Omaha daily bee., 1922-04-30

welcoming a guest, felt her original msgivings
grow bigger all the while. Was she, too, going
to be described in due time as poor futtery
old thing? Anne was getting her goat out as
yet Charlotte didn't see how she did 1t.
That night in bed, in the nearest thing to
whispers she could reduce him to. Wilfred
supplied her with clew Whispers were neces-
sery first. because they'd moved the BABY IN
with them and second, because Charlotte didn't
want Anne, in the next room, to hear even that
they were talking let alone about her.
She's completely unornamented," Wilfred
said That's the new thing. I suppose / don't
mean Just the way she dresses nor that she
isn't made up. It's mostly her manners She
never smiles unless she's amused II you're
used to having people smile just to be polite and
encouraging, she leaves you flat. She doesn
urge you not to do things for her that she knows
you're going to do anyway" She heard him give
O. sleepy little laugh, which was one of the
things she adored about him. "She Fuckers up
your mouth" he explained. "like bite out OF
nice. hard, young apple"
Charlotte was up on one elbow, about to lean
down and kiss him good night, but instead OF
doing that she said: "You like her thought"
"Sure, I like her. All she needs is a little
warming up Well have to try to show her
good time"
1--WE can't spend any money on her. Bill"
Charlotte demonstrated. eve simply haven't
got it, not for theater tickets or parties-things
like that"
He admitted, ruefully, that they couldn't do
much.
His disclaimer didn't satisfy Charlotte. and it
was on her tongue to tell him the thing she had
been holding back-namely. that the collector
had made his second call that day about the
piano. The next installment would be due next
week and they hadn't paid the last. But she
forebore. After all, the collector had agreed to
wait, and she had one more string to her bow
one ship that might be coming in any day now.
OF course she was glad Wilfred liked Anne.
Let her reflect how miserable she would feel It
he didn't; II he regarded the visit as an impo-
sition. She pumped away valiantly at that re-
Election for Is minutes before she went to sleep.
Anne didn't seem. next morning, quite the
little monster that Charlotte's imaginings during
an uneasy night had painted her. She turned
out for their early breakfast full dressed, and
she helped, good od-humoredly, with the dishes and
the baby afterward. During the morning, while
he was having his nap, she told Charlotte lot
about her school, 1t was thoroughly contempti-
BILE, so tar as its official activities and curri-
culum wefe concerned, but few Of the best
girls had got together to correct its more fla
grant shortcomings for themselves. They didn't
call themselves club let alone go In Tor any
thing childish, like secrets or symbols or pass
words They had no organization at all. Some
times they took concerted action, and, since they
were the flower of the school, usually won the
point they had felt it necessary to make. But
for the most part they merely talked things over
made up their minds about things individu
ally. They talked each other and themselves
over, too. No girl no matter how prominent or
charming or intelligent she might be- could be
one of them unless she showed she could endure
without flinching the most penetrating comment
upon her defects of character, manners or per-
son. After you'd been analyzed few times in
open meeting you learned to do the trick upon
yourself. The ability to give brilliantly ruth
less performance of this sort was highly re-
garded. '7
Charlotte, expressing approval Of this scheme,
betrayed benighted Misrepresentation Of its pur-
pose. 1t was not, Anne patiently explained. self
improvement They weren't trying to make their
lives sublime, like that silly Psalm of Life which
Miss Hood quoted every year at graduation
time. The idea was to find out what you were
really like, what your motives and weaknesses
were and what you wanted: when you knew
all that you could act accordingly. You wouldn't
start anything you couldn't finish. You could
back yourself not to turn soft and sappy at the
critical moment and not to welch. You wouldn't
whimper over the results you got.
Wilfred was right; there was a charm about
it. You were immensely set up when you won
one of her rare smiles. You felt an impulse,
every now and then, to turn Upon her and
crumple her up and kiss her. In some respects
she wa amazingly unlike tha tyne Of tlanner.