Evening star., 1913-12-08
THE EVENING STORY.
BORROWED CLUNY.

'I'll lend you my cluny centerpiece.
It'll just Mt your table. 1 insist" said
Ella, quickly, as Adeline appeared to
object.
Adeline thrummed her fingers nervously
on the window ledge in the shabby liv-
Ing room. It was nice OF Ella and she
wanted to make as good an impression
on Harvey's sister (whom she had never
metz as possible. But Adeline had a
curious inrooted aversion to borrowing
It was not a matter OF pride Pride with
Ella would be nonsensical The two had
grown up in adjoining weedy yards. In
almost adjoining shabby cottages. Their
fathers worked at the same wholesale
grocery house, their mothers had bor-
rowed yeast and loaned jelly recipes
ever since either slim, pretty girl could
remember. Nevertheless, Adeiine hesi-
tated.
Ever since she had known Harvey Dale.
the new editor OF the daily newspaper Of
the small city, she had been dubious
concerning the opinion his people would
have of her and her people 1t had
been love at first sight with both her and
Harvey when they met at church af-
fair. He had just come to town and his
people lived in another state. But she
soon learned that they were far above
her socially and financially. Not from
Harvey had she learned it, but from the
other people who knew of them.
But she had reassured herself AS
long as Harvey loved her nothing else
was vital. If he didn't care that the
house needed paint and the parlor cur
tains needed to be thrown away it surely
was no one else's business. But she was
glad that they lived so far away.
And then Harvey announced casually
that his sister Irene. on her way to
spend the winter in California, had
learned that she could stop over Tor
three hours and meet the girl with whom
her brother had fallen in love. Adeline
had been dismayed when Harvey jubi-
lated over the unexpected opportunity
of making at least one OF his family ac-
concealed 1t. How NICE" she murmured.
Harvey was not analytical at the mo-
ment. He did not catch the doubt that
infected the murnur.
The three hours would be from II TIL
pm. That meant luncheon. Adeline
was moro dismayed. Her mother found
1t hard to keep plenty OF food on the table
without buying fine napery. Adeline's
own wages as bookkeeper In small store
had been of too recent birth to have
aided much. Yet she was averse to pre-
tense: Her sense Of pride was almost
defiance. She never asked Harvey to
love her. II his people couldn't accept
her as she was
"SluSh, said Ella Wnen AOclu6, plilh-
checked and with brooding eyes, partly
explained. "I'H bring 1t over in the
morning right after breakfast And. Ade-
line, let me fix the mayonnaise dressing
You know" with the candor Of old
friendship. that yours tastes like slop.
Adeline submitted. 1t would have been
ungracious not to do SO. And Ella had
knack of table arrangement. On the
elaborate cluny cloth their small array
Of glass and silver. combined with all of
Elias mothers stock ella was large
lender), looked really nice.
Irene arrived at ten minutes after
twelve. She was a large, middle-aged
woman. overdressed, and Adeline read
contempt In the first glance that she gave
the shabby house while Harvey was
helping her out Of the runabout- Har-
vey, however, did not notice, and Ade-
line had enough poise to ignore 1t. But
she was glad Of Elias presence. Ella
was a vivacious talker and accustomed
to bantering Harvey. Under the rattle
Of gay words the stiffness OF Adeline's