Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-22

over. w ait tor me IN the garden.
In the garden Maud it is" says |. and
with that | slides back to the front entrance
and gets Marie to lead me to the phone booth.
WELL, I'd got the joint all sized up now.
w It's one of these swell boardin schools
for girls, where they take piano lessons and are
exposed to French and the German measles.
And. now my knees has quit wabblin and |
was safe out of the hall. | was almost glad I'd
come up and give the young ladies such
treat. | couldn't help admirin' Mr.. Roberts
nerve, though; for he must have known what
he was lettin himself in for when he follows
Inez up there. But when they get it that bad
there's tellin how reckless they'll be-
If it had been all the same to Mr.. Robert, my
next move would have been to get away from
the spot as quick my feet would let me; but
SO long as he'd assigned me a waiting part
that's what it had to be. With Mare's help
finds the garden out at the back of the house
and makes myself conf table on a rustic seat.
It's fossy garden scene, all right, with wind
ing paths and flower beds and cute little sum-
mer houses. and all sorts of bushes in bloom.
Now and then | could hear music driftin out,
and when piece was through the hand clappln
would commence. like a shower on tin roof.
Say. it had sttn behind the brass rail in the
office beat to a froth. and | was enjoyin it.
lazy and comf'table. with my feet UP on the
bench and my head back; when all at once
there's a big spasm of applause. the doors
openin' on the back veranda are swung open,
swish and rustic and clatter of high heels,
and the next thing | knew the whole blamed
garden was full of EN-.
GIRLS! Say. all the ffty-seven varieties
was represented.-tall ones. short ones.
thin ones, plump ones, and plain fatties.
There aristocratic brunettes, and dimpled
blondes. and every shade between They
ranged from fourteen up. and they sported
all kinds of hair dressin from double pleated
To he lot in t,1rh
And there was little Willie henned in by
twelve-foot wall three sides and solid
squads of girls on the fourth
First they began sailin by in groups of twos
and threes and fours all givin me the goo-goo
stare and snckern'. Honest, you'd thought 1
was some kind of humorous curiosity. spe-
cially exhibited for the occasion. Amt they
the limit, though? And the whispered re-
you just killing Whose brother did you say
you thought Yes, and SO curly tool
try to forget that red thatch of mine most
of the time; but this place to practise
bein' absent minded. 1t didn't seem to make
any diff renee whether l put my hat or left
it off, they were wise to the ruddy hair. All l
could do was to squeeze myself into one corner
of the seat and pretend not to notice EN-.
What l wanted most was to stand up and
holler for Mr.. Robert. Why in blazes didn't
he show up anyway!
I'd been enjoyin this gen'ral inspection
stunt for four or five minutes. when maids
begun circulatin' among the mob with trays of
sandwiches and plates of chicken salad, and
every last one of EN- stopped at my station.
mo, thanks" says |. Think | wanted to
give a food destroyin' performance before
audience like that? l just wavin' away
the fourth offer of picnic grub when hears
little squeal come from bunch of new
cruts and when l looks up to see what's hap
pening now-well. you'd never guess. It's
Miss Wee! You know. the pink and white
queen l was tellin' you about meetin' at the
swell dancn' class where | subbed for lizzie in
the cloakroom and was invited out to join the
merry throng.
SHE amt got the ballroom costume on, of
~ course; but I'd know them big gray eyes
and that straw colored hair and that sweet pea
complexion in any disguise. For second she
stands there gain at me sort of surprised and
puzzled like she didn't know whether to give
me the nod or just put up her chin and sail by.
If could I'd looked the other way, SOS to
give her chance to duck recognizin' me; but |
couldn't do anything but stare back And the
next thing l knew she's comm straight for me.
Why, Torchy!" says she, sort of purry and
confidential. "You! And blamed if she
want holdin' out both hands.
Well. say, you can't imagine what diff
renee that makes to me- 1t was like fallin off
a roof and landin' in hammock. What did
l care for that push of young lady f1uffs then?
Sure thing. it's me- says |, grabbin' the