Evening star., 1947-04-06

lou Detter Cndnge SnOeS, ner mother
said. ut looks as if it might rain today
She finished brushing her teeth and hung the
brush back on the rack. A box of her mothers
face powder stood on the shelf. She dipped
finger into it and experimental with large
freckle on her nose. The freckIe showed brownly
through the powder. She sighed again, wiped
her finger on her short skirt and went into her
room. She dropped down on her bed, kicked
off her new slippers and closed her eyes. And
there it was again - the wonderful dream!
She and the boy were walking among the
lovely trees and flowers. The mist swirled
about them, warm and sweet with strange
perfume. The boys fingers felt strong about
hers, and their touch sent delightful faintness
through her She smiled up at him, and he
smiled back at her. And winked!
He had nice even teeth and a square, hand
some face. His eyes were deep blue and laugh
ing and he had brown curly hair which re-
fused to lie down fiat He looked very much
like the new boy who worked after school
hours at the corner drugstore. In fact, he Vas
the new boy, who yesterday had put an
extra big scoop of ice cream on cone for her
She didn't know anything about him except
that he'd just moved to town and was ever so
old and grown up. Sixteen, at least She didn't
even know his name; but names, of course,
were not important.
Usually she stopped at the drugstore on the
way home from school for a cone. She was
always hungry at that time of day, no matter
how much she ate in the school cafeteria at
noon. Yesterday she'd walked into the drug
store. limping a little from the bruised knee,
thinking that perhaps Eddie Hasam would
come by on his bicycle and they could play
ball. And then she'd seen the new boy, laugh
in his blue eyes, grin on his square, handsome
face, his strong, quick fingers busy with the
ice-cream scoop.
She stopped near the door and watched him
in breathless Wonderment. He moved with
deft quickness that was thrilling to see. There
were no lost motions, no wasted effort He
dipped ice cream and chucked Clipped ice
into glasses with the sureness OF long practice
He was sure Of himself in other things, too, she
realized. He had clever comebacks for the
babbling, wise-cracking high-school girls who
crowded about the counter, showing off for
him because he was new. There could be no
doubt about it, he was man of the world.
He was wonderful!
There were so many high-sehool girls about
that she had trouble getting up to the counter.
But at last she made it, and stood there. her
heart pounding hercely her nickel gripped in
her sticky and not too clean hand.
Of course he didn't see her at first - not
with all those older girls crowding around and
calling for malts and sodas when all she wanted
was five-cent cone. She stood there a long
time, wanting to turn and run, but unable to
tear her eyes away from his handsome face.
EVEN then she felt the beginning of the
dream and the wonderful thing that was hap
pening inside her. As from great distance,
she heard the bright laughter, the hiss of the
carbonated water. the whirr of the electric
mixer And then someone bumped her elbow,
and the nickel slipped from her fingers and
plunked sharply on the counter top
The boy saw her then. The smile in his ewes
moved down to his lips as he leaned toward
her. 'What'll it be- Beautiful?'' he asked.
One of the older girls Uttered, and some of
the others took it up. But the boy didn't laugh.