| Show ON SUBWAY dy by PAT LOCHINVAR L HILKER m ea crnec EFF had a pocketful of nickels JEFF but he followed d her to the charge change booth ile he tood stood behind her in the me line his eyes noting acting every detail from rom her soft short black curls to her doll size suede shoes ile he even approved pr bied of her hot hit a warm plum color or the exact thade shade of coat and ihori s ile he was so BO busy with his bis survey that he tailed failed to notice the nickel site she len left in the worn wooden eup cup in the shell shelf hea lady the tha money changer alter after her you left your ch change angel she must not have heard beard the man for the he was already through the turnstile tile and was disappearing down down the we stairs t irs to the platform jeff tried to mako make his voice so sound W d casual casual as he told the man an ill give e it to her the man grinned sure dont blame you jeff fumbled in his haste to get through the turnstile he followed her ber downstairs and spotted her in the middle of the crowd on the platform watching the tha F train roll in your change he panted you left ft your change at the booth she stared up at him and the impact p act of the incredibly lucre dark velvety eyes tossed his heart into some rosy world tar 0 r far away desperately be searched for the smooth brilliant exactly right thing ile he never could think to say until it was wo too 0 late nut you left your change he repeated repe atea inanely and held out the nickel why thank you very much she said and her voice was just what it should have been low and soft and how nice of you to chase after mel me I 1 oh ob all right he be said 1 I I 1 and there he stuck she smiled rather vaguely at him waited a minute and started to turn tur n away when he tailed failed to think of anything else to say wait pie cleasel pl asel easel he shouted at her ile he need to shout he was right beside her so sa close that the crowd rushing out of the train threw her against him for a breathless moment he saw her tiny hand clutch at his coat smelled the wonderful sweetness of her perfume as she laughed up at him he supported her elbows and helped her catch her balance this teems seems to be your day lor for rescuing roe me she said I 1 thanks again before he could say another word the she was inside the car and the door was closing then he re realized he t found fouad out her name or any thing about her except that her left hand was innocent ol of rings wedding weddin or otherwise he darted down the platform and found a last late closing door it help much to know that he was on aly the same train with her one that he e had bad no business on it was jammed and he struggled led hope lessly to get back to her car HP he died a thousand deaths at street and afraid she would get off and he would miss her in the mob it happened at west ath street but he saw her in time and bounded after her down the stairs to the sixth avenue platform barely keeping her in tight sight he thought she looked right at him lust just before she wheeled and ran back up the stairs hope she isn t afraid of me n might peg me for a wolf tt olf he told himself no that s silly probably t even see me ile he chased back up the stairs to md find that she was not on the downtown platform ile he looked behind the news stand at both ends of the long plat form orm the ehe was not in sight it dawned on him to look across the trader at the uptown platform where he saw her just before the train pulled in ile he skidded all the way down the stairs landing in an ungraceful and thoroughly disgruntled heap at the bottom by the time he untangled hie bis long arms and legs and got across the mezzanine floor and back up the uptown stairs the train was pulling out and she was gone ile he was sunk stymied and he have the tha remotest chance ot of catching her of linding binding out what any hau half wit should have asked her before he returned the precious g akl 2 4 J 4 A 1 jeff spotted her in the middle of the crowd on the platform watching the F train roll in your change he panted you left your chaug change at the booth nickel who was she where did she live did she travel the same route every day did she work did she he have the slightest clue as to how to find her again ever cursing himself tor for a blithering bUthe riUo idiot he stepped on the next train that came along might as well go 30 back to street and ride his usual train back to his lonely room and his lonelier thoughts of course he decided to be at that change booth every day for the rest of his life hie if necessary until he be found her again he pondered an ad to run in the times iwic hlll toe the beautiful lady with the dark eyes who forgot go t a nickel at the change booth at street on the night of back at street he be stood gloom gloomily ily staring at her for several minutes before he realized it she was standing on the downtown platform again right where he had first muffed his bis chances with this girl he had dreamed all of his life of some e day meeting she w was as talking to a man so absorbed that she even glance in his bis direction once more jeff dashed upstairs downstairs and along the platform until at last he could reach out and grasp her arm she looked up then surprise widening her dark eyes and let out a bloodcurdling blood curdling scream help rolice police help she backed away from him still screaming and started toward a blue uniformed subway guard the guard looked looked at her with un w der standing looked grimly at jel and had a firm grip on jeffs collar an instant later bothering vi tai lady eh why you I 1 ought to havi hav you thrown in the jugl in about 40 seconds jeo jeff was standing dazed and furious outside the subway station back where he had first maneuvered to walk close to the lovely little black haired stranger why had she raised such a rumpus she must have teen seen him before when she doubled back at west ath she must have run away himl what was so frightening about hint him I 1 I 1 he puzzled and groused over that problem while he drank two cups of 0 coffee in a little place across the street he didat get the answer until be reached into his pocket tor for his wallet to pay his check the wallet was gone jeff remembered the appealing way her dark eyes had held his when the she was thrown on his chest on the platform remembered those pretty little white hands as they clung to his lapel tugging at his heart strings and his wallet |
