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“Miss Welkes?”

She glanced up “Yes?”

Now that the time had come he was afraid Suppose she refused, suppose she was eain?

“Tonight,” he said, “there’s a swell show at the Elite Theater Harold Lloyd in WELCOME, DANGER The show starts at eight o’clock, and aftere’ll have a chocolate sundae at the Midnight Drug Store, open until eleven forty-five I’ll go change clothes”

She looked down at him and didn’t speak Then she opened the door and went up the stairs

“Miss Welkes!” he cried

“It’s all right,” she said “Run and put your shoes on!”

IT WAS seven thirty, the porch filling with people, when Douglas eed, in his dark suit, with a blue tie, his hair ater, and his feet in the hot tight shoes

“Why, Douglas!” the aunts and uncles and Grand for the fireworks?”

“No” And he looked at the fireworks laid out so beautifully crisp and s of powder, the pinwheels and sky bombs, and the Fire Balloons, three of thes, those balloons he loved oing up quietly, breathlessly on the still high air, away and away to far lands, glowing and breathing light as long as you could see them Yes, the Fire Balloons, those especially would he ht

There was a whisper, the screen door stood wide, and there was Miss Welkes

“Good evening, Mr Spaulding,” she said to Douglas

“Good evening, Miss Welkes,” he said

She was dressed in a gray suit no one had seen ever before, neat and fresh, with her hair up under a suht she was like the carved goddess on the great marble library clock come to life

“Shall we go, Mr Spaulding?” and Douglas walked her down the steps