Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-23

me- When 1 marry Ezra Silver I'll let
you know, Maria"
Mrs. Simpkins rose and pulled on her
mittens with angry little jerks. In her
ample coat and fur neckpiece she looked
like substantial pillow. She was angry
and she showed Ii. WELL, she said, Il
guess I'll be running along home. It's
getting nigh supper time. l thank my
stars that l don't have to sit down and
eat alone the way you do Julia Victuais
would stick In my throat II L didn't nave
my companion sitting opposite me at
table,"
I've got Juniper" Julia replied. AS
she rose she scooped up the fat black.
cat that lay curled on a nearby cushion.
Hugging him rather defiantly, she faced
about to receive Mrs. Simpkins' last
volley. =. r
But there was none forthcoming. Mrs.
Simpkins had spit herself out" as she
would have said, and she got away as
gracefully as possible.
Julia, with the cat in her arms,
watched her go with amusement on her
lips and in her eyes. Suddenly the amuse-
ment gave way to angry surprise, for on
the corner Mrs Simpkins had met and
was engaging In conversation the very
man they had been talking about.
Ezra Silver was tall. thin, little stoop-
ed, but neat and witha1 genteel appear
ing He was returning home from work
a little earlier than usual and so had
met Mrs. Simpkins. Julia could imagine
just what she was saying. Maria had al
ways fought valiantly In EZra's cause
Perhaps-but this Julia would not own
even to Juniper-if Maria had been less
jealous things might have gone different
~. Her eternal interference had aroused
all the stubbornness that had set gentle
nature--a stubbornness that had set hard
and unyielding as concrete during the
years that had passed. Now, as TX he
knew Julia might be looking out. of her
window. Ezra kept glancing uneasily to-
ward 1t while he backed away. At last
he detached himself from Marta's To-
quacity and. scurrying away up the
street. disappeared into his own house,
which he occupied alone.
The instant he was out of sight Julia
Juniper on his cushion. Dear me, it's
tea time," she said. Tonight, Pm SO
upset by Maria's visit that I don't believe
l can eat a mite. However. I'll have to
see.
Julia went UP to tn cold fashioned mir
ror and looked in. not that this was at
all necessary preliminary TO her tea get
ting. She simply wanted to see how she
looked. Maria had a way OF hurling facts
at one in large clods and when she said
thirty years she meant every instant of
that time. 1t was indeed thirty years
since Ezra Silver had first walked home
with Julia and she had been almost will
ing to marry him without further ado. If
lneEe Hdu DeeN the lcdSt ODJeCtlOH TO HiHi
IL anybody had opposed her she would
have taken him forthwith. But her ro-
| nance lacked incentive, Everybody was
| too willing, and SO Julia herself became
to be most unwilling. She houted poor
Ezra openly. got scoded for 1t and
| fiouted him again. And the seventh time
he asked her timidly to have him. she
stamped her foot and screamed Mo-!
Ezra, however. was not daunted. Though
they barely spoke now she knew he still
secretly hoped. And so, she let him hope
unsatisfied Still thirty Years is ever SO
long for a woman to have her own way.
and Julia at heart was sick OF hers. Es-
pecially now that the mirror showed she
was no longer young.
She sighed as she turned away and
went out into the kitchen. She sighed re-
cut her delicious bread, and brewed her
tea. And she continued to sigh as she
sat pretending to eat the tasteless food.
Presently tear ran down her cheek and
dropped upon her hand She wiped the
tear away guiltily, but there was none
but Juniper to see, and he. was too busy
tapping milk to care about his mistress
tears. Another and another ZEN They
were Indeed rolling down Julias pink.
slightly wilted cheek In doleful success
sion when the fire bell rang.
Instantly the creamery whistle and the
factory whistle and the knitting mill
whistle Joined In. There was q chorus of
alarm. Clang-clang-clang! Toot-tooty-
| toot.
Julia sprang up. pale with dismay. The
4 fire alarm always struck terror to her
tender heart. Before she got to the door
| the hess had ceased and the whistles were
going alone. People were running past
! and on the sky was p. pad red glare that
meant destruction ana danger.