The Bolivar County Democrat. (Rosedale, Miss.) 1887-1969, 1922-11-11

BY KARIN c. SUNDELOF

Barbara, left alone again, was rebel
lious. The twins had gone to whist
party. 1t seemed as if they always
had whist party, or a tea, or some
thing, Immediately after lunch, and
dance or theater party or something
Immediately after dinner.
Barbara gaZed in rebellious silence
around the forsaken dining room, at
the disorderly table with its hordes of
dishes that had to be washed. The
cold, half-eaten food nauseated her.
She looked at herself in the glass over
the buffet. She was only twenty three,
She looked thirty-five. Her eyes were
traglcally blue, her cheeks white with
out any of the modern rose-bloom her
hair drawn back from her forehead
INTO an unbecoming knot in back, yet
1t tried to escape in little curling
tendri!s over her ears.
1t had been going on for weeks
Whatever nobody else wanted to do,
barbara would do. Barbara never COM
planned. She never really cared to go
out She never liked the men-at least
that was the twins version of the mat
! ter.
They were in the calf-love stage,
and modern. Flappers That was what
they were, and Barbara had hated the
sound of the word. But Dot and Ted
mad continued serenely rolling their
stockings, rouging their cheeks and
lips, powdering their little noses, and
flirting outrageously with anything in
| trousers, in spite of Barbaras very evil
dent disapproval. Ted had even
vamped that Whitman fellow, and he
was the talk of the town.
She was such a little, young thing,
and he was a man Of the world. He
had just come back from four years at
law school and was now in active
/ practice with his father. And now Ted
had gotten hold of him. He was much
older than she, and Barbara had a
sneaky feeling that it was Ted that did
| all the inviting. The girls seemed to
do that a lot-too much, Barbara
thought-and the boys just set back
and expected them to.
Suddenly fresh wave of rebellion
surged over Barbara She would be
flapper, too. She fled up to her room.
She laid her best Sunday-go-to-meet-
ing dress on the bed, and speculated
| briefly. 1t was rather long. OF course,
long skirts We're coming in fast, but
she would be a fiapper for day, any
way. needle and thread soon brought
it almost to the knees. She rolled her
stockings and borrowed pair of Dot s
garters. They were yellow. She made
lavish use of the twins lipstick, rouge
and powder. When she was satisfied
with her work, she proceeded out
wardly brave, but inwardly shrinking,
to the barber shop at the corner.
1t was a flushed and triumphant
bobbed and rouged Barbara who let
herself in cautiously about half an
hour later, Barbara who had shed
the years behind her.
The house was still silent; the stale
and unsavory remains of the luncheon
were still on the table. Barbara con-
sldered for a moment. No, she was
flapper now, like Dot and Ted. They
could clear the things away when they
| got back-and get the supper.
Again, she considered. There was dad
to think Of. He would come home
tired and hungry. What kind of
supper would he get? She had prom
ised her mother that she would take
care of dad.
The doorbel rang. She opened the
| door-to admit Roger Whitman. He
was too polite to show amazement, but
she flushed hotly in spite of the rouge
under his scrutiny. He gave long,
! low whistle.
"Good gracious !" he cried. "Bar-
bara, what have you been doing to
yourself?"
~ flapped," she confessed weakly.
Does it look terrible?"
I "Terrible," he laughed. 'Deucedly
cute, should call it. l hardly knew
you"
He followed her into the library.
| 81 Just came in," he went on to say,
ito ask you if you cared to go to my
frat dance in the city next Friday
night. Thought I'd get here before the
twins got in"
Barbara sat tense and silent.
care you sure you mean me? she
asked.
He came over to where she sat.
Barbara" he said quietly, you're
the only girl for me. We've known
each other since we were kids. You've
never taken the time to know me very
/ much. Come out with me once in
while I'm not such bad sort when
YOU get to know me, don't think"
Know him! Bad sort Barbara wor-
SHIPPED him, and always had from
distance.
"1've been ready to strangle those
two kid sisters OF yours" he said quiz
zically. 81 gave Ted the talking to of
her life last night"
Barbara laughed at the idea Of any
body giving Ted talking to. The
effect had evidently been only skin
deep, for Ted had remained unruffled
and audacious as ever.
Anyway" he persisted. Twill you
Gomez"
"Yes," her answer came in very
low voice.
"And Barbara" he nearly whispered
in her ear, and his tanned face flushed
red. don't feel hurt, please, but let
your hair grow, and don't flap too
hard"