The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-02-23


well. just think. motheri" the on
rush of Phobe's Informative impulse
brushed Aunt Mary's heirlooms en-
tirely out OF the conversation. Mrs
Ventry told me that she picked up
those earrings in a pawnshop in New
York. Isn't that the strangest thing.
with all the money she's got? Why
wouldn't any more wear anything
that came out of a pawnshop - i
should expect IL to be just loaded with
germs. But. Err. Phoebe returned
undaunted to the attack on insensate
pretty2 And TO his growl of denial.
she AIDED, disgustedly. IT'S just like
pulling teeth. Ern Martin, to get you
20 say that a woman's goodlOoking."
AS a matter of fact. Ernest secretly
thought Mrs. Ventry a "pippin" But
somehow-Ernest did not quite under
stand IL himself-there seemed some
thing emasculate about admitting good
looks in a female.
But il Mrs. Martin and Ernest were
little measured in their praise Of
the new neighbor, both Phoebe and
Mr.. Martin were decidedly enthusi-
astic.
Mr.. Martin spoke in terms of high
est admiration Of a lady who. on all
occasions, treated him to a delicate,
light raillery-a lure at which, to his
wife's establishment, he leaped with
a Bdllanl NerDal aRlllty.
And Phoebe - having penetrated
boris shell TO greater glories Of mind
and heart-fairly spattered adjectives
at the mention of her name. "Beauti-
full" Charming" stunning" pic
turesque," grand" they flowed in
adulatory profusion. Whenever Mrs.
Ventry was near she sat literally at
her feet-a slim living picture Of con-
tinual alteration.
In regard to Mr.. Ventry. the Mar
tin family held but one opinion-all.
that is, except Ernest, who had never
been known to dislike anything male
In his life. Phoebe voiced it with her
usuel frankness after the first en-
counter Il loathe him." she pro-
nOunced, crisply.
Mr.. Ventry was much older than
Mrs. Ventry. He had a huge, fiabby
body and the face of a cruel Punchi-
nello. All expression seemed to be
held down by a network of family
etched lines. His eyes were as change
less as green pebble and they looked
out over swelling puffs under lids
that were mere lashless folds Of
flesh Phoebe's most impassioned
criticism OF Mr.. Ventry was that those
eyes never seemed to see Mrs. Ven
try when they rested on her.
AS time went on Mrs Martin found
herself liking Mrs. Ventry more and
more. mere lnKereQ-Sne aOmlttGQ
IL only to herself-a half-intuitive re-
siduum Of disapprovaI. For instance.
once as she came unexpectedly TO the
Ventry house In the twilight a pair
of cigarettes cut twin arcs OF fire
from rail 10 lawn. Yet. when she ar
rived on the piazza. only Mr.. and Mrs
Nentry arose TO greet her. But IL
was not easy TO resist Mrs. Ventry's
very perceptible fancy for herself
The new neighbor subjected her TO a
running fire OF pretty attentions Mrs
Ventry was always sending Mrs Mar
tin new slips from the garden. flow
ers, fruits. even occasional portions Of
the delicious Ventry desserts: always
lending her books. patterns for dress
and lace making. Mrs. Nentry was
always coming over in the morning.
an extraordinary vision for haywood
in her trailing negligees OF lace and
Chinese embroidery, her light. flop
ping. untrimmed garden haS tied with
long green ribbons under her chin
her flexible garden gloves. her newt
the progress OF various horticultural
weddings. To be made so much of
socially was a new experience for Mrs.
Martin.
Then. certainly. the Ventrys were
giving the children social opportuni-
ties that more than made up for the
lost summer in Marblehead. Especial
~ was this true in Ernest's case. And
Ernest's case was causing his mother
, considerable perturbation these days.
For Ernest Martin was rapidly
growing handsome. Always he had
been well-built. And at no time had
he gone through that weedy period
in which boys, as much as girls, re-
semble willow wands. Now he stood
six feet and over. In his case growth
seemed a shearing down OF heavy
masses of flesh rather than the oppo-
site process Of filling out TO shapely
bulk. At sixteen Ernest looked twenty
His black hair rufied in the wind
thick and velvety as the breast plum
age Of a bird. His face still retained
it's cherubic outlines, for experience
had done nothing TO sharpen his fea-
lures. His clear blue eyes still looked
out on the world with injurious, un-
troubled gaze of childhood.
Mrs. Martin was beginning to real
lie what it means to be the mother
never before called on Phoebe now
put the Martin place in a futter of
ruffies and ribbons. Girls who never
cared for tennis. ndSv invested the
NANCY Martin court with an mex
plicable popularity. Girls who for
merly never passed their way seemed
to rise from the ground as Ernest
curved out Of the driveway in the
runabout Mrs. Martin herself was
subjected to much furtive wooing from
hubble haywood.
To Mrs. artMin's despair, this pro-
cess had not made a scratch on Err
nests extraordinary social diffidence.
But, perhaps. constant association
with Mrs. Ventrys friends might ac-
complish the impossible. For Mrs.