Evening star., 1939-07-02

bit! I'm really glad we've had this lit
tie talk, because its made me realize
how you feel about things. My good
ness, you couldn't have good time at
all at that dance unless your wonderful
Scoop was having a good time ,.
mean just taking me to the dance and
having good time wouldn't mean
anything at all -
Say! Say, listen. Audrey -"
II wouldn't 60 to that dance! Not if
you paid me million dollars"
"All right" he said. "All right. If
that's the way YOU feel about 1t --
She was a little surprised - and
more than a little dIsmayed. She had
expected some sort OF protest - but
instead he had become very dlgnltled.
They parted on the coolest terms -.
Audrey continued to be in very
low mood. She could scarcely eat her
dinner that night Afterwards she
went to her room. sat at her desk by
the window and stared glumly down
on the street below. Norma Ramsay
and Bill Newman went by deep IN
conversation. Norma's mother came
to the door of the RamsayS house and
called her name and Norma SAID good
night to Bill Newman as II She were
never going to see hlm again IN all her
life. Norma was little obvious.
Audrey thought -.
She opened her French book with
long sigh and for minute or two fol
lowed with great difficulty and no
interest - the strange and melancholy
adventures of Jean Vatican e. Well,
she told herself, she didn't IN the least
mind missing the dance - It was SIM
ply a silly old dance at the high school
nevertheless. it was going to be
little hard to explain her absence. OF
course no other boy would ask her to
go with him. simply because the whole
of Medvllle High thought Gene
Walton had some kind OF clam on her
At this point Audrey wh,sked away
a tear and drlfted into a revery She
saw herself arriving late at the dance
Saturday night in the company OF
strange and very smooth looking col
legc man who was quite obviously
mad about her. When Gene Walton
dared to ask Tor a dance. the college
man cut IN right away. Sorry - he
said. in sarcastic way. And Gene
went pale He clenChed his teeth. "I'll
see YOU outside - he SAID The
music had stopped and every one was
listening -.
But here Audrey shook her head
displrtedly. She couldn't believe It,
really There was little less than no
chance OF any strange man coming
into her life before Saturday ..
There was scant justice for women
in this world. The fact struck Audrey
for the first time. She had suddenly
realized that Gene could go to the
dance all right He could ask any glrl
in Nedvllle to go with HIM Or. If he
liked, he could go by himself and look
them over from the stag line. Audrey
sCowled There was one thing left to
her, she told herself - only one thing
in the world left to her, and that was
her pride.
For the next three days that pride
sustained her. She and Gene Walton
were speaking to each other, OF course,
because any other arrangement would
have been too childish. The words
they exchanged, however. were very
stiff and starchcd - and when Gene,
weakening on the second day. asked If
he could drive her home from school,
she told him, politely, that she had
made other plans. Again he failed to
argue and a few minutes later she
saw him carcenng down the street
with Scoop Armstrong by his side.
Not until Saturday, though, could
she really believe she was not going to
the dance. She had not told any one of