Evening star., 1922-06-11

she calls him worm William, be-
cause he doesn't make even more
money than he does. poor man. The
child really hates his mother. He
never once spoke of her as mamma,
but he always said my papa when
he mentioned Mr.. Sullender. I think
l must have miSjudged that poor
creature a little. by the way. OF
course he is pompous. but l think his
pomposity is probably jus; assumed
TO cover up his agony of mind. He
has a recent scar that his wife put on
his head. too. to cover up
Bella"
Yes" she said refiectively, Il think
he's mainly engaged in covering
things up. poor thing. OF course. he
does strike his sweet woman now and
then when he finds her at the movies
with gentlemen he doesn't approve
of. but one can hardly blame him, con
sidering the life she leads him. 1t
was last week. though. when they had
their big fight. ] understand-with
the children looking on
But al this William rose TO his feet
and confronted her.
What on earth are you talking
about. Bella"
The Sullenders" she said. 1T was
curious 1t was like having the front
of their house taken off, the way A
curtain roll; up at the theater and
shows you one Of those sordid Rus
sian plays. for instance. There was
the whole. sicken!ng. actual life of
that dreadful family laid bare before
me-the continual. petty chickering's.
that every hour or SO grow into bitter
quarrels. with blows and epithets.
And then, when other people are
there, as we were last night the as
sumption of suavity: the false, too
sweet sweetness and absurd POM
ton it is. Will, It's so ugly it makes
me almost sorry YOU were wrong
about them-as you're rather likely
to be in your flash judgments, you
poor dear
Bella. who was literary" some
times, delivered herself of this speech
with admirable dramatic quality,
especially when she made her terse
little realistic picture of the daily life
of the Sullcnders, but there was just
shade of happy hypocrisy and
covert triumph in the final sentence,
and she even thought fit to add lit
tie more on the point.
How strange it is to think that
only last night we were arguing
about it," she exclaimed. And that
| said we'd not need to wait a month
to prove that l was right. Here it
is only the next day. and it's proved
4 was a thousand times Fighter than
1 said I was"'
We'll, perhaps you'll enlighten
me" he began. But she complied
so willingly that she didn't let him
finish his request.
She gave him Georges revelation
in detail, emphasizing and coloring 1t
somewhat with her own interpreta-
tions Of many things necessarily only
suggested by the child's meager vo-
ca bulary. and she was naturally a
little Indignant when at first her hus-
hand declined to admit his defeat.
"Why, it's simply not belevable"'
what they seemed to be last night
and be so depraved, They were gen
timely affectionate in the tone they
used with each other, and they
Good gracious" Bella cried. do
YOU think I'm making this up?"
mo: of course not" he returned
hastily. "Rut the child may have
made it up
about his own father and
mother?"
"Oh. I know: but some children are
the most wonderful little storytell-
ers. They tell absolutely inexplicable
lies and hardly know why them
selves"
nUT at this. Bella looked at him
- pittingly. Listen a moment,
There was all the sordid daily life of
these people laid out before me in
the poor little child's prattle-a
whole, realistic novel. complete and
consistent. And I'd like to know how
YOU account for child of seven or
eight being able to compose such
thing; and on the spur of the mo-
mont, tool When children mako up
stories thay,. make 'em up about