Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1919-07-25

cheerful little red Chinese cups and
saucers. And a sugar bowl that didn't
match, but whose glass sides displayed
proudly its white and glistening con-
tents.
1.-THE walking isn't a bit BETTER" OBJ
served Josephine, looking out the win
low. 81 suppose they will come in the
machine. I'll bet the chauffeur has a
hard time getting up this hill"
But no struggling automobile pre-
coded the ring at the bell. The Clark
son girls called up from the door. "Just
a minute till we take off our creepers.
We don't want to seal your stairs
take yours off, Jim-hurry.''
There was a deep tone among the
voices in the lower hall. Anne peeped
over the railing.
80" she whispered, "hustle out an
other cup. They've brought a man."
MAY Jim come to the party, too?"
said Norah Clarkson. "He held us up
all the way over, and l know he is ex-
hausted."
Certainly" replied Anne, shaking
hands with big, g~ood-looking blue
eyed James Clarkson, but I'm afraid
1t will be rather stupid for him, be-
cause we are going to knit"
perhaps 1 could learn-you might
start me on a nine-inch square, isn't
that what they call them?"
maybe Josephine will teach you.
She's the instructor" said Anne, al
Josephine came in from the dining
room. "My sister, Mr.. GARRISON"
SLOW do you do?" bowed Mr.. Clark
SON, gravely of Josephine's
hesitant hand.
Brother is daffy over everything
concerning the war; explained Gladys.
81 suppose that makes you wonder why
he isn't in uniform. He's doing all
sorts of especially important govern
ment work. This morning he had to
get after some grocers who weren't
living up to the regulations of the food
commissioner-sugary shortage, you
know. Don't mind if 1 tell, do you,
Jim?"
"No, you can't have too many warn
ings."
Josephine was frantically casting on
stitches.
But it was really a very pleasant af-
ternoon, Anne thought. Mr.. Clarkson
held four skeins of yarn for her to
wind, and didn't mind at all when h
began at the wrong end of one and got
it all snarled up.
At last came tea-and the transpar-
ent sugar-bowl!
"Help yourself to sugar." urged
Anne. 40 got two pounds this morn
ing. Wasn't it lucky?"
"Very," solemnly agreed the aide Of
the food commissioner. "Anyone who
ventured out on this ~treacherous walk
ing deserved to pick up some sugar.
1t is exceedingly hard to find just
now"
Norah pulled Josephine aside while
the others were saying good-by. II
hope you don't care because we
brought JIM" she whispered. "He in
sisted on coming when he found out it
was you. He's been asking about you
ever since he brought those bundles
to the Red Cross rooms. He's all right,
Jim is, even if he is my brother" And
she gave Josephine a hurried little
kiss.
Next day a package arrived for Miss
Josephine Bruce. 1t bore the card of
Mr.. James Clarkson, and it was a FIVE
pound box Of perfectly good granu-
lated sugar! Josephine was furious.
81 don't see anything to be cross
about" demonstrated Anne. "That's a
valuable present in these times"
II won't have him buying me sugar."
stormed Josephine.
But he did, just the same, and later
he bought her flour and grapefruit and
coal and summer and winter coats
for years and years and years-but not
until a long time after the wedding did
Anne learn the real reason why her
brother-in-law's favorite name for his
wife was-"Sweetness." ~-~Str'~