Mexico Missouri message., 1918-01-17

the country that she's coming to town
for the day, and I'm going to meet
her. Can't you have lunch with usT
Why, yes, I guess so. Where?"
~At the Ivey Lane tearoom-you
know, I'm Thirty.nlnth street. We've
been there"
"Oh, yes; one Of those frothy,
whipped-cream places-I know"
well, it's all right, Bob-and moth
or loves their chicken pies"
"Tm awfully sorry, Jane, but I've
thought Of something. I'm afraid 1
can't make 1t. I've just thought of
somethlng-an engagement, you know.
A business engagement, dear, that
can't very well break"
'Why, Bob. how funnyi First you
said yes and then you said no. You
have TO have some lunch, don't your"
"Yes, but I'll just run in my usual
place It's right In this block, you
know"
"But, Bob, please comeW
Il tell you 1 can't"
II think you're perfectly horrId, to
spoil my day like thatI"
"Oh, for goodness sake, don't begin
that don't see what difference lunch
makes. If you're crazy to have me
lunch with you, why don't you come
down to my placer
Il wouldn't have lunch with you for
anything, Bob Lane. Crazy to lunch
with youi 1 should say not Not in
N 90
place, anyway"
Now, Jane, don't go and get all
excited"
But Jane had snapped back the re-
clever on the hook and she heard no
more With wrathful thoughts she
hurried into her coat and furs and left
the little apartment, where, as she
theught sadly, Bob and she had so
lately had delightful breakfast. She
hurried downtown to meet her mother.
1t WIS a preoccupied Jane who
shopped that morning, and usually
Jane liked shopping. That was why
Mrs- Garter, her mother, had tele-
phoned that she wanted to buy new
furnishings for the living room in her
country house and wanted Jane to
help In selecting them.
"What's the matter JaneT asked
Mrs Carter, as they made their way
from one Of the shops to the Ivy Lane.
You haven't taken q bit of interest
In anything we've DONE"
I'm Just upset about Bob. He's
acting so strange, mother. He would
not have lunch with us today"
Maybe he had an engagement. You
know the Ivy Lane is a mile or so
from his Office"
"3ut first he said he would and then
he said he wouldn't, and he never act
ed that way before"
Probably the poor boy is rushed to
death and just can't take time. Do
he sensible, Jane"
But, mother" explained Jane, 'he
called the Ivy Lane a horrid, old,
1rothy, frivolous place, or something
like that. I think that was hateful"
Mrs Carter laughed. "Men never
Hike tea rooms" she said. "Where
does he usually GOT"
'oh, to a grubby little Italian table
d'hotS down In Eighteenth street."
swell, let's go down there and sur
prise him. He probably just couldn't
atand the thought of lunching In q
tea room, crowded with a lot of shop
peEs- There aren't many men usually
at the Ivy Lane, you know"
$50 you suppose that was it?" James
daee cleared a little. 81 thought he
Just didn't want to lunch with me.
hut maybe that 1t is. oh, mother,
1eu're wonderful. Let's go right down
to Eighteenth street."
Jane was buoyant. Bob himself had
suggested that they meet him at the
table d'hOte, she remembered. Yet for
d little while she had almost felt teal-
Gus OF Bob. Jealous OF Bobl The
idea was absurd. And, anyway, what
was there to make her Jealous because
Bob hadn't wanted to lunch with herr
A few minutes later a Jane with
spirits restored to their usual cheerful
pitch walked down the two or three
steps that led from the sidewalk level
TO the Italian table d'hote where Bob
Bunched daily. Jane had been there
before, and as the savory odor Of the
stew on which the chef Of the little
place specialized met her nostrils she
auddenly saw Bob's objection to the
whipped-cream sort of lunch she usual
~ gOt when shopping. A good sub
Stanttal meat dish-that did make a
more staying lunch for a man. And
as she served corn bread and whole
wheat mullins for breakfast and tried
90 have 6sh several times week for
dinner, she couldn't blame Bob for
andulging In luncheon each day that
could make him forget wartime re-
GtEie1lOns-
lane smilingIy bowed to the pro-
Driet0r.
TIN Mrs. Lane" she said. "Will |
yu9 show us Mr. Lanes tableT
The proprietor graciOusly bowed |
them 10 a corner table, where Bob al. |