Marietta family.
The children were out in 'front.'
watching for Dicks car and when
it appeared they went running into
the house to warn Cecilia. The
whole family was lined UP to greet
the guests. Cecilia had tears in
her eyes, and Karen, touched.
came forward and kissed the girls
pink cheek.
Dick watching, marveled at
Karen. She seemed instinctively
to do the right thing. AS she sat
chattering Italian with old Mr..
Marietta, Dick suddenly thought
OF Marcia, so dignified, SO re-
served. She could not walk into
this room so casually, and make
everybody so comfortable. Then
ne felt ashamed at the criticism
OF Marcia. She was wonderful,
a fine character. People found
her unresponsive and cold.
But Cecilia was leading the
way into the dining room.
When they were all seated she
brought on a great bowl Of spa
ghetti and everybody started eat
ing. It was q gay meal. There
was wine with the spaghetti, and
everybody talked at once. Final.
ly. Cecilia took Karen away to
show her the five rooms in which
they now lived.
They're beautiful" she ex
claimed as she led Karen into
the bedrooms, showed her the back
porch and the postage stamp OF
back yard.
Wed be so happy except"
Cecilia could not finish.
Karen put her arm about her !
and her own eyes were wet. Then
Cecilia began to tell Karen about
the young man she was going to
marry when her aunt came over
from Italy to care for the younger
children.
II hope you'll be happy" Karen
spoke the words from the bottom
Of her heart.
"And you, too. You'll be happy.
And Judge Stoddard. He's been
so kind. don't know what we
should have done without him."
The implication was clear, but
Karen could not protest.
"He loves you very much,n
Cecilia added suddenly as she
saw Karen's troubled eyes.
"You think so, Cecelia?"
81 know it-here!" The girl
put her hand over her heart. II
car see it in his eyes. II is so
plain. Miss Mallory" -