Show 9 r f By 81 MARY MABY NELSON if HAPPY new yearl The lb cry echoed echO d and echoed re-echoed down d the street sheet as II Penny Penn made her ber berwa way wax wa toward the bus bu stop Every where about her people were light light- lighthearted lighthearted hearted and gay lay and busily wishing their friends good fortune for the coming year She buttoned her bar coat at the neck fleet and turned up the Collar If It ft was a bitterly cold day and end she be told herself she would be happy to reach home and stay in lit for the night Let those with plo pio neer blood blOod go 0 out and stand in the raw wind down doWl doWlat at Dayton Darton Circle Just lust to blow a silly horn at midnight os os- os ostensibly to usher In to the new Dew year Penny had always been known at home borne as a sensible girl with good common sense lense She was proud of 01 that reputation and now that she lived In the city alone she ahe was wai more determined than ever to live up to It It She didn't want to become a sophisticated worldly wise city girl IrL Thus Thu she ahe summed up mentally It was lust Just as II well she didn't Going doing out tonight Penny The words interrupted her thoughts and ahr turned to greet Ruby a fellow worker who was al ways going oln out with someone she called Beanie You could always tell the status of Rubys Ruby's romance by her mood If It she was exuberant to the point of being giddy Idd she was going oln to see Beanie that night If It she was wal quiet and petulant she hadn't heard from him him and if It she 1110 was downright d rude with a sarcastic twist to every remark she Ibe made then they had bad quarreled Penny smiled No rm Cm not not Ruby she ahe replied Odd that she should feel feet such uca emptiness within her ber as II she Ibl said laid the tho words She not not- noted ed Rubys Ruby's quick glance glanc of sympathy and it irritated her I dont don't know A 4 h d But Bat her ber foot fool missed mille and Del came oame down dowa on oa a sheet abee ef of o Ice anyone here she he defended herself Then added curtly And anyway 1 I wouldn't dream of going out in such auch ghastly weather Ruby shrugged Oh Oh well if ti you feel that way about it happy new mew year Penny She hurried hulled away before the wretched girl could make any response Now why did didI I 1 act so 10 nasty she asked under her ber breath Ruby hadn't meant any offense she offense she was wal simply limply so wrapped up In her own little world that she ahe felt sorry lOrry for anyone anyon who had no Beanie to which to cling She was wa essentially a generous person and now Penny had deliberately hurt burt burther hurther her A AS S SHE stood In tat the middle of the sidewalk angry anro and aged aed she saw la w her bus bua bu speeding reck lessly down the street and without another thought to anything else she hurried toward the corner comer Walt Wait Wait oh 00 I wait she called running breath lessly leasly No one else ebe was wa waiting however and he careened sharply oft the curb hurrying on his hi way Ob Oh dear dearl She burst into tears at this new disappointment and reached blindly for tor the curb But her foot missed milled and came down on a sheet of ice sending lending he into an astonished heap In the street For a moment she was waa too stunned to move She heard footsteps hur toward inward her ber and managed to sit alt up dazedly A man knelt down beside belde her but his bli face faco was wal a blur of features Take It easy he admon fished placing an n arm across acro her ber herback back She tried to focus her eyes upon him and hadn't quite succeed succeed- succeeded ed when he cried Why Penny Lindsay What in the world are you doing dOln out here And then everything cleared and she saw aw the handsome blond fea tea tures tires of a former school friend Oh Ob Alanl Tears Tun tumbled over each other in hasty exit He Ne helped her to her feet Gee If It its s good to see Ite someone from the old home hometown town Ive I've been so 10 doggone doon lonely he be told her manipulating the Lund hand kerchief skillfully around her nose nolO and eyes eyel I rm Im lonely too she gasped aped Iva only been here her a month Say I What are arl you doing doln to to- to tonight night Anything N nothing Her heart beart skipped a beat In anticipation Then why dont don't we w go 0 somewhere and talk over ver old times Urn Gee Gee TIB rm dying to hear some om about the Turners and the Mitchells and aH all Jie ne 0 rest Win Will you Penny And Penny smiled happily this time Urne Yes Yes Alan Even this ghast ghastly ly Iy weather couldn't stop atop me truss fron talking over old times with you ou |