| Show II 11 GIFTS FOR i BEATR BEATRICE ICE alien allen found lying on his desk a mes sage telephoned by his wife while he was away in court it read am ain downtown will take the 5 40 tome t ume pan qan youa he ile had been in court all day and was very nery tired yet somehow his eye lingered on the date that had been added by his methodical stenographer june 29 why he ile staggered to his feet overcome with direful thought yesterday was beatrice s birthday and he had forgot len ten he ile took out his pocket notebook olt from habit yes her birthday was the he remembered with a blush of shame his own birthday not two months mouths ago when she ha had d had bad the williams into dinner and there had been a birthday cake with its gleam ing candles candies he ile flung down his roller top with a clatter it was 4 30 0 clock if he could catch the 5 15 express he could reach home before beatrice and may be fix up something that would make it up to her I 1 telling elling the office boy that he would not be back he slammed the door and rushed away without a systematic thought he ile plunged headlong into a depart ment store with but 30 minutes to ac com anything and make the train he ile passed before a counter laden with silk stockings and promptly ordered half a dozen pairs adding hastily take them with me H irry the package As he left the counter he remembered despairingly that he had given her silk stockings at christmas these wont do for the real thing then he murmured here a neils eils does she want veils yes for the Wlliam Willi amses ses auto since we have none so he bought three beautiful long veils in shades of brown that s surely the shade to go with her tan coat he thought though why I 1 should give her veils I 1 can cant t uee handkerchief 7 he muttered as he passed a counter laden with them yes anything I 1 like them myself he beckoned frantically to a clerk A dozen best quality and hurry the package then came the disquieting thought but these won t do for the real thing so he bought two pretty hat pins plus and wasted several precious min utes lites waiting matting for his change As he turned from the hatpin coun ter he gasped at the sight of a clock pointing triumphantly at five he rushed for the door perhaps with flowers flower sand and sandy bandy this belter helter choice 0 st f gilts might do if he could only think of something she wanted his forgetfulness might be overlooked at the entrance the inspiration came in the shape of a parasol she had wanted one last sunday a pink one this would be the gift then he ordered it eagerly eager pale pink chiffon it was with an ivory handle on his way to the train he took time get a box of candy and some roses then he swung aboard just as the train pulled out he turned the latch key of his own residence softly and slipped in with the air of a burglar arriving home with a rich haul in spite of himself he smiled as he threw his bundles down and mopped his brow he ile had reached home first there was mas joy in n the thought and he hurriedly open ed the bundles he opened the pink parasol threw the veils over it and the stoc stocking kinge over them the hatkins and the hand kerchiefs were in evidence and the candy was unwrapped di bisp spaying abing aying a festive bow juat as he put the roses in a vase without water the door opened and beatrice walked 11 1 1 why john alien allen she cried whatever in the world didn dian t you get my message messaged 7 youre you re a day early at this aren t youa this Is the fth surely ftp it s like having present christmas christma t eve isn t ita christmas eve he stammered a he ki kissed sed her in apologetic fashion you t forget did you silly mana she laughed tomorrow IQ 1 the he esth isn t it ita alien allen had been an emergency man I 1 om his youth up an I 1 he seized the situa ion with mighty grip of course it is beatrice but don t you know that that stupid carroll case takes me out of town tomorrow 7 then as he watched her exclaim over her gifts he murmured to himself its that blooming stenographer raphel again with her as ard as 9 if I 1 had bad only thought of the carroll case I 1 d have hane known knorn |
