Show EYES Kathleen Norris O KATHLEEN NORRIS SERVICE TIIE STORY THUS FAR Sheila reddish-haired and loses her Job in New York by offering useful but unwelcome suggestions to her boss- Typically she chooses that time to show her purse which she bought at a second-hand to her Cecilia The purse revives memories of a boy she had met the previous summer a boy whose first all she was At home that waiting for are her her and her crippled lost his During the not-so-happy evening Angela finds fifty dollars In a secret pocket ln Sheila's They arc both happy at the only to be disheartened when Carscadden tells Sheila Uie money must be returned to the person whose initials and street number are on the Sheila is going to return the money dressed in an ancient she the owner will reward her She looks upon the escapade as a CHAPTER III Continued It wasn't an apartment Sheila and Angela had hoped it might C. might be hard to in a big apartment and the money remain with its after The house looked tremendous to there were windows on both sides of the big door at the top of the brownstone Bay and behind them heavy looped filled the little space between the lowered shades and the wide And through this little space light escaped These people were all Now for the Her heart beating Sheila rang the belL A kindly middle-aged Irish woman opened the door and asked ye want to see Sheila was all but She recovered ber brogue with a lost a little she managed to I found I brought it back to The woman gave her so scrutinizing a glance that Sheila's heart failed and she wished herself well out of the But there could be no retreating she repeated her accompanying it with a shy She extended the entirely forgetting her plan and her found Mamie O'Connor after another money In Another Then the woman said She closed the door behind she as still entirely forgetting her preconceived would have given her the set here whilst I go she Sheila sat down on a marble the maid disappeared at the back of the big The the the comfort of it stunned She had never been in such a place She couldn't go on with it frightened Sheila obeyed a mad impulse toward Laying the purse on the she was on her she was at the big The rattle of a key in the lock sent her back to her bench The door through which she had entered opened and a squarely black-headed young man let himself He glanced at spoke to the returning Mother is the servant returned gone over to But the Judge and the baby are The young man glanced again at and as he was close to the maid could ask her a question in an Mamie's answer told Sheila what the question found Miss Gertrude's blue bag In the and your papa wants to see that's all right he going on toward the Sheila's heart was suddenly A new young unexpectedly and looking admiration at her sent her spirits This was beginning to be terrifically exciting She followed Mamie across the warm wide with its rugs and statues and and through one of the curtained great doorways that flanked it at dignified intervals on cither They entered an apartment that Sheila knew instantly was the most luxurious she had ever even though the details of it reached her consciousness much one by There was a middle-aged man a velvet-coated and comfortably dressed with a ring of dark curls surrounding a bald spot on his To Sheila he even at this first to radiate good With him was a small romping girl in a smocked pink Both got out of a deep chair as came and the child clung to her father's hand as she studied Sheila do you the man The tone of his voice forlorn and Sheila felt her heart maid told me that you'd like to speak to he went That the in the voice and with the majestic gesture of a b-d predicted the wrath of God who cud find it in his to refuse to see a white-faced little the man did not down there In that Veronica and I are all alone to-I aren't wc They're all I gone to church to rehearse for Ger trude's wedding our that He was talking along easily to cover any possible awkwardness on the visitor's part unversed as she was in social Sheila felt the kindliness of Gertie lost her mamma and her papa when she was no bigger than Veronica Judge Mc Cann went now she's to marry my second And his mother and I are well pleased with Frank's going to be Veronica the father to be married come That's my oldest He's marrying Judge daughter a fine Both the But we have We've and Tony and haven't Sit sit he went on sitting down with the little girl on his iff a bitter night isn't This is my baby she's no baby at she's grown a on me He drew Veronica forward with that obvious pride in a gawky little girl that only a father can Immediately he turned his attention to the found a Mamie tells didn't find Sheila She felt ashamed of her before his concerned blue bought it at the rummage sale at St. she there was money hid in His big arm was about his little girl's thin He did not look at the money and the purse Sheila his eyes were all for Sheila With infinite tenderness and pity in his rugged you want to see face he studied the girl's shabby her pale cheeks and blazing blue your papa is do ye have Sheila said sure they fired me just thin ye found the did little that's a Sheila at the and seen the And she exposed them for his C on the dark blue I knew I kape Sheila Mamma she with mamma he was i watching her Sheila shook her and it'd be your mamma's I the man bring back the rent would Sheila's eyes were all told me she wonder if we'd be as honest as the man He sighed There was a Sheila felt The fatherly the fireside in a room full of the little all shook her to the roots of her She was conscious of wanting to I'll tell you me the man presently in a unhurried Paul Mc Then I want ye to take that fifty and put it back in the purse I'll make It up to more than he and was Sheila could not have spoken to save her than he commenced still regarding her want to do something for ye for your The It is very on a widow to pay as I well And then maybe one of our would have a little coat and a hat something a could use Sheila's one hope now was to The money burned in her she did not want Her shabby dress had so worked upon his generous sympathy that he would not be content now without some pledge of this beggar should have a a promise of rent am and my mother is a but I have a and I don't speak with a she thought of bursting But he would think she was crazy She It was too Mamie was in the obviously with plans against little Veronica's run along the father hould a moment he interrupted as Sheila was about to go with the want your me and to hear a bit more of Sheila sat down but before he could speak there was an they all Veronica shrilled from the There was a great sound of bustle and confusion in the our Gertrude she's getting married to my boy Peter next the man when Gertrude herself interrupted She stood in the a stunning slim girl in a black suit and carrying sable Her laughing voice came into the who had gotten to her stood staring at and at the man who stood beside A tall with black curly hair The floor rocked beneath her her mouth felt dry and her head She knew this man she knew this He had kissed on a certain hot summer night beside the under a hot No other man had ever kissed her it was said you could have seen Norah Gaynor get mixed up with Peter's legs coming down the you'd remain away next I never was so embarrassed in my She stared at the red-headed but there was nothing unfriendly in her is your aunt the judge Gertrude of course the minute she saw Von put up a and Aunt El-lie went upstairs with get the judge Gertrude turned back into the hallway with Sheila and Peter were face to face for one whirling give me she he said I have to see I have to see When can I see I have to see When can I see I've been trying to find There was no more Judge Mc Cann was and with him was a delicate-looking woman who turned an eager gaze toward Gertrude and Peter the others went back Into the young lady bought Gertrude's purse at the rummage sale at St. Mc Cann in a pleasant Sheila managed to you live near St I live out In the But I work down near St. found some money in Gert's purse fifty man Mc Cann terrible with she shaking her head comes all the way down from the Bronx to give back the money she that another Paul Mc Cann Mc Cann shook her head looked at him that she is that he The woman was It's she with a dear you make a he handle it Are we going to let it like Mc Cann looked with infinite kindness and with a half-smile at The smile Invited the girl into her like it seemed to it's only his way of showing he is Aloud she seems to me the only thing is do all we can to make the other little girl There was such such simple friendliness and sympathy in her quiet middle-aged as she made this that Sheila felt guiltier and more unhappy than young girl who was here a minute back is our Gertrude and it was her purse you Mc Cann went and our Peter are getting married on Judge Mc Cann and I feel very happy about Sheila was She wanted only to me your the judge stopping short in a restless turn about the he It was as If a gun had been fired in the from We live In the know I know he at the red head on She's Con He turned to that's who your papa brother Neely's named for were boys together in the old laundry days up In the man thank God for I've prayed for Manny's the time I've prayed that I'd run into poor Con's That was the cheapest fifty dollars I ever that lost on You've me talk of this This is Con's heard you talk many's the said his almost as pleased as in her quieter He wiped his blew his His blue eyes were God sint this child our he clearing his hope it said his father was my my the man told Sheila He sat patted her he was breathing be she raised you all without did You may lay to he niver have cause that you'd regret this night's Con Cars-cadden's And there's is Joe and Angela and at And and Neely's Sheila her eyes shining with she raised you all without did sister Angela was born after Papa my my he of here in this and I not your times are I'll stand to I'll stand to all of He was walking about impatient Sheila was all but there were tears in Mc Cann's sympathetic she'll want some he said she'd look out for Con's and the spit of his sister She'd a coarse head of red hair on we'll have to kape an eye on these youngsters of have he trembling with his handkerchief out have good You'll have to see Con's Ellie find out what we can do it Mc Cann held out her with she get something to and then I'll take you and see if we can't find a little hat and coat of Gertrude's that'll fit You're a real big but she wears bigger clothes than you'd Talking she went with Sheila through a very confusion of richly furnished rooms toward a dining-room and into a bright clean pantry beyond And true to her Mamie had indeed arranged a meal of coffee and a little baked a chocolate who had dined heartily on fish-balls and prune shortcake only an hour realized wretchedly that she must appear to be When providentially Mc Cann and Mamie left the pantry for a few she seized the opportunity to pour the custard and the coffee down the sink and bury most of the salad In the little white enamel-ware garbage tin that was already half filled with dead flowers and lemon She was eating the eclair when they They had with them a heavy soft dark-blue coat with a fur collar the coat of any girl's and soft blue hat BE CONTINUED |