Show I V Off th the Telegram g Gold Short Stories Stories- Standard t dard I V Bv By Fred Toole Joan Farnell Farnen fidgeting with her handbag waited before the Lamb and Lion Inn in New Yorks York's Greenwich Greenwich Greenwich Green Green- Village and anxiously scanned every passing face Clearly she was was on edge When a hand touched her elbow she jumped Heavens what n nerves Amy Easton greeted her all aU the commotion Oh On the phone this morning you got all aU excited about something and then wouldn't tell ten me about it Jt Do you know it made me mo so jittery all aU day that I messed up three permanents permanent at the shop Well Veil then 7 Oh Oh lets lets let's go inside Jean faltered fal fal- fal- fal We Vo cant can't talk out here They entered the tho inn and crossed the he room dimly lit darkly paneled decorated to resemble the main room of or an old English tavern and took their regular table Their Thelt practice of once a week lunching together at this his q quaint aint place kept them hem as Intimate as when they were schoolmates though now they lived and worked in different parts of Manhattan Well Veil what's it all about pursued pursued pur put sued Amy after the waiter walter had left with their order Its Bill said Joan her hands twisting on the table Im losing him Amy relaxed with a sigh sigh-of relief What in a week 1 she smiled Youre all aU upset over ovet nothing Why only last Thursday here you were Vera telling me rue how near he was to pro pro- posing If its it's just another girl hell he'll be beaver over that in a a. week Its It's not just another girl Its It's Georgia Maxwell Amys Amy's smile dissolved into wide- wide eyed eed gravity grait Joan nodded That makes It pretty serious doesn't it Georgia Maxwell star of ot The Charming Fraud and a fraud herself herselt H Her r gowns gown her smiley her lier figure are big bit enough attra attractions tl ns but there thore J Js h her r hair bair that cascade of or that even the critics are raving about And Bill Her He- voice broke and there was Wa a a. moments moment's silence as the waiter arrived arrived ar at ar- ar rived with their soup When When- he be had left Amy said quietly Bill too 1 Yes nodded Joan miserably He Ho saw her at a party the drama critic of ot his paper took him to and hes he's every night since then to ravo rave about that hair of ot hers lieu Hes He's even written poems to her tresses threads of at golden dawn Quiet serious Bill BIU Its It's the most terrific crush Ive I've ever seen anyone have and when Bill gets get an Idea idea It she choked and looked down at ather ather her het soup then pushed it aside and clasped her het hands What I 1 dread terribly Is that she ahe will notice hi him and he will wilt amuse her Oh I Im I'm n nearly frantic There there soothed Amy Dont you ou worry Well We'll work out some way to bring Bill BiU back to his senses senses just what I wanted to talk to you about said Joan brightening Working In a a. beauty shop you ou may be able to todo do this this this- They talked for ten minutes and two cour courses es and finally Amy nodded vigorously Well Vell try it IU she said Ill try to do it and have it here for you next week r Two weeks week later J Joan an and Amy again sat down at their table in the Lamb and arid Lion Llon Joan w was s now covered with smiles and plainly thrilled with happiness This time Amy was on edge She chased the I I waiter walter away with their order and leaned forward excitedly Will you tell me before I T burst sho inquired I I know that what we ve suspected was true true- and andI I. I can see W al up between y you and i nd Bill but what w at happened 7 After trying to 10 help bring you two two to together to to together gether I ought to know something of ot what's going on Well heres what went on on smiled Joan She pulled off ot her l left ft glove and e extended tended h her r hand band across the table Amy stared at the bit of ot platinum and diamond that glistened gUs glis Ua- Ua on her finger Her face expressed expressed ex ex- pressed amazement then dawning comp comprehension e then joy Joan darling she cried This is just marvelous Our plan worked perfectly then Ill say beamed Joan I 1 1 took the lock of hair you man managed ged to get got a week weel ago from G orgia Maxwell's Maxwells Max Max- ax- ax wells well's wells be beauty uty shop anop to test teat at yours your your and when we found our guess was correct I showed it to Bill that night and told him hlin whose it was And Andas as was he surprised That and lots lotsof ot things If It Isn't much fun to have your castle of ot dreams como come crashing about your cars ears He looked away from me a moment but then turned back with th that t little grin gnu ot his I guess this sort of puts me mo off oft the gold standard standard stand stand- ard he said The lone rest of ot tho the week weel he was so attentive and and oh oh so lovable and lovable and last Jast night he gave ave me m this Amy gaz gazed d at the ring and gave ga a. a sigh of or plc pleasure Then she said Lets have another look at what did all aU this for you If you have Vel it with you Here it Is said Joan reaching Into her bag I think Ill I'll always keep it It She put on the table a small loop Joop of ot hair I UI cant can't blame Bill Dill a bit for tor forgetting about a girl when he ho saw that especially when It was her hair halt that attracted himin him himin himin in the first phi pla place e. e Together they looked at atthe the hank of hair b tw n Its Il golden I dye removed it was the color of a rusty tin can and about as glamorous glamorous' ous ous' Copyright 1936 for The Telegram |