Evening Star Newspaper, June 30, 1929, Page 95

THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, ‘JUNE 30, 1920—PART 7. “But I like him, Nicky; I don't like to up- set him.” “Tell him about me, and say you're going to marry me. That's all you have to do. You'll have plenty of time to ease it to him. I can't marry you for another couple of days yet.” “Why not?” “Well, tomorrow's the thirteenth. I wouldn't marry anybody on a thirteenth. The next day is Friday and Friday is almost as unlucky as a thirteenth. Saturday I'll be busy and city hall is closed on Sunday. Make it Monday. That will give you time to prepare your old man for everything. You'll be leaving town Monday, too. Tell him that.” “Leaving town? What for?” “Honeymoon, of course. We’ll hop in the old puddle-jumper and tour West. What do you say?” 5 uo. K.‘O O that was settled. She was going t_n marry Nicky. Their life together would begin with an adventurous honeymoon. With Jack it wouldn’t have been an extensive motor trip suggested casually. It would have been a week at Niagara Falls, managed After much arrang- ing and saving. No use talking, Nicky was the works. It was easy to give Miss Mills notice that she wouldn’t be back to the office after Saturday. It was easy to tell her sister that she wanted a new dress ready by Monday morning, but it He was a nice fellow. It made Sheba a little sick to serve notice-on him all in a lump that she was going away for an indefinite stay with & man he d@idn’'t know. F ther more contented, if really nice fellow Nicky was. cial dinner in one of Nicky's was no picnic for Sheba. of foreign cooking. She liked to she was eating. But after all, it was no special saw at once that Nicky had lied to proprietor of the little restaurant had not espe- cially expected Nicky, and they usual from the smeary menu’cards. not upbraid Nicky for the deception. was never any use in upbraiding Nicky. would just fix Sheba with a cold stare, admit his guilt, and then inquire: “Do you want make a fight out of it?” And, of course, she never did. After dinner they went downtown. There was a cigar store, one of a chain of cigar stores, on Columbus Square, that had been robbed the preceding night. The clerk had been killed, and some four hundred dollars in cash stolen. Nicky wanted to go take a look at the plundered store. “Gee, you think of pleasant ways to spend a Sunday evening,” Sheba said. “We'll only be there a few minutes,” Nicky promised. “And then you know what we'll do? We'll go to one of the picture palaces. How about it?” “All right.” There were other people grouped about the store staring curiously at the scene of the crime. A young blond man was dispensing ci- gars and cigarettes swiftly and silently. His manner did not encourage questions or com- ments. “Huh,” said Nicky. “He needn’t look so su- perior. He'd've been dead today, if he'd been on this job last night.” Sheba shuddered. “Don’t be so tough about it, Nicky. Maybe that poor other guy had a wife or a sweetie who was crazy about him.” A man on the curb turned at Sheba’s words and looked at Nicky. He came toward them. “Hello, Nick,” he said. He had a genial face, and a tall, strong-looking frame. ) “Oh, hello, Flynn.” There was a cheerful- ness in Nicky’s tone that Sheba had never heard before. This must be a very dear friend of Nicky’s. But she was not introduced to him. “I didn’t know you were in town, Nick.” “Sure. I've been here for quite a while.” “What are you doing?” g ‘Séems a nice fellow,” said Sheba. t but ‘dumb. In all my deal- I've always found him thick.” They saw & picture Sheba selected. Nicky fell asleep in the theater, and Sheba had to awaken him. “Come on, big boy; time to take me home.” Nicky was not in his best humor. He was silent all the way uptown and answered Sheba irritably when she spoke to him. “What time will I meet you tomorrow?” she asked. * “Tomorrow?” “Sure. Aren't we going to the City Hall tomorrow?” “Oh, yeah. All right, meet me on the same old corner at noon. We’'ll go to the City Hall and light right out for the big motor trip, eh?” “Sure thing. Now listen, Nicky, be on time for our wedding, will you?” “I'l try.” ATnoonllondny. Sheba was on the corner, waiting for Nicky. She was all in gray and fully conscious of the pretty picture she - made. Her sister had added a cape to the dress, and.it hung in pretty folds over Sheba's small figure. She set her suit case down and looked at the jeweler’s clock across the street. Just noon. Well, he would be here any min- ute now. Certainly today he would not keep her waiting. Five minutes after twelve. Sheba’s little gray suede foot began to tap the sidewalk impatiently. Oh, well, five minutes wasn't much. Surely he’d be along soon. Ten minutes after twelve. She was aware that she looked a little ridiculous, standing there all dressed up with her suit case beside her, Twenty minutes after twelve. This was too much. Shouldn’t he be anxious to come claim his bride? It was a good thing her father ° worked downtown and there was no danger of him seeing her. He would just yank her off the corner. Who did Nicky think he was, that a girl would be contented to wait end- lessly in the hope that he would finally come? BT ° so? - = ‘“Huh,’’ said Nicky. “He needn’t look so superior, He'd been dead to- day if he'd been on_ this job last night” Half-past twelve. She was only waiting now to tell him what she thought of him. Any man who would keep a girl waiting to marry him was too conceited for anybody to want to live with. Twenty minutes to one. . Far down the street she could see his car approaching. He wasn't rushing. Just taking his time. Oh, was that Taking his time, eh? Well, she'd tell him something. A voice spoke in her ear. " Jack Daugherty. “Hello, Sheba.” “Hello, Jack. What are you doing around at this hour?” “I got the day off. I didn't feel like work- ing. Kind of sick.” . “What's the matter?” Sheba asked. Her eyes were on the blue car that had been held up by a change of traffic lights. “Oh, just sick, Sheba. He looked at her suit case. “I thought maybe you'd come in last night and say good-by to me, seeing that you was going away for a long time. Your father said you might be gone for months.” “I was busy last night, Jack. We went down to take a look at that cigar store, where the fellow was killed.” “Oh.” ‘Jack looked at her searchingly and bit his lip. “Nicky wanted to see it, huh?” Nicky was here now. His car pulled up at the curb beside Jack and Sheba. Nicky ig- nored Jack. “Hop in,” he said to Sheba curtly. “Hop in, your eyebrow!” said Sheba, hotly. “You're not such a big shot that a girl is going to stand for an hour waiting for you.” Nicky smiled. “Come on, baby. We'll fight it out along the road.” “No. I'm mad.” “You couldn't be mad at me.” sion was self-satisfied, confident. “Is that so? Well, what do you think of this? TI've just promised Mr. Daugherty to marry him right now.” “The deuce you have!” Nicky made as it His expres- Canada’s Coal Fields. ii i | i N [T L : -5 o e hgetoutottbeur,thenchmndhhnhd,_“_ “That’s what I get for fooling with secomd- - . raters,” he said. “You're going to marry me, Sheba?” asked. “Didn’t you hear me say so?" “Well, I thought that was just bluff.” 2 “I wouldn't use you for a convenience. Call a cab.” ; And so Jack Daugherty, trembling at the thought of his good fortune, was married to Sheba, who stood beside him, thinking of dash- ing Nicky, who would not have tied her down to a Fordham apartment and kids. There Then his car was gone. - Jack HEBA and Jack took a walk on the Wednes- day afternoon after their marriage. Only two days of wedded bliss, so they were still privileged to take up & bench in Devoe Park. ‘They stopped at Sam’s newsstand for a paper. She scanned it carelessly standing there. Sude« denly she gave a little scream. % “Oh, Jack! Nicky!” 3 He took the paper from her deliberately. There was no surprise on his face. awful? He held them off, but finally they geot him. They killed him.” “No, Sheba,” Jack said gently, “they didn't kill him. Nicky shot himself. See, it says here.” A look of tenderness spread over Sheba's face. She closed her eyes, and two hot tears glimmered between - her lashes. “That was like him,” she said. let the police take him alive. different from other people. Big, and mot afraid, like a movie hero, Jack.” Jack said nothing. “Who'd have thought that of Nicky? He was so nice.” “A lot of people thought it, Sheba.” “Did you?" 4 “I knew 1it.” i “You knew it! How did you know it?* “A fellow who knew Nicky told me. Jack fumbled in his pocket for a cigarette and lit- it slowly. . “Well, you: see, baby,” he said, “I was helpless T ER il §ELF Fesael g g girl.” &