Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise., 1938-12-16

er.
Ann drank her champagne grateful
ly, for she was thirsty. Hard his
vice Groom on in cadences that would
woo bird from the bough. Amusing
folks, the Irish! Born flirts, most of
them. Here was a sample. He was
telling her she was as lovely as the
Collee Bawn and the next minute
likening her to one Kate Kearney who
had turned the heads of all the young
fellows who swarmed to her cottage
in the Gap of Dunloe!
can will We dine with me one even
in, Miss Delafield? Shure I'll be fair
ly counting the days!"
'T don't get out much in the even
ings. You see Pm pretty tired after
the days over, and often work late" "
she parried.
"Are ye fond of music ?" he asked
anxiously.
"I'm mad about it."
He beamed.
"Then maybe ye'd let me escort you
to the Opera one evening? Take pity
on a lonesome bachelor and say yes,
will ye?"
She put her glass down on the table.
"It's awfully kind of you to sug-
gest it, Mr.. O'Hallahan, but I'm a
fraid it would be-well-against the
policy of the store. I mean, for me to
be seen with you alone in public. I
know it sounds silly, but as we do
have business dealings pretty fire.
quently, it might be misunderstood
if we were-what shall say?-to ap-
pear socially together"
"But lots of buyers do," he plead
ed, "just because you're clever and
forging ahead, you can't shut your
self up in a glass cage"
"I'm sorry. It's impossible" But
Ann was troubled, for he was so eag-
er, so kindly and good-natured, and
she really liked him.
little table. There was pause.
Then his face lightened as he sug-
gested sending two tickets to her for
next Monday nights "Samson and
Delilah." "They're seats in box, if
I remember rightly. Didn't you once
mention your mother being fond of
the Opera? You could take her, Miss
Delafield."
Now, Ann knew that Lolly would
love that fashionable evening at the
Metropolitan. For since the crash
she had had to relinquish her much
cherished loge. To see and be seen
was as great passion with Lolly as
was the music of Debussy. So she
accepted the manufacturers offer of
two tickets.
"Ill come by your office and give
them to you Monday morning." This
was Saturday night.
"Oh, no. It might be noticed. Not
that there's any harm in taking them,"
she amended quickly, "but if you'd
mail them to my home, 1 think it
would be better"
"Okay. May I have your address,
please?" He took from a pocket of
his evening vest little notebook and
a pencil, and at that psychological
moment Paul Bradley passed their
table with Rosalind Barclay, over
heard the question, saw the gesture
and in a quick, astonished look at Ann
saw her flush scarlet, as though gull
ty.
One in the morning. The party
continuing. Growing larger, noisier.
Everything humming in beautiful mel
ody in AIMS ear.
This was real living. Glamorous
setting. Glamorous man beside her.
The champagne mounting. Laugh
Who was she dancing with? Paul
Bradley? But no, it wasn't Paul. 1t
was Tim O'Hallahan, the handsome
Olih W WIIOIIl BIC gave
so many others. Why was she dane
ing with him when he wasn't in her
party? Wouldn't Rosalind be angry?
Was it because having declined to let
him take her to the Opera, she want
ed to make it up to him?
Someone was pushing his way thru
the packed dance-floor towards her
taking her from her partner with
an: Excuse me! My turn!"
Dizzily, Ann found herself looking
up into the face of the merchandise
manager, which wasn't smiling now,
as at the commencement of the even