Evening star., 1941-10-29

shared together" Two tears ran
down her withered cheeks, but she
didn't seem to notice. "A pilot
friend Of his, Mr.. Hanley, sent it
back from California with his other
personal things after he was killed"
A Surprise for Clare.
Clare couldn't remember later
what she had said when Mrs. Cas-
well handed her the picture. She
couldn't even remember the details
of their parting. All she knew was
that she had cried like a baby and
before she'd come downstairs Rogers
mother had taken her into the bath
room and washed her face with cold
water and then had walked down.
stairs with her and said goOd-by
on the front porch. She knew that
she had promised to come again,
but beyond that everything was con-
fused, unreal
When she got home she went
directly to her room, holding the
picture tightly under her arm. With
the door closed she took Rogers
picture from her dressing table and
put them side by side on the bed
and then lay down with her hands
touching them and cried some more.
At last she sat up and dried her
eyes, and it was then that she no
ticed that her picture was crooked
in the brown leather frame. She
picked it up and jiggled it for a
moment, thinking the picture would
right itself that way. But it didn't
and she turned it over and loosened
the clasp on the back. The back
board came free, swinging open on
its tiny gold hinges, and as it opened
thin sheaf of onion skin paper fell
out on the bed.
Clare sat there stunned for a mo-
ment staring at the sheets with their
intricate webs of purple-inked lines.
and tiny words lettered carefully
in delicate script. And then the
lines began to take shape and the
words took on meaning; they were
diagrams of airplane wings and
fuSelage and tail surfaces, and the
most frequent words under or beside
the various lines were hydraulic
tube"
An Angry Meeting.
Clare didn't wait after that eX-
cept to straighten her picture in the
frame and close it up again and
place it alongside of Rogers picture
on her dressing table. Then she
was downstairs and into her car,
sending the gravel flying as she
went down the drive. spinning onto
the highway at reckless speed and
heading for the airport-and for Ed
die Franklin.
When she pulled into the parking
space there was only one person
in evidence on the field and that
was Clay Hanley. He was standing
on the runway near the hangar. his
feet wide apart and his arms folded,
cigarette dangling from his lips.
She gripped her purse tighter.
thinking Of the papers inside almost
as If he was going to snatch them
from her.
The slamming of her car door
made him turn around, and when
he saw her he cringed, exaggerated
ly and with broad grin. "ApoI-
ogies and all that sort of thing. Miss
Calridge." he said easily as she ap-
preached. Il suppose I should call
you Miss Calridge-?"
IF you have to call me anything
that would be best" Glare said in
differently. Where is Eddie?"
Hes busy. Why?' His face
Strengthened almost sourly, and
Clare thought that his was a face
that was meant for sneering.
Tell him I want to see him for
a moment"
He isn't seeing anybody at the
moment. He happens to be work.
ing here and his social life doesn't
begin until $50"
Clare's hand clenched angrily and
she turned abruptly toward the
hangar. But as she reached out to
put her hand on the door lever
the entire front was closed in with
sliding doors and a brilliant blue
light emanated from the cracks
Clay Hanley caught her arm. "I
said he wasn't seeing anybody" he
said. I meant that for you, too"
'coryright. 1911, Chicago Daily News. -nc.)