Evening star., 1922-10-29

too. There are lot of worse things
than civic pride.
Only I've run up against a few
Brooklyn people who have insisted on
rubbing it in. Anyway, the Geers did.
Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Geer of Eucalyptus
boulevard, In case you should want to
look them UP. Nice people, too. Mt.
Geer is vice president of a big con-
Germ that makes paper boxes: two or
three factories. with sales office on
Pineapple street. They have son
who's a Junior at Cornell, and a mar
the fifth waffle that Mrs. Geer opened
,All these details I collected while
helping Inez serve fried chicken and
.waffles and apple pie. 1t was after
the fifth wa e that Mrs. Geer opened
a chummy line of chat. Food does
seem to thaw out friendly feeling in
most people, especially if they've been
very hungry. And Mrs. Geer had con-
fessed almost as soon as she arrived
that she was nearly starved. She
hardly looked it. No. If bear can
crawl into a hollow tree and live all
winter through on his own fat then
! should guess that Mrs. Geer could
go from now until-But, of course,
she isn't a bear.
THE Geers had been DONG the
Ideal tour. They'd heard 1t
talked up a lot by their neigh
bors. and several times they'd plan
ned TO do it, but something had hap
pened to put crimp in their plans
And this year they had meant to
start right after Labor day. but a
apectal directors meeting had been
called for the 9th, and then there
was a fire in one of the factories
fhe next week. and what with one
hing and another they were nearly
a month late in getting off.
Mrs. Geer said she told oscar that
October was too cold for being in the
mountains. Besides, only few no.
-eIs were open and nearly everybody
had gone home. And she wasn't
rrazy about motoring on strange
country roads where if anything
naup.ned you couldn't find a garage
,naybs for miles and miles. But when
Oscar had his mind made up to do a
thing vou migha just as well give in.
The president of his box company
had done this Ideal tour stunt two or
three times, and the third vice presl-
dent had gone over 1t in August.
md the two were always talking
obou, It. So Oscar had insisted.
Well. IL had rained while they were
ut Poland Springs, and at Breton
Woods Oscar had had bad attack
or indigestion, and they'd had two
hlo,v-outs coming through Crawford
Notch. ard today they'd gotten off
tho blue line trail somewhere below
Sunapee Lake. and altogether sne
was glad it was nearly over.
S.I suppose the country is all right
Ehe added, "if you go at the height
Of the season.
"Wasn't the fall foliage all that
was adyertised" I asked.
"Nothing but lot of red and yell
low leaves" says she. "and We can
Ne those in Prospect Park.
1--WE heard the mountain air well
spoken off," I suggests
Mere breathing isn't such a treat
INV dear" says she. Besides, we i've
in Brooklyn Heights, you know. AS
Oscar says. with our south windows
oman we get all the air there Is. So
shall be glad to get back nome.
wbera we know people, and it's
handy to run out to the movies in the
cv.nins, or down to the department
stores in the afternoon. There were
two bargain sales that I missed. per-
hans more. I haven't read the
Eagle for a week and i feel as
though I didn't know thing that
had been going on. Why. anybody
might have died. or been married. or
had a fire, while we've been away"
"rhat's so." says 'They will take
Advantage"
nhe souinted at me suspicious, but
as Kept my mouth straight she let 1t
pass. II suppose you're used to it."
DIE soes on. Giving up he.eI"