The Boy Grew Older

ng hard that night when she came out into the alley. Peter grown bold was standing not more than two feet away from the stage d

casually and he picked Mari

winding staircase," Von

rested her head against his shoulder. Peter realized then that he ought to kiss her. After all he had known her t

ice to lean against you. With you the taxi does not joun

marry me?"

e put my head on your shoulder? Yo

to mar

that you are just hungry. It is not upon an

h the headwaiter offered. "No that

a long bread stick and began breaki

u very sad. Maybe I will be a litt

stared

wrong another time because that boy I like a little. Now it was Mr. Casey, our manager, I told you he was a fool. That I could not help. He is such a fool. I try to get the job and he does not say you can dance. He say to me, 'I am a nice man and you are a nice girl.' What is there for me to say except 'yes.' About the dance

lled "The Second Mrs. Tanqueray." In that the heroine had confessed in the first act to the man she was going to marry. It was thrilling Peter found to have somebody confessing to him. Maria the dancer was romantic, but Maria the adventuress was a whole leap beyond th

ly lifting up one corner of life a little gingerly to spare the feelings of Peter Neale, the best known sporting writer in America. But every other impression was swept away by the

are different with you. Those things you said are nothing. You know the way I feel is that you're an artist and it's nobody's business what you do. We don't have to talk

ria, "I'm goin

discover that Maria was twenty-three. He was only twenty-six hims

you will not want me

a hundred,"

told him that Dolly Vance was ill and that Mr. Casey wanted her to take over four of the si

that. I've read about it in books. The whole house will be cheering y

e are the jazz dances. They are not for

you s

ncer. And I could play the piano if there was any one

Hall and two newspaper photographers took their pictures. Peter was proud of the fact that both the camera men made

u work on wha

led the B

is it they

syndicate and all that it am

My pay it is $50. I have caught a milliona

t know,

d, what a country! I do not like that, Peter. Still, it does not matter so much. Maybe I am glad that you

e fine," s

o much about this baseball that

ne year. I pitched against Yale and shut 'em out. The

French. I do not know wh

e, you told me ever since you were five. Any

the American, I know tha

e. It must be that I am still Maria Algarez. Mrs. Peter Neale I do not

aid Peter. "I'm just going

ve a father and a mother and

t Lake City. That's a long way off i

Perhaps they are dead. Peter, you are all I have in t

r eyes intently on the conductor's baton. And then she began to sing. Even Peter had an inkling of the fact that here was a lovely voice. If he had not been married to Maria Algarez at nine o'clock that morning he would still have been caught up in the excitement of the theatre. Almost everybody stopped coughing. They hones

z," he said. "I have to, I

iece of paper, and I'll take

garez says you're to come up. It's number twel

r kn

rown the blue and gold costume in

ver heard anything like it in a theatre. Th

amn," answered Maria and snapped her fin

mono slipped down over one shoulder. "Cover yourself up," said Peter almost sharply. Maria p

she said. "It