Evening Star Newspaper, April 19, 1931, Page 87

that Gregory K.’Elwood was a blot on the face of the earth; the only question was whether he should be eased out decently or just dumped.. “Me,” I said firmly, “I'm for just hopping into - $he cars, going on over to the dance, and if #ver he says a word, pop him on the chin.” *Yes?” We all turned, and Gregory stepped out from pehind a curtain. He was smiling blandly. #Eavesdropping, en?” Marjorie Strony sneere€ “Yep, eavesdrooping. 1 just decided I'd like fo hear what yoy were saying, so I eaves- dropped. That's the way I am.” He took us all in with a glance. “As it happens, because I eavesdropped I can settle the problem. I don’t want to go dancing. As I come to think of it, some of the most tedipus moments in my life thave been spent dancing with you girls, except Luecy.” He turned suddenly to Lucy, and his whole manner changed. His eyes softened. His voice * “I'm sorry, Lucy,” he sald humbly; I'm ter- ribly sorry. I behave one way, and I am #imply a vegetable at your party; I behave another, and I cause you embarrassment and annoy your guests. If I could help it I'd cut off my right arm before I'd do either. But please unde:stand this, whenever you wish me 8o do anything—go, leave, stay, hide, or what- gver—I'll do it. You understand?” g For a moment she looked at him thoughtfully, #nd then she nodded with a queer smile. When we got back from Smallwood's around 8 o’clock I found I had to sleep in the nursery Teddy. Gregory had decided that he ted to sleep somewhere else—in my room. . T will make the rest very brief; it is really for me to prolong. Gregory wasn’t ast. None of us referred to him; all us were thinking of him, but none of us What Lucy and I had been » tacit understanding that had up between us all, seemingly, had dis- 5 was finality of an engagement that gloriously published in the papers had away and become faint. All the evening Smallwood’s, with that charm she has, avoided me, avolded what she must ted to say, to ask. did I get of Gregory before We were on our way to the had rained a bit the night a puddle in the path. We were skirting the edges when suddenly from Behind some bushes a young man in white ducks came rushing down the path, and with # Joud exultant whoop leaped high and landed with both feet in the puddie. ‘The casualty was terrible. The shoes, stock- fngs and dresses of four young women, and the shoes and white trousers of four young men - were spotted high and darkly with mud—and Qiregory, amiably oblivious of the damage he had done, stood smiling in the middle of the “AH my life,” he said pleasantly, “I have Wmanted to jump in a puddle and spatter people in white.” “Have you ever wanted” Teby demanded , “to jump into the ocean?” “Nope,” Gregory replied, dashing away, “clse ¥'d have done it.” Tennis was a little tiresome after that Sancheon was dull, and so was afterward drolled around aimilessly, wondering was and what he might be up 1 ducked upstairs to take a nap. sound a trifle fan- facts. It was warm slept soundly, and when I leather strap I am not a very strong chap, and Gregory is [ husky. I was easily overcome, and then I was, thoroughly gagged, with another buckled about my ankles and a third g my wrists behind my back. I lay there unable to do anything but wriggle slightly and “You know, Ward,” he said in a lew voice, straightening his clothes nervously, “this is the kind of thing that makes that fellow's swders a little hard to follow. “I don't Mke it at all,” he insisted. “Some- Simes I think I'd rather just chuck the whole business and go back to being a nonentity, espe- when I get notions ke this one. In fact, i BY MYRTA ETHEL CAWOOD ESPITE all the foelishmess on the first day of April, commonly called All PFools’ day, more serious things have happened to the American Republic in April than in any other month of the year. All our great wars began in April, with the single exception of the War of 1812, Perhaps the militant April was on wacation at that time. Anyway, the impending war with England was not declared until 48 days after th= fateful month, but April has been on the job assiduously dealing out her tragedies ever since. The Revolutionary War, the War with Mexico, the Civil War, War with Spain and the World War were all declared in the month of April. Other grim diszsters besides wars have oc- curred during this month, such as the great Charleston fire of 1838; the Pittsburgh fire of 1845, and the San PFrancisco earthquake and fire of 1906, in which 500 people lost thcir lives and $400,000,000 worth of property was de- stroyed. The ill-fated steamship Titanic was wrecked by an iceberg off the coast of Canada on April 14, 1912, and 1517 lives were lost. During the last century 38 other notable marine disasters have occurred in this montk. Also the first slave insurrection in this couniry oc- THP SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., APRIL 19, 1931 1 really can’t understand how such & motion entered my head—but there it was and there were the doctor’s orders. HE picked me up, then, and threw me over one shoulder like a sack of oats, and bore me out of the room. We started down the stairs slowly, and it came to me that I might bump my head against the wall and attract attention, but the idea must have come to him at the same time. “There’s no use,” he explained, panting a little. “All of the crowd but Lucy have gone to the beach.” He paused at the foot of the stairs and looked around cautiously. “The reason you weren't asked along with them,” he went on pleasantly, “was that I told them you'd packed up and left. I told them you said. you couldn’t stand being in the same house with me any longer, Lucy or no Lucy. I thought,” he added graciously, “that you might like that excuse better than almost any other.” My eyes nearly popped out, I was so angry, but there was no use struggling. Then we were in the ltbrary, and he let me down easily to floor against a radiator, under & window opened on the porch almost opposite swing where I'd found him the night before. his pocket he produced another strap, un- it, and after running it between my secured it to the radiator handle. George,” he muttered, “this is truly a trick. I hope, Ward, that you'll under- that it's orders—all orders. If it weren't Lucy, I wouldn't do it, anyway.” straightened up. guess,” he said thoughtfully, “that it's nobody ever realized the romantic and forceful persomality I've got; it's & kind of reaction. I imagine the notion settled en you because you were so completely oblivious of me as s rival” He leaned over and patted me amicably on the head. “Jt's mighty tough on you, old man,” he ad- mitted, “but we're both victims of circum- stances.” “Then he went out and I lay there. Once or twice I twisted and strained to no avail; I had to resign myself to waiting to be discovered, while I fretted over what menace this lunatic might be to Lucy. It was then and there that 1 swore mever to offer advice to another suf- ferer from an inferiority complex. Presently, perhaps a quarter of an hour later, I heard voices outside—Lucy’s and Gregory's. ‘They were coming up on the porch, and Lucy laughed as happily as I had ever heard her. A few Boston patriots learned of the British general’s plan and sent Paul Revere, on what proved to be his famous midnight ride, to warn the countryside and szve Adams and Hancock from capture. All the world knows the result the rebels to lJay down their arms and disband, he was answered by a defiant shot from an “unknown” soldier. During the skirmish the British shot 8 patriots and left them dead or dying on the first battlefield of the American Revolution. Then they hastened toward Con- cord, without either Hancock or Adams. There was a rattle of chains and a settling of cushions as they sat down in the swing. “Let’s see another,” she said. “Very well, see ¥ you can see how I do this one.” ‘There was a silence, and then a gasp from Lucy, followed by delightful laughter, and then it came upon me with a wave of horror that the idiot was wooing her with sleight-of-hand tricks. I lay helpless, seething, burning up, not 10 fest away, and listened to this unutterable Gregory K. Elwood making what should bhave been a public spectacle of himself, while Lucy, the girl I had hoped to make my wife, laughed and crowed and giggled with pleasure over de- vices which even a child should be ashamed to exhibit. Then they tired of this, apparently, and Gregory began talking to her in a low voice, so low that I could catch no words, though a deep She answered, very seriously. He spoke again, more distinctly. “Knowing you,” he was saying softly, ‘“has been like living in & chamber of beauty, like resting in a sea of soft music. I remember the curled in a chair like a when you lifted them to life, because I knew that whatever I did, whatever went, you would be with Then his voice sank and I could no more than guess, in my cold horror, what else he was saying. But whatever it was, she liked it. I could tell by her tender responses. Then: “No, dear, no one else. “Not Joel Ward?” he asked softly. “Joel Ward!” She spoke my name with such family. What made you think of Joe?” At Concerd the redconis were completely routed and their retreat was ome of the mest was about 100 miles east of the Rio Grande. Gen. Zachary Taylor was ordered to Texas to seize the disputed strip of land between the two rivers. When Taylor advanced to the “With a loud, exultant whoop, he leaped high and landed with both feet in the puddle. The casualty was terrible.” HIAV!N. usually so merciful to humans in distress, failed me when it did not make everything go black at this point. I remained conscious. I had to listen to them for possibly an hour or more, before another rattling of chains and movement of cushions told me they were get- ting up. “But, Gregory dear,” she was objecting, “this is madness—pure madness! We ought to am- nounoce it. “Throw some things into a grip,” he inter- rupted firmly. “We’ll just have time to make the marriage license bureau before 5 # we A pause, and then she ran into the and I heard her steps on the stairs. minute or two he strolled about the humming softly, and then he spoke. “Never,” he said thoughtfully, “never patron- ize a rival, especially one with an inferierity complex; it may prove fatal” ‘Then he, too, was gone , . ., . As Mr. Ward stopped spesking, his woloe dying away wearily, he brought forth a tele- gram. “A few days later,” he said, I received this.” I read it: Mr. Joel Ward, banks of the Rio Grande the Mexicans ordered him to return to the Nueces, but he refused. Then a Mexican detachment of soldiers crossed the Rio Grande and captured about 60 Amer- ifcan dragoons. That was on April 24, 1846, and it was the beginning of the Mexican War, The next war was the Civil War, which He notified President Lincoln provisions and reinforcements bhold the fort. The President sent Governor of Seuth Carolina that made to send provisions n the Confederate Presi- ’s intentions he orcered to demand the surrender of the Union officer refused to sur« ederates began a heavy bome on the fort, which lasted for two Maj. son was obliged to surrender. surrender, April 15, Presi- Continued on Fijteenth Page