The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1920-09-17

I she can show rather vivid color
scheme. The littl Adomestic debate
which must have started up on the
tenth floor, is still going on.
But what's the big idea, Dearie?'
she is askin' him. "Why the sudden
dash out into the country"
"a suggestion of Professor Nc
Cabe's," says he, "that I'm following
up. 1 doubt if you'll be interested,
Gladys. Hadn't you better let us drop
you somewhere and" r.
'No" breaks in Gladys decided.
you may not be hitting on all six
lust now, Dearie, but you're rather a
risky old boy and you'll stand watch
ing. OF course, what you and the
Professor have framed UP. may be per:
lfectly all right, but if I go along I
won't need to ask Ouija to be sure;
4 Will I, old dear?" And she pats him
playful on the shoulder.
1 Surprisin', amt it, how sometimes
| you can sketch the complete status
quo of of couple, just by hearin' 'em
swap a little off-nand repartee? 1
hadn't known much of this Ridley
Hatch party before, except that he was
vice-president of the whisk-brOom
trust, or some useful combine like
that, anyway, he was a minor plute,
with an income runnin' into six figures
: since the war profits had begun rollin'
. in, and he'd gone groggy in the knees
trying to spend it the way he thought
I a perfect gent ought to scatter it
, around.
But now 1 get the rest of the pic
ture. Not that / could tell just how
long ago it was since he discovered
Gladys on the Casino roof or the Win
, ter Garden chorus. Maybe their little
romance was six or eight years old
, He hadn't picked out a broiler exactly
, | If you ask me I'd say it was Gladys
! who did the pickin', and that mainly
t she had her eye on his check book
! Anyhow, here they were, millin
around under the white lights every
I night with thousands of other couples
3 more or less like 'em, tryin' to buy
r a good time, no matter what the cost
. Which is why so many head walters
3 can afford to retire and own hotels
of their own and the cabarets cal
, still soak on So cover charge and
get away with it.
t Anyhow, it's clear that Gladys had
3 a good line on her Dearie and thai
while Ridley Hatch might be the bis
noise in some circles he wasn't the
t whole show when when he opened the
door Of what he called home. Still
he had kind of a rugged jaw and there
D was no tellin' when he might graf
the helm.
S Whereabouts in the country are We
. headed, Dearie" asks Gladys as W.
t roll out through Penham Parkway.
Cant say" says Ridley. "Just ex
Y ploring."
What a cute little notion!" says
Mrs. Hatch. ooh, WELL" And she
o settles back in her corner of the limou
sine registerin patience.
+ She needed it, I'll say, for we bowl:
G on and on, through Stamford and Oar
len and other interestin' spots, finall.
l. branchin' off the Post Road ant
| |strikin due north into the heart of the
: breakfast >doughnut zone. Course
D Ridley hadn't given the chauffeur an.
e definite sailin' orders, and with al
$ them Connecticut cross roads branch
q in every which way it's no wonder
g he finally got twisted up.
''If the game is to get yourself lost
h Dearie," suggests Mrs Hatch, II think
v you've won. That being the case. why
= not have luncheon?"
}. "Show me place and we will,
4 says Ridley. "Pve been hoping to
, see something that looked like hotel
{ for the last hour"
Back on the main road" says
Gladys, II saw several signs telling
how far it was to Hollyhock Inn
Couldn't we find that?"
We'll try" says Ridley. Sounds
like one of these silly roadside tea
rooms, though, where they need nearly
an hour to build an imitation club
sandwich. Perhaps we can run across
a regular place"
We couldn't though, and when we
Isighted another Hollyhock Inn sign,
along about 3:15, Ridley tells the
driver to make for it. So half an hour
later we rolls in between a row of
tall elms and unloads at this neat
painted white farmhouse affair with
the green shutters. On the south
side, probably where the COW yard