By ROYAL BROWN
-« .v n thcro comes a day
. his: warm in sheltered
.t wurtnins behind open
. _ in: it? to summer
jnnqlliln and puss?-
m dominate florists'
.wh it day almost any
”Ms can be set in mo-
n victims of the cos-
wung and impetuous,
: mu lineal descendant
dvilt‘dlfitfli and fat-en-
who called himself
\lplmnse assured him-
, will flivver and buy me
I p’llt'fli‘l there'll be no
anyway."
.. llt‘ly. she who insist-
. milit'd Kay rather than
but twenty. To her
graciously vouch-
wmutrs for lunch and
tho former she bed
mm and fifteen cents.
forty-five minutes and
‘ l
must see that picture."
had assured her.
- i love it!"
. «lw picture had had a
~2~n nit had landed her
'1! sho had had a lovely
"5m
.1“
; “.1 a cnr—" yearned Kay.
vu her thoughtl llhe
M Street. The lineal
. mks she never noticed.
‘Hllli'll to being noticed:
. . uni: upon his glance. his
lilii'ltq.
Lia eyes everywhere. he
.. . :Im- was pretty enough to
mu .1 single artificial aid
I'lllillfl'il to flaunt all the
‘ T ilrinliti-‘s of the period
. . ..r rhurm.
.».t l-hnrm he was proof.
.v'rcmptorily. he spoke to
"'To you are!" he com-
. 'h thc Added insult of a
. Ewi'v'lt‘il directly at her. “Yes.
. the one I mean!"
. may have deserved. YOC ii.
:‘w way for one of his sex to
'5 of ht‘l‘fl. ShQ simply Ole-
pretty nose and gave him a
‘ ho merely grinned. as. when
n'o‘ilfii‘d from trafficking. she
l fl.
'--il,"' she~ quoted sweetly,
Nile brief authority?" She
li on a. movie film.
that than in a few brief
retorted. .
Mrtll of hate, instant and ir-
thcrc can be no doubt.
'ws still smoldered as stand-
w- it long mirror she fluffed
lr7--blue—black. bobbed and
And Gladys came up.
I .‘ln
de-
ha are the picture?" she
l. “Ain‘t it. simply grand?"
lowered her voice.
» ., girlie." she advised. "take 3
am mo and got back from lunch
it lH lucky Alphonse is
Ill hztvu- boon on timc." Kay
it. “but that fresh truffle cop
'hv t‘ornt'r held me up. just
vrt!"
4i-hCfldCil one?" demanded
'Ih. l'm crazy about him! I
:lo- cutest. thing—~"
“HS so. too." Kay assured
l woman to! There was 0.
'il" pnpcr about him. He's
ironl Brian Boru—"
lll'.ir(l of an lrishmnn that
when they clnimed someone
Mint used to say that the
‘l‘t'o'tl In Tara's Hall when
w ro- bngtroi tors."
whim." Gladys went on.
tm'k tho strength tests he
Jill tho machines by the
'l trullliln't lhil’ik to 100k ii.
i llii‘lllii‘r like. that he was
W. unllitl you?"
l think when I look at him
fit to print," Kay assured
- ~ in a rustling activity in the
ml lmlr~drcsslng parlors of
1mm, that bore witness to
uh of Alphonse himself.
"link“ broken Englilh with
. «wad was a French accent.
optimist. His business
. L4 any business that de~
I" ~ in patronage of heavy
' unmcn dutifully living up
wtmnvl's increasing incomes.
come in at that mo-
' \lllhnnfla wheeled to greet
"xiv-ill
Marlssacs!” he exclaim-
in his best Parisian man-
“lint in your pleasure to-
> I“! to this he bowed min-
‘m'r'mrntV he replied. And
lx’riy, "‘Mlll KiikennY—
N“! n manicure. most
< Ivt old top!" Immod Kl!
‘ » wolf.
‘* ll into her chair with 0:
'wnliko smile for her 9&-
w m let his eyes follow her.
All was a positive quality
ncgulive lack of years.
‘:l’l«'lalltleH-tho lashes that
«Hintml to a thickness that
not off the blue eyes be-
imprlnflihle yet alluring
l‘wr pretty mouth. seemed
M the frankness of her
lot. as n mask to hide de-
. ' ‘ an n haunting adornment
‘ ' ' l cvcn while it amused.
zinnse was intrigued—1nd
l " thought. twirling hll mul-
. .m that girl! She'l I'M”
“ ' and not so slow 1’“ Nu"
I. "~»'/«- that rustled the sun-
. '5 vu-tuins breathed gprlnt.
l .I' myself It COT." 13. Il-
.:: "Right off—tomor-
.v....; he didn't. Durinl “W
w-nwl changed to east. tho
' v girls wondered what hid
. ‘ M; w.
. run the undercurrent 0‘
. '. Two hundred dollars 101'
“4- :.-l on good as new! I'd
it nwny." . -
Gladys Dineene V0“
' lmi she been privilel‘d ’0
. “Iv: to,laugb!"
M; i'ame omclallv wall a m
0
;.\,l
._,‘
”A
r...
by
of snow and a. biting gale that caused
the lineal descendant of kings—born,
as Gladys had informed her. an O'Hara
and christened Kelly-40 hunch his
shoulders in ineffective effort to es-
cape its sting. Kay saw this, and was
glad.
:1 hope he freezes." she told Gladys.
Ain't you awful!" commented
Gladys. "You sure have a hate on
him!"
"I hate them all." Kay informed her.
“That's why I left the barber shop
and came to Alphonse's to work. to
get rid of them. They think all mani-
curists are alikc-" .
“My mother wouldn‘t let me work
in n barber shop. even at the Ver-
sailles," vouchsafcd Gladys virtuously.
“Although they do say the tips are
fine—"
“Always a. quarter and sometimes
fifty cents." admitted Kay. as one who
is just at any cost. "it must ho great
to be a man! The Worse sight. they
are the harder they seem to think n
girl Would full for them. i got so I
never wuntctl to soc. n mun again.
They‘re the limit!"
Emotion. to be cll'cctlvc. must. he
individualized and with Kay. Kelly
O'Hara became the focus of all this
emotion. The way he stood there.
twirling his whistle. as if hc owned
the carth! Sho'd give anything to see
one of those automobiles bump him.
"If l had a cor I'd do it myself!" she
told the scandnllzcd Gladys.
bet it be mldcnl thnt Kelly (l'l‘lnra
found in her ll. slmilur outlct.
“A man who gets married ihcsc
days." he soliloquizcd. “tlcscrvcs all he
gets!"
This of an
promised—still
April cvcnlng
trenchcrously
which
that
spring had surely conic at lust. He
wore his unironn pants but ho had
donned an old coat to all. roynily at
ease. with his fcct on the mil of a
porch of a throe-dccker in South Bos-
ton. And presently Mrs. Moriarty.
with whom be lodged. came out and
joined him. She pushed back it wisp
of hair and regarded him bcncvolcntly.
"It's spring- fast cnough." she ro-
marked. "‘If I were you and twenty-
eight,” she added.."lt'n not me that
would be. spending a night like this at
home. Sure isn't there some girl who
would bo-glnd of your company?"
The pipe between his teeth glowed
red before he answercd her.
"None I'd care to be seen with, with
paint all over their faces."
“I wonder." thought Mrs. Mor-
iarty. “what girl he has in his mind
now!" .
Mrs. Moriarty
waited.
“There's one that crosses at my cor-
ner twice a day and sometimes more."
Kelly went on, presently. "She‘s the
worst of the lot. From the way she
acts you'd think she was the Queen
of Sheba. But she's only a mani-
curew"
"Now how did you find that out?"
demanded Mrs. Moriarty.
"W'hat's the use of being on the
force if you can't find out things? And
I'd suspected it anyway. Those man-
icures are all alike—"
"Look here.‘ 'interpolated Mrs. Mor-
iarty freezingiy. "My own niece is a
manicure and a. decenter girl—"
“I mean they're not all alike but
some of them are.” amended Kelly
with haste. "You ought to see her——
you'd understand what I mean."
Mrs. Moriarty suddenly softened.
He was a nice lad and a flue—look-
ing one; the spit of her own Tim-as
memory glorified Mina-before he had
become flat-footed and fat. She boast-
ed of Kelly to her neighbors. about the
French medal he had gotten himself
and for being no more trouble about
the house than one could expect of a
man. And now, eyeing Kelly. Mrs
Moriarty forgave him. ~
"I was young and wild myself once,”
she remarked. “Sure the girl you speak
of may not be as bad as she's paint-
ed!"
"She's painted
Kelly. and there
said nothing. just
iall right." grunted
the matter dropped.
Mrs. Moriarty had ap-
th. Environment had
yet she had
Nevertheless.
roached the tru
:Ver been against Kay,
ver faltered.
neThls Very night when Kelly and
firs. Moriarty talked; she faced bravo-
ly the stark reality of her eight by
ten room. which was stuffy even with
the window -open. and beneath liter
mil-face philosophy there was ever e
east of rebellion. which with the
it Not As Bad As She’s Paint
Illustratedby Hubert Mathieu.
elm Could Knock s Men Down ' ' . ‘
With Her Fists Just as Easily As She Could Wreck a Wagon With Her Car—The Cop Was Conselentiour—Qulck Action and LOVB.
The next day dawned April at its
best. the witchery of spring \s‘as in
every breath Kay drew. She suffered
not from lassitude. but from restless-
ness. The color in. her cheeks. as she
entered Alphonse‘s domain, was na—
ture eclipsing art. A jonquil had ‘ured
her into a florist shop: “now she placed
the flower in water.
“Pretty, ain’t it?"
\‘olCe behind her.
Kay turned. Alphonse was smiling
cxuberantly, as «if spring had touched
him too.
commented a
"I bought a new car yesterday.” he
informed her. “Six cylinders it has.
A beauty—cost what do you think?
Twenty-four hundred eighty-seven
with war tax and everything."
in his: voicc was pride and enthus-
V‘
iii
"l'il have to take you to the station-house." he informed her.
himself beside her. his eyes straight ahead.
H
ism. llo seemed absurdly like a small
boy with a new toy.
"That's fine!" Kay replied. “l'll hot
you have’ a great time with it."
"You bct!" Thcn his clilhusirlsm
«lzirkcncd. “Hut thcy wouldn't L'ivc lilo
half what tho flivvcr's Worih. I gtilc-ss
l have to give that ilivvm' :uvnyf"
“(livc it to nic." Sllggl‘is‘il‘tl Kay.
gully. “l'll prmllisc to lillit‘ good care
of ii in its old ago."
“Snro thingi" cxpludm‘i Alphonso, “i
guess» 1 tell 3011 what 1 rim-l lt‘l you
use it—rl'or nothing!"
Kay stared. iucrcdulnusly. “Uh that's
iii.
‘. ’ lit
amllill ,
n91; l‘j‘ I ll.
nice of you—but I couldn't—"
"\Vell you can pay for the gas
such." he conceded. generously.
Now that Alphonse should offer her
the use of his car—even such a car
—-—should have made Kay Fpause and
think furiously. But there was mad—
ness in the breeze. She hesitated.
"Just don't“ you tell any of the
other girls." Alphonse added. “Me—I
wouldn't do favors like this for them.
But younyou’re dimerent."
Kay did not doubt his sincerity.
and
might use it tomorrow."
“Torrmrrow the paper says rain."
Alphonse remembered. And then he
surrendered to an unparalleled burst
of generosity. "I tell you what you
do—you take. this afternoon off for a.
ride. It will do you good—"
“Oh, but it’s so busy here Satur-
day afternoon—"
i
invent of these first spring days. fer-
mooted, Initially-
r
them good.“ Then, assaying g pon—
derous playfulness he shook his fin-
ger. “Ain't I the boss? You do
what Lsay!"
Soy!" whispered Gladys Dineenc.
“\Vhat do you suppose has come over
Alphonse? Ile locls like the cat that
swallowed the canary this morning."
“He bought a. new car." Kay ex-
plained.
“About time!» He's an awful tight-
wad—~"
"I think he‘s nice!" retorted Kay.
“Nice!" Gladys looked at her as if
she. doubted hcr sanity. “Wait till
you‘ve been here as long as I have
girlie. and you‘ll sing another tune.
He‘s the limit!"
This Kay refused to believe. But
had shc had any doubts, her desires
would have stifled them.
Kay's proficiency in driving rested
on :1 series of lessons given her dur-
ing a two wccks‘ vacation the pre-
ceding summer. Even so, she would
have been all right had she stayed
within those thoroughfares that did
not tax her capacity. Instead. as con-
fidence flowed into her. she found her-
scll irresistibly drawn toward Tre-
mont Street.
"I'll knock his eye out." she prom-
iscd herself.
The lineal descendant of kings did
not recognize her until she shot past
him. it little flushed by excitement and
her (-ycs aglow.
“This is the lifei"
self. "\Von't (,lludys' eyes stick out
when l tc-ll llt'r about this!"
Shc decided to circle the block and
p385 Kclly nnnin. '
“I'll go just as dose to him as I can
\villirmt hitting him and give him the
scar.- nl‘ his “(0!" She decided.
As slug oiicrwnrd remembered. it
\\:i.~'ll‘i. liar .iuuli. but the fault of a
woman who, wcighlng two hundred
:l'i’id fifty. was saved from annihilation
only by lho suspension of the law that
lot-1.7.x bodies move slowly. To avoid
.h‘utinc her. Kay was forced to slam
lwr brain“ on as she automatically
lllllll: out hcr hand. '
Ami s: Ku)‘ hit the lineal descendant
of kings: not with the car. but with
the this £le hcr five pretty fingers. She
He sealed
r‘nuld lilll Ill‘i‘VR’llt an hystcricai gig-
glr. Hi2: ovvs. :is he recognized her.
\vm‘w liillilutui‘nle.
“Draw in) to the cur I" be com-
, nlfll'liil‘il.
Still giggling. she obeyed. “I didn't
llil‘illlr " shc brush.
"You didn‘t wait forlmy signal!" he
intcrruptcd "And you're the third
womuu tciiuy who has hit my nose
that \\':i)’I"
“You should hoop your nose out of
;tho way.“ sh" l‘l'll‘l‘lC‘d, forgetting the
in him.
Uihcr
ilwul lllncnti:
sticking it ilili)
Il'SR uuywzu'.”
This hc ignmwd.
“You're always
people‘s busi-
"Let me see your
‘li(‘t*l1:~'c," hr :ziz:gcstc(i aiistcrely.
Kay lookod :furllcd. “My license?"
silo rcpmiml. unccl‘tulnly. '
“You don't mmm to say you haven‘t
oxclzlilncd.
I necd an old
she rctorted.
inn" " in:
«lou'i soc “lint
for anyway!"
3:“!
ili‘i‘llb‘l'
. "It—it's awfully kind of you; I~I~
"The others can work harder. Do
llc did not dcign to argue this.
“I'll
she assured her-‘
d.”
y
’
flivver. Nobody could doubt but that
it had passed through one very bad
moment. From the fiivver his eyes
went to Kay. She met them defiant-
ly. «
"Come along to the station—both of
you!" commanded Kelly.
The station lobby overwhelmed Kay.
and the captain, looking down from
behind the formidable railing. all but
finished her, although he never guess—
ed this.’
“Meester!” beseechcd
one. "Oh Meeeter—"
“Shut up!" said the captain.
turned to Kay. not unkindly.
pose the car is insured
liabllity—"
“I don't know—I borrowed it." she
confessed. wondering if this were a
crime too.
‘But they didn't put her in a. cell
after all. On Tuesday she was to ap-
pear at nine-thirty in the Municipal
Court—did she understand?
“Yes sir." assented Kay.
meekly.
They let her go then. Once outside
she walked rapidly. She did not know
that Kelly was walking more swiftly
still to overtake her.
"Look here." he began uncertainly.
"I might be able to help you—-"
Kay blazed. “I don't’ want any
favors from you!" she assured him.
furiously.
His lips tightened. "Just as you
please!" he snapped and strode off.
Kay's eye's followed him, in spite of
herself. ‘
"Gosh ‘but I'd hate to live with a
man like ihat!" she told herself.
Eventually she achieved the privacy
of her eight by ten and sank to a
sent on her bed.
“The end of a. perfe'ct day!" run her
irrepressible thought.
The next day was Sunday, and so
she rested. "I'll have to pay Alphonso."
she mused. miserably. “and a doc.
And the wagon—I wonder how much
that will be?"
She had just forty-seven dollars and
eighty-three cents in the world.
“The worst is yet to come I sup—
pose." she assured herself. “But what‘s
the use of worrying?"
the bereft
He
“I sup ~
against
ever SO
The worst was indeed to comc. but
day. Kelly O'Hara wearing: :1 suit of
gray that fitted and bcfittcd a lineal
descendant of kings. enjoyed a day of
relaxation. He. too. borrowed a fliv-
ver. but he had a. license and was a
rare driver. And. as he spcd out into
the country he had a definite objcc-
tlve.
In time he reached itwa little white
colonial half hidden by clins that were
planted when the Republic was still
young. This was his castle in Spain.
chill this morning. but a blaze in thc
open fireplace soon hclpcd'thut. Then
he struggled into overalls.
Five minutes later he was wielding
a paper-honger‘s brush. He did not
stop until hunger reminded him that
he had brought a lunch.
"Pretty good for an amateur!"
exulted. He let his eyes traverse th.
room. "I guess I'll. put some book-
when she had finished; “I’ll fix it upl
for you fine. Sure twill. And-jay.
you and me—we‘take a little ride ours
selves in my nice new car some day
soon. . Yes?“
She gave him a.
glance.
“For over the week-end. you know."
he went on. exuberantly. "I got a line
on the sweliest little place—"
Kay flamed to swift anger. yet for
an instant. stunned. she was speech-
less. And in that instant Alphonse
made the mistake of his lifetime. He
put fat fingrs on her arm and squeez-
ed it—playfully and proprietorily.
“Let go of me!" Kay blazed.
Alphonse's manner changed instant-
ly. “Say." he began belligerently,
without relaxing his hold, “you ain't
going to try any funny standofiish
business with me now. are you? It
don‘t 30—"
In Kay emotion had been pent up
for forty-eight hours. Now:
"Hey!" protested Alphonse. "what
do you think you're doing?"
Kay was not thinking at all. Things
were just happening. That greasy fat
swift. uncertain
little—thing! Talking to her that
way——
“Cut it out!” suggested Alphonse
liccticnlly. "Hey—you should be
ashamed—"
Of course she should have been. but
——well. perhaps it was providential that
the chair he fell over was Where it
was. Kay at least was still enough of
a lady not to strike him when he was
down. . '
Half turning, she busied herself
brici’ly. \Yhen she confronted him
in the meantime this was still Sun—'
ho .
again she had a roll of bills in her
band's ‘
“There’s forty-seven dollars,” she an-
nounced. furiously. and threw them it
him. “I'll pay you back every cent—
every Cent!“
A great occasion. but
not rise to it.
"You got out!" he bellowed.
don‘t work for me any more—"
Kay did not even bother to answer
him. The oxaltation of the moment
swept hcr out of the shop and down
onto the street bffOI‘C a full realiza-
Alphonse did
“You
tion or? what she had done intruded.
Thou it engulfed her. She had no
moncy, no job. And tomorrow she
must appcar in court.
No wonder that Tremont Street was
:1 more blur to her eyes.
“You little blame fooll"—~the irate
voice penetrated her sick absorption
as violent hands graspcd her—“What
arc you trying todo—commit suicide?"
Of course it had to bc him—again!
“I don‘t care if I do!" said she. de-
fiantly—"uni mount it too!
The trariic surged around them. to
pl‘olt‘til her he still held her arm. But
lllcro was nothing: sentimental in that.
"You stand on that corner until I
got :1 ("ounce to talk to you." he di-
rectnl, as he held up a. white-gloved
him-Ci and so contrived a.‘ passage-
? way. '
"I don‘t!" rotortcd Kay.
"Do as I suy‘." ho snapped "You're
umlor arrr-st—gct me?" '
Kay did.
Sim ruivhcd the sidewalk and there
shc paused. ,
“Anyway." she thought. “if they
Scull me to jail l'll have a. place to
slccp :md sonic-thing: to cat and not a
worry in tho world."
Tho clock in the steeple of the Park
Six-cot (‘hurch tickr'd all five minutes.
*leii. .2: it leisurely struck six. Kelly
was r. licvcd.
.
"Come along." he commanded, as he
julliml lii‘l‘.
i l'I\'Cl‘_v'i:mlj\', it scorned to Kay. was
‘louking at her. As she obeyed. she
might. for the haughty pride of her.
huyc mots-hr‘d Marie Antoinette bound
for ihr nihilotiilc. Shc was prepared
fur anything. yet he took her by sur-
lshclvcs both sides of that fireplace.
prise.
“So :icbodv ought to talk to you like
will”
“You get out!" he bellowed. “You don't work for me any more”:
have to take you to the station-house,"1
he informed her, and opening the door
of the flivver, he seated himself he-
side her. his eyes straight ahead.
“Lagrange Street." he added.
“I'll make him sorry for this some
day!" she assured herself, furiously.
This high purpose she.was to
achieve much sooner than she ex—
pected. Kelly O‘Hara had medals for
bravery. but he suddenly went white
under his trim.
The collision proved not so beans
it might have. though the drivel-‘02 the
wagon Kay had run into. took no such
roseate view.
“Meester! Meester!” he walled. lay-
ing beseeching fingers on Kelly's blue-
clad arm. "I pay one hundred doi-
lars for the wagon. look at it!
Look!"
"Shut up!" ‘ snapped Kelly. He
his mind.
.i” I] I!
_ '2‘.
[izlillllliliil’i'l'
With .a gun over the mantel tbere‘ll
be class to all this!" .
So far he had kept this place
deep secret. s
When dusk put. an end to his labors
the spell of the country was strong
upon him. . The scent of the warm-
breathed valley was sweet. the dim
Arcadian quiet was broken manly by
the murmur ‘of a, nearby brook. Ir-
relev‘antly the picture of Kay came to
a
The next‘day was as gray and as
chill as Kay’s spirits as she rose. to
face_.tho. day's problems. First, she
must tell Alphonse. .
She waitedfihe chance to approach
him and getinone until she lingered at
closing time. Theglast girl had gone.
he himself was about to go when she
approached him; He seemed sympath—
etic. almost cheerful about it. '
. e
glanced at the wagon and then at the
I Kay did not even bother to answer him.
fli‘. 7.11;“; m
a Dutch uncle!” he assured her. grim-
ly. as her widening eyes sought his.
“I'm going to make a. stab at it.”
They had entered the restaurant be-
fore Kay had a chance to recover her-
self. A moment later she was seated
opposite him at a table for two.
“You needn't look scared." he re-
marked. ."I’m not going to bite you.”
“Scared! Me?" echoed Kay; '1—
why—if you think.—” "
“W'hat are you going to have?” be
interrupted. with perfect serenity.
“Nothing!" said Kay. with emphasis.
"Steak for two." Kelly told the wait-
er.
She' could not resist a. dis. "1 sup-
pose hard work does give you a big
appetite!" ,
“I might have suspected your name
was Kiikenny.” countered he. “I've
.heard of the famous cats that took
after your faraily—" 7
“Thule all 1'!th little girl” he said.
. .
Kay flushed. “I've heard say- that
i
Born hedredhurandatemperto
match. But they do say he was
gentieman—" ;
"Which I am not!" finished Kelly,
and grinned. Then. on an imp
that made him seem very boyish. ha
leaned toward her. "Let's not scrap--
I'm really trying to help you."
In spite of herself she hesitated and
the waiter returned and deftly slid I:
plate in front of her. -
“They say." Kelly went on, thm- .
sically. “that the cats never stopped
fighting except to eat. But they did
eat! Won't you dig in. please?"
"I'll ‘pay for my‘ ball! myself."
said.
"You'll feel better when you've eat-
en." he agreed. cryptically.
she.
She did. The food. the lights and
the music all \relaxed her.
As she sat there. lovely in spite of
her artificialities. he forgot his an-
nounced intention of talking to her
her like a. Dutch uncle. ‘
"I hated to have to arrest you the
other day." he said abruptly.
He believed it now. She could see
that.
"I didn't know about the license.”
she confessed. “I hadn‘t driven much."
“Really!" he echoed, in mock sur-
prise. ' '
"I'm sick of this traffic. stuff. any-
way." he went on. “I'm going to quit
it. I've got a place in the country—?'
The secret he had kept so long was
out. Swiftly and impulsively he des-
cribed his cottage. the cultivated
acres and the old owner who had sold
so cheaply because he wanted to go
to his daughter‘s home in Ohio. .
“And there's money in it—lt'a near
the Boston market. you see." Kelly
went on. "And—well, it's in my blood
I. guess. My father used to tell me
about my grandfather“; farm in Con-
naught—one of the biggest and best
there was in the whole country!"
“I'd like to see it—your place. I
mean." murmured Kay. with never a
thought that this might be construed
as a bid for an invitation.
"Won't you come out with me—next
Sunday?" he asked. at once.
"I—why———" She paused for words
and evoked memory instead. So:
“What." she asked. "does the judge
do lf—if you can‘t pay your fine?“
Kelly looked startled. “You don't
mean that you can't!"
Kay caught at her lip as she con-
sidered. And then—she told him the
whole story.
“Good night!" he murmured. "but
you certainly do need a. guardian!"
In his eyes. however. there was that
which mitigated his words.
“’hen he spoke again his words
were commonplace—too common-
place!
“I‘ll pay your fine.“ he promised—
his thoughts were racing elsewhere.
"You will not!" flashed Kay. “I—
wouldn’t let you for—anything!"
He looked up startled. Then:
“Oh. I don't blame you for getting
red—headed." he groaned. “But we
O'Haras were ever a. mad lot. My
grandfather went to a fair one day
to buy a cow and brought back a.
bride, instead. He'd never laid eyes
on her before. but they lived to cele-
brate their golden wedding. “'e fall
fast but we fall hard. we O'Haras!"
The waiter intervened inopportune-
ly. "Anything else. sir?"
Kelly looked at him as if he had
never seen him before "Yes—no—oh
beat it!"
Then his eyes came back to Kay.
“There's everything about the house
that’ a girl could want except a. girl
to want them." he explained. “And if
you comb"
In his eyes was a passionate wist-
fulness—and a. light that all but blind-
ed her.
“I'd look fine as a. hick. wouldn't 1!”
she murmured.
This was the mere mechanics of
speech; she was too breathless to
think of what she said or how it might
sound. She would not have hurt him
then for world's. but this he could not
know, and it was as if she had struck
him. .
“You'd look a good sight better with
some of that paint off your face." he
retorted.
The swift change in his eyes and
voice stung her.
"You talk as if we were already
married." she shot back. And then
she blushed and ‘added hurriedly. "I'm
engaged anyway. He's—he’s away—"
Kelly believed her! As his ex~
pression changed yet again. she was
stirred torthe depths. yet she could
not speak. .And so he paid the check
”and they emerged once more into
Tremont Street.
Therehe broke the silence. "TVe'll—
good night." he said. awkwardly.
Apparently she did not hear. He
glanced at her. she seemed lost in the
contemplation of a lighted show win-
dow. But presently she spoke.
'T‘——hcr voice was so low that he
had to bend to hear lt—“I—I could
Wear one of those sports suits 011—011
the farm, couldn‘t I?"
The sports suit received not even a
glance from him. He was gazing at
her, incredulous of eye.
“But you said you were engaged!”
he managed finally.
Kay’s eyes stayed steadfastly before
her, but he could see the blush spread
to her ears. —
“I wasn't going to have you think
that all you had to do was whistle and
I‘d come to you." she said. hectlcaily.
“And if you think that just because
rm broke and you're sorry fOr me—-"
“Sorry for you!” Kelly explode¢ ”I
—I—do you mean—"
Kay gave him a swift. startled ,
glance.
“No. no." she protested. “I don't
mean that. I mean that—that—"
She should have been more ex—
plicit. He was a mad O’Hara! and
Kay was kissed right on Tremont
Street!
Say boss." phoned the court report;
er of the Bugle some sixteen hours
later. “I‘ve got a. good one. Strong
cop—remember the story about him-
pinched a girl Saturday. Peach! Paid
her fine—ten bucks—in court this
morning. Resigned from force and
married her an hour later. 'Golng to
live twenty miles out. How much do.
I get—43. column?" '
"Keep it in a half." replied his chief.
but took the curse oil! that by adding.
”for the first page!"
And there it appeared. ., L_
“Oh!" cried Kay. who looked just an, '
a bride should. “Look at it—isn‘t it:
awful!" ,
The lineal descendant of kings look-
ed at her instead. Ami presently sh.
glanced up at him.
“Silly!” she said. irrelevantly. m:
"You're-you’re mussing my but!“ ’3 ,
“Do you; want me to stop?" he asked.
Apparently she didn‘t. ‘
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Norwalk Chronicler