Indianapolis Times, Volume 48, Number 66, Indianapolis, Marion County, 27 May 1936 — Page 29

MAY 27, 1036.

Today's Short Story THE PRIZE By Isabel Johnston

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IEIGH hated games at parties. t She knew she was stupid at them and really no asset to Jane's springtime party anyhow—in spite of her blue chiffon dress. At the American Roofing Go., she was intelligent, neat and impersonal, an ideal secretary, a useful piece of office furniture, happy to efface herself. But at one of Jane’s lively, crowded affairs in her big house, your personality had to shout. *She hated parties even more after Jane introduced handsome Donald Hart to her. He was blonde and tall and poised. He pressed Leigh's hand warmly and looked into her eyes as if he saw the charm beneath her shyness and social stupidities. To Leigh, he was the man at the party, every other girl in the room seemed to have the same idea. If Leigh could have been alone with him she might have made some impression. a tt tt BUT after that one moment when Leigh felt her shyness dropping from her under his appreciative eyes, Jane was introducing him to Mary Ella, with her Southern accent and intriguing ways—to genial, laughing Hester—to Undine, who was tall and willowy and selfassured—to so many girls, it was no wonder he forgot Leigh was still there. At last the original Jane announced a contest that appealed to her secret love of romance. They were to pick an envelope bearing the name of a man at the party and write him a love letter. Jane, noticing that Leigh was in isolated chair and out of things, came to her first. Leigh deliberately cheated and took the envelope with Donald Hart’s name on it. She finished her note while the other girls were still giggling protests. She wrote: “Donald, tt a tt “OLIP away from the party for a •3 few minutes and meet me under the elm tree at the corner. “A girl who would like to be alone with you." Leigh scarcely heard the howls of laughter and the jokes they made when Donald read his letter aloud. She hardly noticed which love note received the prize. She was watching the blue china clock. At 11:15 Donald obviously offered to go out and get gingerale. Leigh lost her courage. She went to the dressing room, knowing she would never dare put on her coat. There she found Hester and confessed. Hester had been her friend for years. “Let’s both go," Hester suggested. Gratefully, Leigh accepted. It was too cruel a joke to let Donald go out and have nobody meet him. “I didn’t know I was going to be fortunate enough to have two girls meet me," he said gallantly as she and Hester hurried up. “We thought it would be a good joke if you came back with both of us,” giggled Hester. tt tt tt LEIGH couldn't say a word. And then —out of the darkness —Undine made her entrance, looking tall and beautiful under her lovely orchid wrap. "Three!" screamed Hester. “Now which one of you w r rote that note," Donald demanded. “I refuse to go back until you tell." Leigh felt she was going to sink through the pavement. “I did. of course," Undine spoke up coolly. "But I didn't expect you’d be so popular." Leigh didn't know how she manaerd to drag Hester away from them. “But I thought you wrote that note." the bewildered Hester protested. “If Undine could stay and talk to him, I don't see why we couldn't have stayed too.” A half hour later, Donald and Undine rejoined the party. Undine—Leigh noticed—had the dewyeyed look of a girl who has been kissed. tt tt tt DESPERATELY, Leigh concentrated —on games—and won the booby prize, a little memo book, at the end of a long evening. She made herself laugh it off. but as soon as she could she slipped off inconspicuously and went home alone. She took off the blue chiffon dress that hadn’t saved her from social failure and flipped the memo book bitterly. Then she forgot her humiliations. The prankish Jane had filled It with the first names and telephone numbers of every j man present. Donald's telephone number was in it. too! All she had to do was to call him some evening. Two nights later, i she was 'phoning him. "This Is Leigh," she confessed in 1 a voice that didn't sound like hers. ; “Leigh?" he fumbled.

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“It’s very brash and forward of j me to call you up when I only met you that once under the ... I mean at Jane’s party." “It’s lucky for me you are then,” he insisted. “Meeting so many people .. . I've been kicking myself ever since for not asking your name when you came to me under the elm tree." tt tt a IEIGH could hardly believe she -t was actually going to have | lunch with Donald at Antoine's. He'd be there at 12:30. In the most alluring costume she could wear and still be impersonal during office hours, Leigh hurried to meet him. She walked into the restaurant on wings. There he was, already at the table, waiting eagerly, but he didn’t seem to see her as she approached. “Don’t you know me in my new ; hat?" Leigh was startled to hear I herself saying artfully, just as if she had been Mary Elia or Undine. “Why, ves—yes, of course,” he stammered. “You—you got our names mixed!” Leigh’s training as a secretary had made her quick to read faces. “You thought I was Undine!” “Undine 0 ’ He clutched at the name, then pulled himself together like the gentleman he was and inj sisted, “Os course it was you I wantI ed to have lunch with me!’’ it tt tt WITH a gallantry that was somehow overdone, he held her chair, helped remove her coat, i consulted the menu gayly and I pressed her for her preferences. 1 “Undine met you under the elm ; tree, too,” Leigh explained cleariy. “She is the tall girl, very willowy and I beautiful." , “Oh yes, yes of course, very,” he flushed painfully. “I do seem to remember her. Very." “Yon don’t have to pretend." Leigh put him at ease. “It’s a good joke on both of us." “You’re a good little sport." “I know Undine,” Leigh admitted honestly. “If you’d like to meet her again, I’ll have her up to my apartment some evening.” After all, Leigh had got a lunch out of Donald under false colors. She didn’t want to chaperon Donald and Undine on Friday night, but she managed to do it graciously. It was a relief and a torture when Undine made Donald take her home early—though Leigh knew Undine would change it to a night club when they got outside. At least, Leigh would get a good night’s rest and Dr. bright and impersonal next morning for the American Roofing Cos. tt tt | BUSINESS success didn't seem appealing when Undine telei phoned to thank her and rave : about the nightly rush Donald was giving her. Leigh wasn't really deceived or hopeful when Donald asked her to dine with him two weeks later . . . but she put on her new yellow chiffon dress. “It was nice of you to take me out when you might have spent the evening with Undine." The minute she had said it, Leigh knew she shouldn’t let a man think he was doing her a favor by going out with her. "Oh. Undine had a headache,” I he admitted, thoughtlessly and then I caught himself up and said, “Anyj how, I wanted to thank you for being such a good little scout.” Leigh had her pain. She listened to him worry because Undine seemed to prefer night clubs to spending an evening alone with hinij She drew him out about his work. With a little self-deception, she made herself believe she was having a happy evening—until she looked up and saw Undine dancing with a bald, stout man who was obviously rich. Her first impulse was to keep Donald from seeing her and being hurt, but his eyes followed her glance. “•pvONT feel badly.” Leigh instinctively re*-'bed over and put her warm little hand on his, "She isn’t worth it" “She’s a fool to break a date with you to go out with that jjorpoise,” Leigh stormed. “She’s a cat, and a cheat and a liar, and I’d like to tell her sol” Leigh did not notice that Donald was not looking entirely heartbroken. She was unaware that Donald was staring at her own | earnest little face as if he were discovering it. “It was you who wrote that note,” he decided with sudden comprehension. "Yes,” she admitted, wishing she could crawl under the table. “Undine can have all the headaches she wants," he dismissed Undine without rancor and said exultantly. “But l?t’s get out of here quickly. I warn: to be alone with you." THE END

OUR BOARDING HOUSE

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IT.ECKLES AND HIS FRIENDS—

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WASHINGTON TUBBS II

(PANS THAT OUTLAW/ YtHEN LETS HERE HE IS.T/tHERE'S NO MONEvWTHEN SEARCH) HE STILL REPUSES TO FIND HIS HE'S DEAD. AMON HIM, EITHER—THE BUSHES. TELL WHERE THE REST/ WOUNDED o. Twer ■/ :■' ! ■■ .' — '

ALLEY OOP

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BOOTS AND HER BUDDIES

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TARZAN AND THE LEOPARD MEN

“Where are we going?” asked Nkima the monkey. ‘We go to trail the terrible Leopard Men who kill with talons of steel,” the ape-man answered. then added with an amused smile, “Are you ready +o fight, Nkima?” The little monkey gaye vent to a startled screech.

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

“I would like to scratch out the eyes of Tarz&n's enemies,” he said with quavering voice, “but —but I must be going now.” Before the ape-man could inquire the nature of the sudden, urgent business which called him away so hastily, Nkima vanished in the trees.

With Major Hoople

OUT OUR WAY

3r/cWOOU~ AND MUP. V; \\=T ANDVi,' / BUTTERFLIES, V~'V-T\ BRAR3, MOSQUITOES, U WORRIED, \, f / BEES, BIRDS -Lo|j BJRRS, Hrufi SMAK.ES f i TIRED i7 • AMP FLOWERS- f“ /i Jf\\ BRUSH j%'[ AMP Lj AMP WORM, v- SUMUT VALES *+<?']/ f&A AMP J rfp\ BOSS/ /'I BODY jy AMD SHAPY BCvVE2S. A / 5V I RUINED, j f S.ATJC2E, WEEP NOT fr fC \ RACKED Ml |HU YAM SPEC'4S. ]$ A AMP /i.-1 WHOSE NAIMPS ARE if RxSxh If-<rA- AU - bsijoW TUE * -J-y 'y \\| v, 'tin‘l *“ ‘V * .. - jr.c?wiiuAMc, X 1 € 1936 BY NEA SERViCC. MC- AMD L v T M pgc U S P*T Off S'2l J

/COULPN'T that PROVES IT BOYSy LET'S WASH AND 1 f KEEP THIS FELLA IN YOUR -JAIL,I FIND A A THEY SPLIT THE MONEY/MAKF 'ARE ANXIOUS TO SHERIFF- OURS IS UNDER REPAIR! v CENTRA WITH A THIRD FELLER V jmS BACKANO I'LL QUESTION MR. PICKET, WH<3 mug SEE HOW LULU GOT ROBBED. MAYBE HE'LL KNO\^! - tell K belle is. j who the other _ r :A OUTLAW IS. F y SHORE. . . • Yv.'!'. •' *~5 ! — ~ \^' *"*"

THERE -I TOLD YOU SO - ] fTHERE WOU’T BE SO MAWV GUYS ) 0 v “ AMD HES TURKIIMG T’WARD ON DINOSAURS CLUTTERING ~ ’AAA, a HUP TH' LAUDSCAPE -THEN /T< V. **’ A. \ YOU AKJ' 1 WON'T BE so y- ~~ ’ • if 1936 SERVICE. INC. T. M. BgG. U. S. FAfToFF. ,

OV\ ( T\OOLE*-ST\C\-7‘b'. THE TACT 11 VMONOEQJ SMASHED OP / OUT HECVt'. YOU VOORSEV.F SA\O YOU AT J THE WE GOME* f§ AM' 1 GO , GTEPHEM \ THE GOV.OI BECAME P VOHE^E 1 . \T VOOOLO fALREADY E>T\\_V_ GOME J OF S EE USEEEGS 1 HAVE \C THE r 1 TO ATTEMPT TO BOW ? | FIMO

Now Tarzan and Orando pressed on toward the secret place in the jungle where the Leopard Men came to collect the tribute they had extorted from the villages roundabout. Soon Tarzan caught the familiar leopard scent. His quarry could not be far away.,, . v

—By Edgar Rice Burroughs

... But those fiends who wore the skins of leopards as a badge of their terrible clan had been warned against the white giant. From their places of concealment four of them looked out upon him now, and their talons of steel trembled eagerly to strik* him do^yi!

COMIC PAO

—By Williams

—By Blosser

—By Crane

—By Hamlin

—By Martin