The evening world. Newspaper, March 18, 1922, Page 15

THE EVEN got plenty of sense, Amy. I don’t blame you for wanting to lead both of them a@ dance, especially Ray, for he thinks he’s such a fascinator, and so he is, the dear; but there's such a thing as overplaying your hand, you know, and if I were you I'd end the matter pretty goon. I'm saying everything in the most mixed-up way, but you know what I mean.” “Yes, I know what you mean,” sald Amy. “But I'll tell you, honestly, Miss Henrietta, I don't know what to de- cide.” “Ray’s in earnest—this time, isn't he?” asked Miss Henrietta, a little hesitantly. Amy flushed. “Yes, he’s in earnest,” she sald, “this time.” “And it’s only fair for you to pun- ish him a little, my dear, of cdurse,” went on Miss Henrietta garrulously. “But if you're going to take him. don't punish him too much. I can quite see how hard it is to decide. Life’d never be dull if you married Ray. But-— life’d never be cruel if you married Henry.” Amy got up to go, “You've sald it, Miss Henrietta,” said, “but—you haven't said which is preferable, dull ness or cruelty.” she Miss Henrietta stamped her foot “Oh!” she exclaimed, “if Henry only had a little of Ray's deviltry.” MY went away with those words ringing through her head. She was to go that very afternoon to play golf with Henry, and when he came for her studied him impatiently. Why should he be so splendidly dependable, she So fine, so good—and yet Oh, for stodgy of of—but not look spirit? one gleam Henry was speaking. He did at her. “T heard to-day that you and Ray Lowrie are engaged,” he said, heavily “Is that true?” “[t ceetainly is not true,” “Who said so?” “Dick Long told me—and he said he'd asked Lowrie, and he as good as admitted it.” Amy felt natural wrath at “Well, he has his nerve,’ said Amy. this. she exclaimed inelegantly, ‘but forcibly, “and I'm go- ing to te!l him so and Dick Long, too. I'm not engaged to him, and she stopped. »s he hasn't asked you,’ gested Henry, mild'y. Amy's indignation was lost in sudden I'm not , sug- mirth, ‘Wouldn't you like to know if he has?” she questioned Henry mock- ingly. The car gave a sudden jump for ward “Youre acting like a silly child,” said Henry, angry in his turn “How mu longer are you goine to go on making a fool of me? How many times have L asked you to marry me? Do von know?” “T never kept count,” ested Amy her eves twinkling “tT aid Ive ked 4 to marry m thirty-nine time counting this one.’ “Oh, is this a proposa I rather thought it wa 1 preliminary to throw ing me out onto the hard. hard road ind tel'ing t valk home,’ thoueht Ww Ws T would Rit I con tell you 1 Im not 1 t stend this situation much longer Tt cheapens me nd what's a great deal worse, if chen * He slowed you thin vou know self.’ “Miss Tfenrietta Bird told me to day.” satd Amy. naughtily, “that if you only had a little of Ray’s deviltry-—I use Miss Henrietta’s own words—that you'd be a'l rivht.’ An imperative honk-honk behind them stopped for a moment the con- versation and Ray Lowrie’s big eed car dashed past. Henry looked after it vindictively, “Deviltry, is it?” he said. “That's vour ideal is it—yours anid Miss Henrietta’s? I suppose if T were to rin around all the time talking fool nonsense to the woman, you'd think’‘T wes a dashing fellow--a lady killer. Honestly, Amy, I thought you had bet ter sense.” “lm merely reneating what Miss Henrietta said.” responded Amy, draw- ing him on. “You see how you appear to the unprejudiced observer, Henry.” “You're hopeless,” said Henry. “T give it up. If you won't be serious, I shan't be serious either, Only—I do want you to realize that you're not giv- ing me a square deal, Here's where TI get off. I'm not going to ask you to marry me again.” The car drew up he- fore the Country Club. But Amy lin- gered a minete before she got out. "Ts that a threat or a promise?” she asked, And Henry, in spite of him self laughed with her, S Amy waited for Henry to get the clubs and the caddies, Ray Lowrie came up to her eagerly and the watchers on the veranda fluttered with excitement. | "You're wit! me,” he announced. “I'm going to play golf with Hen@y said Amy. “Not at all—you're going to play ten- going to play tennis nis with me. Tennis is your game—- not golf. Come along—West Wind’ His eves comenonded and berre:t But she did not move. “I'm going to play golf with Henry,” she said agaia, as if it was a charm, “Oh, no, you're not,” reiterated Ray, “for here comes Henry minus clubs and frowning furiously.” “The caddies have struck,” an- nounced Henry. “They want 10 cents more an hour. The greens committee's sitting in the case. But I'll carry your clubs. I didn’t know, though, if you'd care to go round that way.” Amy looked at Henry ant she looked at Ray. Suddenly she felt, as she had not felt before, the burning need of de- cidjng between them that very instant. She felt tired and old, and unutterably weary of the tension of the situation. But, woman like, she temporized and shifted the responsibility “Henry,” “AND DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT 1 WIND'? “l don't_believe play a round without 1 caddy You know I’m always losing my ‘bali. Suppose you and Ray play a round, and I']] go round with you. And suppose—-suppose you—ycou two put up a bet on it—something weally big, some- thing you really want—just to make it more exciting.”” She looked from one to the other, and nervously opened and shut her hands hidden in the pockets of her sport coat, Ray comprehended first. at her warily. “I’m game for it,” he declared boldly. “I think—-I think it's a ripping good idea, And may the best man win,” Henry, he said very slowly, that I want to He looked by this time, sensed the stakes. He looked Amy square in the eyes. “I'm on,’ he announced, “And —as Ray so fittingly remarks—may the best man win.” They moved off without another word, Amy walted until they had got their clubs and then the three of*them went out toward the cool greenness of the links. Ray teed up first. “This is for one round only,” he said, affirming rather than asking. The course was nine holes and he was wont to go off his game on the second round. Hence his desire for one round only THAT'S WHAT YOU “Just as you say,” apparent indifference just getting with wits one said Henry, He usumally warned up with round. But why contest the point? AY'’S drive was jong ana straight. Henry pulled his ever so little, but both were on the green in three Ray made a neat and accurate putt, but Henry fell six inches short and it cost him five to drop into the cup. Ray drove, a beauty, landing only a short approach from the green. Llenry followed ably, but his putting was again at fault. They halved the hole in six. Still no one sjoke Amy, the set faccs of the two men, watching begun to USED TO CALL YOU—'WEST WERE LIKE” feel a little s.ct Phe whole thing seomed so silly and yet was in sie! deadly earnest She wondered franti cally why she had been idiot enoug) to suggest any such thing. “Of ridiculous situatio she scolded he self, “this is the most absurd d ever got myself into It doesn't seem as though it ean be real. Menry—Henry and Ray Lowrie playing golf with me for the stake. I'm a perfect fool, that’s what Iam. Oh-b-h!" The last was said aloud, for Ray drove from the third tee a perfect wonder of a drive, over the little silver pool in the valley of the links, over the clump of shrubh- bery that formed a dreadful hazard, well on the way to the third green. It was a long hole Henry sliced and fell short, even of the pool, one of those piffling uncertain drives that so exasperate the one who made it. Henry said something very profane under his breath as he start- ed off. And Ray was smiling. The smile, however, did not last, for he over-approached and took three to get on the green Two putts were his por- tion, also. They halved that hole as well as the second. Both of them were getting warm, and both of them were getting nervous. Behind them teailed NEXT SATURDAY’S COMPLETE STORY THE AMATEUR By RICHARD HARDING DAVIS I"fustrated by WILL B. JOHNSTONE A LADY IN DISTRESS DETECTIVE THRILLS Another of the Greatest Stories of the Master Writer ORDER YOUR EVENING WORLD IN ADVANCE G WORLD'S FICTION SECTION, SATURDAY, MARCIT 18, 1922. 8 ee eee — valong Amy, warm and nervous and cold and nervous by turns, and with her sense of tumor entirely out of working order, ‘Henry lost the halved the fifth, putting by both. On the sixth ho'e Henry rallied and made it in five to Ray's disgusted seven, Ray's loss disconcerted him some- what and he drove wild. To be sure Henry was not much ‘better, They did some desperate iron work and halved the seventh, glaring at each other over it. Ilenry gritted his teeth when he drove for the eighth. He gritted them to good purpose, too, for his drive was true. A short mashie, two accurate putts, and he was in, Ray wag not so fortunate, His drive was mediocre, his approach fell short, and his putting was erratic. He lost the hole. Amy’s heart gave an excited bounce, She ran over the score mentally. Ray had won the first and foveth holes; Henry the sixth and eighth. They had halved the second, third, fifth and sev- enth, Therefore the ninth hole would decide. As they teed up, she summoned her self possession and looked at’ them critically. ganging them, and herself, They, on the other hand, did not look at her at all. They simply addressed themselves to the business in hand. But just before he drove, Ray did turn and look at her, a very short and a very searching g’ance-—and she acknowl- edged it with a sudden panicky thrill-~ a look of entire, satisfied possession. And that instant’s g'ance decided her. She knew then that Henry had to win, that Henry must win, that if he did not win, that if he left her she would be forever desolate. She knew that she hated Ray—that she had always hated and despised him, fourth after 6ome hole, They frightful ENRY drove first. He sliced. Amy speculated desperately that it meant two, perhaps three, to get on the green. She watched Ray drive with a horrible feel- ing of fatality. It was a better drive than Henry’s, but he pulled slightly and his ball disappeared in the high grass near the hedge at the side of the hole. (This was the boundary hedge of the links). Still—a niblick well played would land him on the green. With no very clear idea of what she was going to do, she followed Ray's ball. “I'll help you find it,” she said stu- pidly. He flung her a_ grateful, but still conquering glance, and = they walked over the smooth turf side by side, Henry was thirty feet away senffling about with his fron, “T think it went here,” said Ray, ¢ headed toward a place where the s was thick and short. Amy stood still, but mechanically pushed the grass away before her Refore she realized it, the ball was there under her foot She looked up quiekly Ray was in- tent. his back toward her. She did not look at Henry there was n neo Henry nevee saw anything anyway. She put her hand down and picked up that ball and slid it into her pocket, all in one deft motion ‘her > went 1 brushin the grass at stenst- searchiny eaverly, carefully They beat over every inch of that ross for half a dozen yards Ilenry eame and helped Ray got hotter and hotter and madder and macder and ore despeeate. Amy sought dilirently, At last Ray flung hs head OF ve it up. The balls lost ItUs your ho’e, Henry.” “And my round,” snesest Henry mildly "Ves," exmloded Ray Henry dropped his clubs and was ae Amy's side in two b 1's tle flung one mirhty arm about her the modest and seruputous Henry who bad never hefore ventured on such be ' He was laughing "You didn’t have v¢ usiial lvek, Ray.” he said, “but you’ ive to ahide by the result. Give him back Amy. you litt'e cheat.” Amy obedient!y put her hand in her pocket and held out fhe hat! to Ray, on the palm of her hand “You had it!” eried Ray hia ball, taring, un- believing. He did not wear his cone. quering look now “Yes, she had it said Henry. “Lite tle West Wind breezed away with it, F fear.” Without another word Ray Lowrle turned and marched up the hill to the club house. Henry watched him con. tentedly. “IT puess that last tonch would have satisfied even Miss HMenri- etta Rird,” he said chee ‘What's the matter, Amy? You seem dazed.” He tightened his arm about ber. “Lord love you, honey, When [ siw vou piek up that ball and put it in vour little coat pocket I could have turned three somersaults back ward And [ wanted him to know that I knew-—vou don't begrudge me that bit of sat on, da you?” “You may us well give mea kiss,” he went on, putting a finger under her chin and “for every turning her face up to his. one on the elui rands ts staring at us-—and this'll s us the trouble of announcing ore enrages ment.” MNorfahls rem t 1 vert ’ rviee tork.