Evening star., 1922-02-26
By SeweH Ford

bang. To take of some Of the strain
I'd hired a lady's maid for her. one
who could do the hooking-up act and
first aid chin massage.
"And remember, julie" told her.
"have Mrs. Trueman all ready by Z
o'clock. That Danube blue spangled
affair, you know. and the wrap to
match. She'll want you to go light
on the facial makeup, but pay no at
tention. Don't spare the rouge.
With that took time OF for a hun
dred block walk. then dashed back 10
| the studio. got myself up for an even
ing out. and was waiting when Barry
called with the taxi at e:45.
Its sweet of you to help me out
this way, old dear" told him. anu
l do hope my upstate widow doesn'
look too much like a plush horse.
IF she does" says Barry. Il can
ease my eyes by looking at you tn
by May. Probably shall most OF the
time. anyway"
"Nice boy!" says I. whether you
| mean 1t or not"
So everything was sitting pretty
and I was stepping high and hgnt 40
we surged into the lobby Of the Lady
Ann to send up word for Clara l
could even chuckle at some OF the te-
male freaks sitting around waitins
for bedtime. One pair especially got
grin out of me. They were about
the primmest. stiffest backed old girls
I'd seen anywhere outside q Vaude-
Vile sketch. You know-gray haar
drawn straight back into a knot
cameo pins fastening the throat OF
their hish-necked shirt waists. and
black satin skirts that touched the
floor as they sat I had to nudge
Barry so he wouldn't miss 'em.
Just as we passed. though. ono OF
'em whispered something to the
other. I expect it had something to
do with my bobbed hair, or the pleae-
ed bosom of Barry's dress shirt. Any
way, the other was shocked. why
Sister Abbie!" she protested. And III
admit the name gave mo q start.
Could it be Aunt Abbie.
wait q sec. Barry says l. I've
got to take a squint at the register
ND sure enough scrawled in sttn
n Spencerian among that days ar
rivals were the two names: MISS
Abigail Trueman. Miss Esther irue-
man. Tonowanda, N. Y.
Help" I gasps.
whats wrong?" asks Barry.
"Everything." says I. Those are
the watch dog sisters-in.law, camp
ing on her trail"
But isn't there another e1it?" sus-
gests Barry.
This Is tho only elevator. though.
says /. "and they're sitting SO they
can face that See. They're watch
ing every one who comes or goes. I'm
afraid the grand debut is dished.
She'll never have the nerve to face
those two
Buck up. old girl" says Barry.
| Maybe 1 can bribe a bellhop to go
put a screen in front Of 'em while
you and you client escape"
1 shook my head. Those gimlet
! eyes of Aunt Abbie's. could look
through any SCREEN" says I. "Be.
sides, she wouldn't stand for any such
slapstick stuff. Somehow she's got
| wind Of the fact that Mrs. Trueman
is here and she's waiting to lead her
back to Tonowanda. I can SEQ that
| by the way she holds her chin"
"You don't mean." says Barry.
! that you're going to let q sour-faced
I old maid bluff you out at this stage
of the game-and that I don't get
| my dinner at the Ritz? That isn't
!! like you, Trilby May"
You're right, Barry" says I. Per
haps we can rush the guard. Ill go
up .nd get Clara and sec what can
be done"
At first I planned to tell hor who
was. parked in the lobby and pump
| her full of courage to face them
down. But when 1 got up to the
suite and had a good look at what
Julie had turned out while I'd been
gone, 1 could only stand and gawp.
For the love of ladies!" says /.
rs this you, Clara Trueman?"
| II hardly know whether 1t is or
not" says she.
| You couldn't blame her. In that
| spangled blue creation, which Lafieur
had wished on her she looked at least
a head taller and thirty pounds or
so lighter. True, her arms did show
up rather plump, but they weren't so
bad, at that And I'd never dreamed
she had such shoulders. Honest, she
| seemed no more like the dumpy fe-
! male I'd first met than anything at
all. Also Julie had used the rabbits
| foot like a true artist. for she'd given
Clara that schoolgirl complexion
which is advertised on the box.
you're a Knockout" says I. You
don't look a day over twenty-five" !"
She ducks her head kittenish and
| giggles That's just the way 1 feel,'
says She "And I'm simply crazy to
start Can't we go now?"
:. TN moment" says I. 1--WE Just
thought of something / wanted to
ask. How did you happen to pick
out this hotel when you came here?"
ss111HY." says she, II heard Abbie
| " speak Of it. She was here once,
years ago, and she was always dragging
! the facts into her conversation"
| "Oh" says I. "Abbie, eh? So that
| accounts for it?"
| For what?' asks Clara
! For your coming here. of course"
says I. "All right Let's go. But lis
ten, Clara. You know what lot Of old