The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-03-08
. SERIAL STORY
SIS A WEEK
H. niIlSE HOLMES
Copyright, 1870. NEA Service. Inc.
CONTINUED From Page 40

Continued From Page 40
il you might have the world by
the tall he said. Are you doing
little stunning ?"
Il make my own clothes she
told him patiently. I sew eve
nings at the Center on Hibbard
street.
oh
All at once Ann was fighting
tears. He was so dreadfully stand
offish. Why didn't he help her?
4 guess I'll go now she said
family.
Wait a minute. You've got me
confused. DO you think you know
me? Do you think we have met
somewhere ?"
Move seen you About TO
tell him of his lighted window.
she stopped in dismay. A man had
rounded the bench. He was near
sightedly peering at the painting.
He was a small. oldish man, he
wore thick lensed spectacles. He
stopped as If habitually bent from
peering. A white gardenia blazed
on his lapel.
"Where have you seen me 80
AIMS companion asked.
She did not reply. She was be-
ginning to have a queer feeling in
the pit of her stomach. The oldish
man, obviously satisfied as to the
identity of the painting. seated
himself on the far end of the
bench.
He removed his spectacles and
polished them with clean hand
kerchief. His eyes were weak and
red trimmed, they squinted against
the light. With the spectacles back
in place, he pulled a letter from
his pocket and carefully read 1t.
Mortified, Ann recognized the let
ter as her own. Replacing the
single sheet in its envelope, the
oldish man leaned forward to peer
at AIMS gardenia.
She got hastily to her feet. In
turning her back on the oldish
man, she faced the foyer. Her
eyes grew perfectly round, an
amazed exclamation came softly
from her parted lips. The foyer
was alive with white gardenias.
Backed by masculine or feminine
lapels, they swarmed everywhere,
To AIMS overweight imagination
the gardenias seemed to float
about in disembodied fashion. The
young man had also risen and her
dazed eyes fled to the flower in
his buttonhole.
My gracious-"she murmured
weakly.
He watched her, puzzled.
Ann put out a finger and gin
gerly touched his gardenia. Where
did you get 1t ?" she asked, sick
with humiliation.
Il went into Wards drugstore
on the corner for pack of cigar
ets-they're having an opening
giving away gardenias-isn't that
where you got yours
NO" she said blankly. mo, !
bought mine
That's too bad. Fifty cents gone
to the bow-wows."
"A dime-just a dime" she
was unable to coordinate her
whirling senses. Her cheeks were
hot, her hands cold. By this time
the oldish man was wandering
about the foyer, peering hopefully
at each gardenia. Ann saw him
speak uncertainty to a girl. saw
the girl laugh disdainfully. Re-
fined gentleman-lonely - for an
instant AIMS sympathy went out
to him.
She turned to the young man.
II owe you an apology" she said.
I've made a terrible mistake
You were to meet someone
here" he deduced. someone whom
you did not know. He was to wear
white gardenia-"
That's right. Please forgive me
for speaking to you
"oh, that's all right" He shrug-
ged lightly. Fraid you're going
to have trouble. The gardenias
seem to have picked on this place
to hold their annual convention"
He was laughing at her and Ann
turned furiously away. She almost
stumbled over the oldish man who
was making for her bewilderedly.
Ann heard the young man chuckle
as she fled from the building. At
the corner she stopped to snatch
the gardenia from her lapel and
fling it into the gutter.
"A sap" she walled to herself,
lust a poor sap, that's all am.
He did everything he could to
discourage me but / kept right
on being a sap He thought was
trying TO pick him up and he
didn't like it. oh. OH
Ito Be Continued)
When you need few extra dol
lars. look around the basement or
attic for discarded articles. This
will bring you cash from some
one If you advertise them with an
inexpensive Times Want Ad.
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