Evening star., 1921-09-11

: u i, didn't i mean the kid any harm."
argued the scoin suavely. II came
III I catch you shopping around
here again. I'll break every bone in
your body" the Little Red Doctor
answered him.
II guess this squares free to every
body. / guess you don't own it," said
the youth. retreating to his car.
Notwithstanding the unimpeachable
exactitude of this surmise, he was
seen no more in that locality Judge,
then, Of our dismay later. from a fell
low employee of Mayme's. that she
swell young guy in a cherry rattler,
who took her away to dine with him.
Catechized upon the point later on
by self-appointed committee Of
two. consisting of the Little Red Doc
TOR ana myself, Mayme said vaguely
understand. This is. 1 believe. the
usual formula. The last half NJ IN
at least. was true.
About that time we. in common
with the rest of the nation, took that
upon our minds which was even more
important than Mayme McCartney's s
love affair. War loomed imminently
the fitting time to strike, and our
square was feverishly reckoning up
it's military capacity. The great day
Of the declaration came. The nation
had drawn the sword. In the week
following our square was invaded.
She descended upon US from the
somber sumptuousness Of a gigantic
limousine. the majestic. the imposing.
the formidable, the authoritative Mrs.
Berthelin. We knew at once who she
was because she led, by the ear, as 1t
were. her hopeful progeny. young
David: ! do not mean that she had
an actual auricular grip on him. but
the effect upon his woebegone and
browbeaten person was the same.
We hastily rallied our forces to meet
her; the Little Red Doctor, the Bon
ME Lassie, and myself. Mrs. Berthe
lin opened her exordium in tone of
formalities OF INTRODUCTION. But
when I insisted upon these, and she
learned that the Bonnie Lassie was
MRS. Cyrus Staten. she cringed. De-
spite a desire to keep out Of the So
ciety columns quite as genuine as
.hat OF MRS. Berthelin's to get in,
among the shining ones, q fact al
most painfully appreciated BY our
After that it was easy to get her
into the Bonnie Lassie's house. where
ner eioquence could not draw a
was not quite so easy. He made one
vel timed and almost successful ef.
LOTT 70 bolt. and even eyinced sien.
OF ooiting on the steps.
His punishment was awaiting him.
No sooner were we all settled in the
Bonnie Lassie's studio than the moth
er proceeded to rega1e US with his
tory and forecast Of his career. be-
ginning with his precocious infant
lfspings and terminating with his
projected. though wholly indefinite
circles. To do David Justice. he
"Have you got him job as q gen.
eral in the army yet, ma'amT in
Quired the Little Red Doctor suavely.
1t was quite lost upon Mrs Berthe
lin. She informed us that a commits
sion as captain in the Quartermast-
er's Department was arranged for.
And what she wanted US to UNDER
stan. stand clearly was that no designing
little guttersnipe was to be allowed
to compromise David's future. she
concluded with an Imaginative and
most unhattertnE estimate of Mayme
McCartney's character. manners an6
morals, In the midst Of which ! head
Q gasp. :
TT came from Mayme. standing. wide
eyed and white. in the doorway.
The front door had been left ajar,
and, seeing the Berthelin's mono
grammed car outside, she had come
in. The oratress turned and stared.
That's . lie," said, Mayme Nccart-
ney steadily. I'm as straight . girl
j.