remembered and he said, “Well, Miss Landon, you look very pretty this evening."
Laura tried to feel a spark of feminine interest in him, but she couldn't. She liked him, that was all. He took her arm and led her out to the car. In it was a young man sitting alone. Charlie pointed to him and said, This is my roommate, Mitch Grogan, Laura. We have an apartment—"
"So called—” said Mitch.
"—over on Daniel. Couple of blocks from campus."
"Compensations of old age,” said Mitch. “You don't have to live in university-approved housing. As a matter of fact, I don't suppose we could get anybody to approve of our housing, Charlie."
"What's the matter with it?” said Laura.
The two boys laughed. “Everything,” said Charlie. “You name it, if it's bad we got it—bad pipes, bad wiring, bad landlady, bad everything. But we can give a hell of a beer party in the front room."
"And we keep our own hours,” Mitch added.
"How old do you have to be to get an apartment?” said Laura conversationally. They were driving toward the auditorium where the Varieties Show was scheduled to get underway.
"Real old,” said Charlie. “God, twenty-two, at least. Would you believe it, Laura, Mitch is damn near twenty-five."
"Really?” said Laura, turning to look at Mitch in the front seat beside her.
Charlie laughed at her seriousness. “He's going to die a bachelor,” he told her confidentially. “I just let him tag along with me for kicks. Otherwise he forgets what women look like."
Laura looked at Mitch again and he didn't seem in the least disturbed over Charlie's prediction.
"See?” said Charlie with a grin. “God, they could put him right in the middle of a harem and he'd ignore every damn female until he got his homework done.'
Trouble finding a parking space stopped all conversation until they were inside the auditorium. From then on, Laura made no effort to try to listen to Charlie and Mitch over the wild shouts of laughter. She searched the huge audience for Beth and Uncle John, but couldn't see them. When the Varieties were over Laura tried to scan every face she could see of the huge crowd streaming out of the auditorium, but Beth was nowhere in sight. Depressed and silent, Laura walked with Charlie and Mitch to Maxie's.
Maxie's was already jammed when they got there and the Dixie Six was in action, as usual.
"My God, when did Bud Nielsen start playing with them?” said Charlie.
"Where?” said Mitch. “Oh, yeah!"
Laura looked up, and there was Bud with his long gold horn glinting through the smoke, standing in the fore of the little bandstand that stood in the rear of the room.
"Do you know him?” she asked Charlie.
"Yeah, I know him. Fraternity brother. Good musician."
"My roommate dates him,” said Laura.
"Beth dates this character?” Charlie looked at her in surprise.
Oh, no! My other roommate—Emily."
"Oh,” he chuckled. “I didn't think Cullison would go for this guy,” and he nodded at Bud.
Cullison, Laura thought in irritation. Her name is Beth. Elizabeth.
"God, it's crowded. Do you see a place?” Charlie said, squinting through the smoky pink gloom.
Laura became suddenly aware of someone saying her name and she turned around a couple of times, straining through the half-light at the myriad faces.
"Laura!” It was Beth. Laura saw her laughing and struggling through the crowd and her first wild impulse was to blindfold Charlie. But it was too late for that. She looked up at him and he was staring at Beth with a smile on his face. Laura was too upset to see that Mitch was smiling too.
Beth was worth staring at. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were very bright, as if she had a romantic fever of some sort. Actually, she simply had too much beer in her, and it was making her laugh. The boys in the crowd were squeezing and pushing her and Laura was suddenly furious to see that she was enjoying it.
Beth reached a hand toward Laura and Charlie took it quickly and pulled her
Laura tried to feel a spark of feminine interest in him, but she couldn't. She liked him, that was all. He took her arm and led her out to the car. In it was a young man sitting alone. Charlie pointed to him and said, This is my roommate, Mitch Grogan, Laura. We have an apartment—"
"So called—” said Mitch.
"—over on Daniel. Couple of blocks from campus."
"Compensations of old age,” said Mitch. “You don't have to live in university-approved housing. As a matter of fact, I don't suppose we could get anybody to approve of our housing, Charlie."
"What's the matter with it?” said Laura.
The two boys laughed. “Everything,” said Charlie. “You name it, if it's bad we got it—bad pipes, bad wiring, bad landlady, bad everything. But we can give a hell of a beer party in the front room."
"And we keep our own hours,” Mitch added.
"How old do you have to be to get an apartment?” said Laura conversationally. They were driving toward the auditorium where the Varieties Show was scheduled to get underway.
"Real old,” said Charlie. “God, twenty-two, at least. Would you believe it, Laura, Mitch is damn near twenty-five."
"Really?” said Laura, turning to look at Mitch in the front seat beside her.
Charlie laughed at her seriousness. “He's going to die a bachelor,” he told her confidentially. “I just let him tag along with me for kicks. Otherwise he forgets what women look like."
Laura looked at Mitch again and he didn't seem in the least disturbed over Charlie's prediction.
"See?” said Charlie with a grin. “God, they could put him right in the middle of a harem and he'd ignore every damn female until he got his homework done.'
Trouble finding a parking space stopped all conversation until they were inside the auditorium. From then on, Laura made no effort to try to listen to Charlie and Mitch over the wild shouts of laughter. She searched the huge audience for Beth and Uncle John, but couldn't see them. When the Varieties were over Laura tried to scan every face she could see of the huge crowd streaming out of the auditorium, but Beth was nowhere in sight. Depressed and silent, Laura walked with Charlie and Mitch to Maxie's.
Maxie's was already jammed when they got there and the Dixie Six was in action, as usual.
"My God, when did Bud Nielsen start playing with them?” said Charlie.
"Where?” said Mitch. “Oh, yeah!"
Laura looked up, and there was Bud with his long gold horn glinting through the smoke, standing in the fore of the little bandstand that stood in the rear of the room.
"Do you know him?” she asked Charlie.
"Yeah, I know him. Fraternity brother. Good musician."
"My roommate dates him,” said Laura.
"Beth dates this character?” Charlie looked at her in surprise.
Oh, no! My other roommate—Emily."
"Oh,” he chuckled. “I didn't think Cullison would go for this guy,” and he nodded at Bud.
Cullison, Laura thought in irritation. Her name is Beth. Elizabeth.
"God, it's crowded. Do you see a place?” Charlie said, squinting through the smoky pink gloom.
Laura became suddenly aware of someone saying her name and she turned around a couple of times, straining through the half-light at the myriad faces.
"Laura!” It was Beth. Laura saw her laughing and struggling through the crowd and her first wild impulse was to blindfold Charlie. But it was too late for that. She looked up at him and he was staring at Beth with a smile on his face. Laura was too upset to see that Mitch was smiling too.
Beth was worth staring at. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were very bright, as if she had a romantic fever of some sort. Actually, she simply had too much beer in her, and it was making her laugh. The boys in the crowd were squeezing and pushing her and Laura was suddenly furious to see that she was enjoying it.
Beth reached a hand toward Laura and Charlie took it quickly and pulled her
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