The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1921-08-20
Elspeth-P ut-the-
Kettle-On
By JESSIE DOUGLAS

( + - i.
IS. 1921. b. Nc lure Newspaper syndieatcD
Elspeth aHdti HE package with
fingers that trcmb!cd. She hud come
to the second knot ana was working
! painsiakingly when Molly thrust her
curly heud in ut the door
Were off, l., dear. Put the key
under the mat II we're not home Till
/ late. And do put something on Il tray
for Us to eat when we get home. The
/ Care3s are delightful, but one never
gets enough to eat there"
The door slammed after Molly and
Janet Elspeth worked on over the
stubborn knot.
IF any one telephones me, say I've
gone 10 Trevor's,' Caroline said draw
Ing on her enr-claSped glove slowly.
Elspeth stopped until she heard the
door close softly. She WINS alone. AZ
usual
She stood staring at the room gray
Ing In the twilight, forgetting her
package, forgetting everything, In
fact, but the situation she faced
There was something the matter
with her, that was sure. Molly, the
youngest. with her short curIs and her
technique" aud Zine" and color" us
though they belonged exclusively to
her. Janet, Just year older, was en-
gagged to jim Corey, and nothing else
existed for her In the world Then
came Elspeth. But Caroline two years
older, was noted for her charm; she
always Ind new suffers and all the
new clothes that were necessary To
set off her type.
That was it-they were all types;
all except Elspeth. She realized, as
she stood there fighting with her
sense Of futIlity that she just wasn't
any type
She was necessary, Of course to
stay at home and get trays ready, to
see that the silver wasn't stolen and
to answer The telephone when Paul
Winslow called up to know If Caroline
was there
To make sure her mothers papers
were all typed ready to read to the
Tuesday Morning club, and to make
Molly's new smocks.
IT was so dark In the room now that
Elspeth fumbled about for a match
table, she saw the package still I'M
opened
She wondered why she had been 30
excited over this package; Aunt En-
ma sent them few Of her old things
every few months. Caroline usually
right and Elspeth made them over.
BY the time Janet and Molly had
chosen there was either nothing left
or, II there was. 1t was not worth
much.
This time, however, the package
had come addressed to:
MISS ELSPETH GREEN.
She shook out the folds of tissue
paper and saw In one corner where It
had been crushed something delicately
pink and silver with tiny French flow
ers and frail, cobwebby lace. In her
hand 1t looked more like the lining OF
sunset cloud than real frocK
She laid 1t down and went toward
the kitchen.
II believe I'm starved. that's what's
the matter with me" Espeth told her
self firmly.
She had marketed that day so she
knew the chops were thick, that the
lettuce was hard and white and that
she could make a cup OF coffee In a
jify.
She paused in the dining room, and
then smiling selfishly she set the table
for two, put the candles on, with their
pink shades, brought out the white
plates with their gold bands, and put
Il bowl of roses that had come last
night for Caroline in the center Of the
table.
Then she caught up the pink cloud
like frock and ran upstairs. 1t took
her much longer than she expected to
dress For she had to borrow Molly's
pink slippers and Janet's stockings,
and she had to do her hair In that new
way with twist at the back to suit
the frock She had to powder her
slender white throat and try on those
tiny pearl earrings that Caroline had
bought last week.
When at last she had slipped into
the pink frock, she gasped at her own
reflection. She wasn't just Elspeth-
put-the-kettle-o but new, Strange
person who smiled back at her with
shining eyes.
She went down stairs slowly and
lighted the candles under their rosy
shades, and put on the chops to broil, |
and smelt the delicious aroma Of boil |
ing coffee.
She felt rather thrilled as though 1t
were not really game she was play
Ing with herself but as though she |
were expecting some one and |
the some one wanted to see her-not |
Caroline or delicious Janet or short
haired Molly, but herself.
Yet when the bell gave resounding |