Show The Evening Telegrams Telegram's h- h Daily Short Story J EVES EVE'S VEIL By JOHN PHILIP ORTH Copyright 1 1015 1915 15 by tho ho McClure N Newspaper News News- S e paper Syndicate Syndicate- John Gra Grays Gray's s office window overlooked o d Fifth FIrth avenue and on this particular October October Oc Oe tober day daJ the tho window was wide l e open t to the tho crisp autumn breeze From the street below came camo teh rushInG rushing rush- rush InG sound found of or motor cars and the clip clop p of horses' horses hoofs on the tho asphalt Life Is dull enough goodness knows known complained John leaning back In tn ma hI chair and anti his tic heels to his desk And at this critical moment romance entered his office In tho the most moat unexpected m manner b j floated through the io window borne borno on the sh fri breeze something soft and filmy and white like Ilko a n bit of tf puro pure cloud drifting down from the sky eky John Gra Gray did not see It It his e eyes cs were ere closed lu in dreamy retrospection and 1 It s was v u not until tho the wisp of white drifted acrO across 9 his lips nM and clung there that ho lie eat up with with a 3 start Jove Jo i is d 1 that he demanded plucking tl the e thing from his face tace Ho looked at it and recognized It a as u some dainty accessory to a ladys lady's toilet A delicious fragrance assailed his senses sen a 3 a mingled odor of fresh violets an and d roses So elusive was it that he he- heas was waa as still undetermined an as to Its origin when it occurred occurred oc oc- oc to him aim lo to question Burgess Burgess was his clerk stenographer bookkeeper and general office man for fOI John Gray would employ no women in his office Ho pressed the bell for tor Bur Burgess cs and aull that dapper little man appeared at the door like a jack tho Jack tho box You ral S Sir Mr Gray accused Burgees Bur Bur- gees secs John Gm Gray held heM up the white chiffon on th thing I nf This is a veil is It not Burgess 7 he demanded Burgess Buress sniffed at al th the tho veil looked virtuously vir vir- scandalized and adm admitted Hed that It wa iva wae s. s Where did It come como from demanded hI his hia employer testily J I 1 am sure hUrl 1 I dont don't know sir replied reVIled B Burgess Burgees u rJ Some Som woman Some woman must have havo been In my mJ office I 1 was 38 sitting In my chair chair er er r- r meditating and and this veil floated across my face Cace Who put It there thero Burgess ure cou coughed couched he-d he discreetly excuse er cr mc me sIr Mr Im I'm not pro pre pared to pa say he admitted I No o woman has been near tho the offices this louro a asked John inci No Xo Ell sir In fact no one ono has been In here bere since lunch Very well you ou rn may go Burgess grinned wickedly dI Shall I I-cr-Aron I cr drop r-drop drop Jt Jl l In the waste paper Inquired basket Mr Ir Gra Gray ho innocently Innocenti No I Is can do that John curti myself retorted d curtly and tho tile door gently closed dosed upon his factotum It John Gray Cray picked up tho thin veil and held hold over tho iho his paper basket It clun clung to lo fingers ers and In fact it swirled to bo ho doht douched zo brei-zo bre zo from the tho with every o vagrant window closely Woun wound about hi hl his hand until It was Oh Oh bother 11 tried trial i J Jill snapped l n as he lie dum- dum n ho he saw Baw to remove Initials embroidered the delicate to tissue ue on tho the delicate hemE hem E a V. V B E. E John JOhn- Kray Jiray laughed aloud us as ho folded tip up the he veil ell and b breast POCket It away a a In n the tho ot of his hIli coat i I wonder d. d Ew who E E. V V. VE E B can Ca ho be be he Eve by lIY liy r- r all fut ful how that's W nd shall I 1 ini- ini ever Ever o 1 Shad un lie Ile was still r e while he waited for tor an uptown bus It wa was a tempting evening e to ride home on the tho roof root o of n a motor bus One Ono came camo along just then and he found a vacant seat scat beside a Ills dis- pretty girl John Jolln Gray caught one fleeting glimpse of oC her profile for tor her face race was WIlS upturned to the windows of or the building where where hero his office was located He glanced up and noted that Burgess was as In tho the act of oC closing clos doe lug ing ono of ot the tho windows The girl faced about aboul and John could not look at her without positive e rudeness so 50 he lie stared straight ahead hoping that she would not leave leavo tho the bus until ho he had reached his destination on the drive All 11 at once ho lie became conscious that the tho air was tra fragrant with that odor of oC mingled roses and violets Could It bo be from that thal yell veil in hl his pocket I lie Ie furtively thrust a gloved Io hand inthe In Inthe Inthe the pocket and undo finding the veil Intact withdrew his bis hard hand and quite QuIto unconsciously unconscious unconscious- l ly the veil came camEt with It Ohl OhI cried a a voice olee at his elbow John looked down at her in polite ins inin In In- In i ily My v veil eU ell sho she e explained hastily pointIng point point- log Ing to It Yours Tours rep repeated John Incredulously ano and his fingers Ingers tightened their grasp on the chiffon chUron Impossible But Bul It is sho insisted gently s See there arc aro my mv initials An hour or two ago I 1 was was riling riding down the tho avenue enu on the top of or a bus when a R. Rust gust of wind took tho UlO veil from Crom my hat and swirled It up It disappeared through an office window I I am un sure It is 18 mine I urn um afraid It is hJ said John Gray reluctantly giving ln It to her I 1 thought It was a a. cloud from heaven hee Itself when It H drifted Into Into o my mI office I am urn not BO so sure suro It isn't h he JH added added to himself for tor tho the look In hi tho the girls girl's e eyes es was waa not discon discon- To John Grays Gray's satisfaction the mysterious mysterious mys mys- K E V. V E. E did not leave leava the tho bus until It stopped d at his HI signal Then with witha a little nod enhanced by a rose rOM tinged smile the girl tripped past him and down tho the steps to tho su slie-jt slie cek JL When he reached the tho entrance to Lo tho the apartment house where ho bo had a suite of or rooms in his sisters sister's home ho lie was amazed to find rind that the girl had prec preceded ded him hint She Hushed Husked with annoyance and turned aWl away her head when she ohe saw him enter the elevator and when he too got cot out at the fifth floor and made c for Cor apartment apartment apart apart- apartment ment B she sho stopped short chart ort and ond glanced haughtily at him hint This la LJ too much sin Fh Fhe e said Eald John paused with his latchkey ey In hand But you But you 6 see I live 11 here bore ho said J helplessly helpless It Is s too too too absurd absurd urd to be truo one ohe protested protested pro pro- tested looking as ns If site would cry cO Really John W was lS beginning when the thedoor thedoor thedoor door of the apartment n was wall as opened and his hla sister Bister dressed for tor tho the street apJohn ap- ap Neared John John you home so soon cried crie Mrs Herner an and catching sight of the girl and you ou Edith I V was going to moot meet you Jou at Dt don dont don't t you oU re re- remember remember remember re- re member I II 1 I I forgot faltered the girlAnd girl girt And And John John let mn pre present ent you OU to tome my mr old classmate Edith h Emmons n nd You have been a aa away a for Cor a fe test few days laya and aDd did not know that I 1 expected Edith Have Havo you ou over met before beCore before she asked struck b by lh their lr embarrassment nL said Eald John hastily and Why Yes cr h Jr r yes Miss It s s Emmons blushed deeper and a I. I plo canto camo Into her cheek We 11 e arc going oln to o tons ton's a to s tc tea a John will you ou come come asked d his sister r. r John looked at E. E F. F V. V E. E and her eyes raid do como come comb KO so o ho he went went and before they returned home hOJnA he learned earned that h her Initial stood for fOl Edith Valerie Valeric Emmons but ho said that liat he lie thought Eve Evo was much th the prettier name And Burgess Jurres has h as ri never v jr wonder wonder- In about the white c chiffon veil h. h tIt hlll he v It if hj hI hid d I ever plc pierced d tI tho the mystery of ot Its appearance appear appear- anco ance in his office I Oh It belonged to my wife wICe replied John But sir you were not married then faltered the bewildered clerk No 00 said John cheerfully but I am now And poor Burgess Is 13 more puzzled than ever evor |