Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-06-11


get the story from Perry, and ]
will tell it in my own words, as
he told it in so few and so jerkily
that it wouldn't make sense.
Service is good on the dinky
railway and Perry Roberts, a man
of very regular habits, invariably
alighted from his street car al
$40 p. m, bought an evening
paper, and was on the cable Cal
within 60 seconds.
At least three or four times a
week, hurrying on foot from the
direction of Fourth street, q
young woman boarded the same
car. Instead of rushing up to the
front end. so as to get off sooner
she usually took a rear seat and
immersed herself in the headlines
of her own paper. Perry's custom
airy place was just opposite her,
and he also scanned the front
page.
It was probably weeks before he
took any note of her, or she of him.
He eventually observed that she
was about 10 years younger than
he, a trim little figure usually
dressed in a neat tailored suit Of
gray, which matched her clear
sincere eyes. She was by M
means beauty, but rather pretty
in a subdued sort of way.
LOOKED FOR GIRL
After a while he got in the habit
of looking for the girl. felt a
vague disappointment when she
was not aboard. He knew that
she lived somewhere up Third,
while he turned north on Olive.
Sometimes he found her shopping
for groceries in the little store he
patroniZed, but her eyes displayed
no light of recognition.
She had a marvellous smile. He
was the recipient of one Of them
one evening when he stepped aside
at the steps so that she could pass
into the car ahead of him.
This unsatisfactory busin e s
went on for a year or more, and
then one fateful afternoon he
looked up from his paper to catch
her cycling him speculatively across
the narrow aisle. She blushed and
turned her face away. He was
puzzled. Less than a moment
later he followed her out of the
little station into the street and
she turned to him suddenly.
pardon me-" she said breath
lessly. "could I talk to you for
a mOment?"
He told her certainly, and sug-
'gested that they drop into the cafe
across the street and do the talk
ing over a cup of coffee. She
was dreadfully embarrassed and
showed it.
81 don't want you to think"
she finally said, "that I'm used
to picking up men. But I'm I'm a
little trouble. IL I tell you, you
promise not to laugh? No mat
ter how ridiculous it seems?"
He said of course he wouldn't
laugh.
WALKED HOME
SWELL" she said, 'it's like this.
I work In the office OF a con-
struction company'-and she
named one of the city's biggest
concerns Fam for some time
I've been going with a young
fellow who has n lot of business
there, n sub-contractor.
81 thought 1 liked him a lot,
but maybe I was just fattered
because he Is so good looking
and he seemed TO prefer me over
the other girls in the office, and
they're better looking"
Perry, not used to romantic
small talk. thought it was up TO
him to murmur some sort of pro-
test 10 this, which he did with
honest awkwardness.
Anyhow, he began taking me
out and I got 10 kind Of belong
ing TO his set-the boss secre-
tary and her steady and another
girl In the office and some more,
and I had a good time. Then
realized he was trying to sweep
me of my feet with his big car
and plenty of spending money,
for-well for a certain purpose.
at finally came 20 the point
where I had TO do what I only
thought occurred In magazine
Jokes. I had 10 walk TO the
nearest street car one night, after
going out riding with him.
81 don't mind hroakinO x.-ift.