The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-06-17
ANDREW AND
 IMOGENE
By ROE FULKERsoN

1mogene met him at tho door dressed for the street
 We are going downtown for dim ner," she announced
 Not while I am conscious" ex- claimed Andrew. in an exasperated way.
 Andrew. we are going downtown to dinner, and we are going right now"
 "oh, all right" he said, "ff 1t is as terrible as all that we will go,-but l have to wash my face and get on a fresh collar at least" He started to push past her into the house. Please" she said, pushing him down the steps. You can buy a col lar at haberdashery and will wait While you go to the washroom at the Cafe Royal and wash and change. Hurry. please hurrx."
 What's the matter with you, any way?" he demanded. jerking away l from her detaining hand. T don't ike this sort of business"
 Andrew, I will explain as soon as can but please hurry away from here" Her tone was so full of sor- row and anxiety that he yielded re- luctantly.
 Instead of taking him toward the street car she led him around the nearest corner, hurrying him through the streets as if to escape something which threatened.
 For three blocks she hurried him on and then she slowed down her pace and sighed with relief.
 Now" she said, "I can tell you. Oh, l was so scared they would come before l got out of sight"
 .'Who?" asked Andrew, i'll humor-
 "The Shermans," acclaimed Imo- gene They are those awful people who live next door to where we vis- ited in the country last year. Don't lyou remember the old gentleman and the old lady and the one boy with the big boots?
 We went to their house to Sun day dinner one time because you thought 1t would be funny,
 Just about an hour ago I got A telegram from them. When the boy rang l went to the door, of course. and before I signed for 1t I read 1t and then when I saw that they were coming Tor few days visit burst ! right out crying.
 didn't know what in the world 10 do and the red-headed boy who brought 1t looked at me with bip sympathetic eyes and said Lady. is some of your folks deadY And An ureW mad to talk to somebody about It and l told him the whole thing.
 He said that was all right he couid TX it and he showed me that the telegram had one of these en- velopes with a transparent panel in II and that the address showed through from the inside and he said he would take 1t back to the office and put 1t in another envelope and tell them there was nobody at home when he came here.
 They were due In an hour. An drew, so l gave the boy s1 and rushed upstairs to telephone you, and you had left the office for home. so there was nothing for me to do but dress and wait in the doorway and prav that you would come before they did "s' 1T simply could not entertain those awful people for three or four hours. Andrew" s' 1 You arc very wicked woman .n said Andrew, gravely.
 i know It, and if you say so we Will go back" she said. stopping in her tracks. T just stampeded, that was all"
 l on, we'll" he said, gravely. q guess we might as well go on, we have come this far. They may try to find us in the morning again. so we had better go past the automo- pile repair place and give one of the boys the garage key and have him bring the car downtown and go some place over tomorrow" 1 They squeezed hands and giggied gieefully to the scandalization of an elderly lady who was out airing a dog . Copyright, 1922. by Twenty first | Century Press. Inc.)