The Wyandotte herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1879-1943, 1939-04-28

him. airline" he said ear
nestly, 'for the hundredth time will
you"
He broke of, staring at her rue
fully.
There was laughter IN her eyes
as she shook her head.
"And for the hundredth time, Alec,
my answer is that ! won't marry
you-now."
Grimness came to Alec's face. His
lips compressed.
'Why not? You love me, don't
your"
"You know do, Alec. You know
I love you"
Then why don't you marry me?
What excuse is there for you to re-
fuse?"
Airline gestured hopelessly.
"Alec, I don't know. There's
something lacking about-us. And
I don't know what it is. !"
She sighed.
"Please don't ask me to explain.
I can't. 1t isn't anything you can
put your finger on, it's just that
that we do love each other; we have
since the day we met. and-and I've
a feeling that something's wrong"
Alec looked at her steadily for a
moment. Then abruptly he said:
"Arline, I'm a little fed up with
hearing that line. You've been STALL
ing me with it for almost year. It
doesn't make sense and it's entirely
out Of reason"
He stood up.
eff you want to know, it gives me
a pain in the neckl I'm through"
He turned and started away.
Airline quite overcome with aston
ishment, watched his broad back
weave in and out among the tables
of the restaurant; watched until he
had disappeared through the en-
trance door; watched, even, for fully
a moment after he had gone. Then
she said:
"Well, I'll be dam-darned!"
A waiter came up, regarding her
curiously. He had a slip of paper
in his hand and she remembered
with a sudden sinking sensation that
she hadn't any money.
Alec, in his fury, had run off and
left her high and dry, stranded.
She smiled at the waiter, sickly
little smile of appeal.
"I'm sorry" she said, "but I
haven't any money"
"But, madame!" The waiter ges-
tured in that hopeless, exasperat-
ing fashion that characterizes
Frenchmen who have only smat-
tering of English at their command,
and Airline knew the uselessness of
trying to explain.
"Please send the manager to me-"
she said, trying hard to appear en-
tirely at ease.
"But, oui, madame"
The waiter disappeared, returning
a moment later with a fat, pudgy
Individual in evening clothes.
"Was there something wrong, ma
dame?"
Airline appraised the manager in
one quick scrutiny and decided that
the situation was more hopeless
than she had thought. She made a
rapid decision.
my boy friend ran out on me and
! haven't any money" she ex-
planned
''The best I can do is leave this
ring as security until I'm able to
return with funds"
She slipped off the ring and hand
ed it to him. He took it in his pudgy
hands and examined it closely.
"Oui, madame, oui."
Airline sighed with relief and stood
up. AS she did so she noticed that
people at nearby tables were look
ing at her and smiling. Her cheeks
famed scarlet, and a terrible. rage
welled up within her.
Just wait till she saw Alec Boothi
Just waltz
But the wait turned out to be
something of an ordeal
Alec didn't call up that night to
apologize and ask forgiveness, as
she fully expected he would. Nor
did he call the next night or the
next. Is is.s' sos ss.s
On the third day following the
restaurant episode she saw him in
the Cafe de Royal with blonde Nor
|. ma Rich. a,s.
The sight caused Geld s nauseat-
ing chin to pass through her body.
She returned home and sat dpwn
before the window Of her bedroom
to think.
Il occurred to her then, for the
Arst time, that perhaps Alec had
been serious. Perhaps she had gene
little teo. far with her estalline. -
But il didn't seem possible that
anyone, who had loved her rs much
- Alec pretended, could possibly
stop - suddenly.
Tears flied her eyes.
Of one thing she was sure: The
ssiack~ that had sealed her lips from
saying yes to his proposal had com
| pletely and abruptly vanished.
The following day Airline went out
Of her way to meet Alec face to
| face.