Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-21

In accordance with promise given to
Electra at breakfast time, Miss wagner
went down stairs and entered Nrs Bar
ker's little sitting room just as the CLOCK
was striking 9. Electra, with her nat al
ready on stood by the table, writing some
thing upon, the margin of the Weekly
Chronicle. Her forehead wore puzzled
frown. and she hesitated now and then'
moving her lips IN apparent perpiexity. ana
gazing absuactedly at her pencil But sne
welcomed Miss Wagner with oeamlhs
smile. and. as soon as she had written the
last word. folded the strip of paper INTO
squares and tucked it fndiherentiy into her
pocket
In her longest and most stifhy starched
calico tier Electra had an air of being IN
full dress 1t was pink-the pale. delicate
pink that ranked next to cross barred mus
lin itself among her tfers-and she knew
how to make IL rustic with inGescr1oapie
elegance as she walked In almost any oouy
csc the rustling and the elegance nligut
have betokened self-conSciousness- VIZ
Electra they were but part OF the naturh
development of things, no more to be con-
sidered. in the general scheme OF wen De-
ing, than dimples or laughter
A sudden anxiety oversp-ead her race as
they went down the steps. and. with d
murmured exclamation which her com,
panion failed to understand. she hasnea
swiftly cross iHc ydiu am
seht around the corner of the house.
The sun seemed to shine little less
brightly in her absence. Miss wagner even
fancied that she felt $ light chiiliness IN
the air whereupon she stepped inside the
door again. throwing her thin cape over
her shoulders and fastening it at the throat
with an impulse Of habitual caution
..Cold Miss Wagner Mrs. Barker stop
ned on her way from the dining room to
the cellar her eyes resting kind upon the
listless figure, silhouetted against the lay
ish splendor of the summer morning.
this entry does it she went on MOST
anybody'II shfyer in it. no matter what
time o. day It's. l could use it for an ice
chist an done with it. tell EN-. II 'twasnt
quite so public
Barker with near3y every phase OF the
genus summer boarder. but this languid
Young woman was in new type not easl'y
chamber for example. would have Thought
IL only courteous to reply to her remarks
Miss Wagner either did not listen to them
al all or quite forgot to answer
IT'S lucky for bert she seems 10 take 10
Electry So Mrs Barker so'foauized as
she descended the cellar stairs. She'd De
mortal lonesome if she didn't AS gen raj
thing she amt no better'n mute at a
fuseral when I try to talk with her, an
here they two'u travel off together. day
in an day out. like pair o lambs
moment later Electra came back. her
steps unhurried now. her whole small per-
son radiatiuc serenity. An ancient-looking
bag of Java canvas hung upon her arm
the faded spleI!or of its embroidery
brought into bold relief by significantly
tuIsfng outlines II sent forth a tempting
orchard fragrance at close range: and be-
fore the front gate had fairly clicked be
hind them Electra drew from 1t mellow
richly tinted apple. streaSed here and there
with vivid crimson by the August sun.
Mother says whites cheapern doctors,
any dav'' she announced with serious Wis
dom as she tasted it: the regularity with
which one rand mcuthful followed an
other demonstrating her hearty concur
renee in her mothers opinion. For perhaps
five minutes after this she trudged along
the narrow country road at Miss Wagner's
side in cnn+anted silence. her feet raising
clouds of yellow dust that ohscured at in
-ervals her sturdy little shoes and home
knit upeuwOrk stockings. At the end of
that time she launched briskly into CONVEX
sation-
see that brown house over acrost the
field. Miss Dorothy Miss MCDANIEL lives
over there. Father called her a blamed fool
once I guess yptFds like to hear about
that" her gray eyes following the closely
bitten fragment OF apple core that was
just describing a prolonged curve over the
fence
she come over to stay with me one time
so't mother CotilG go dOwn't the Center
with father: he'd goI to have a wisdom
tooth hauled Well. they hadn't been gone