Evening star., 1922-04-09
CROSSED WIRES


when they heard of it. said
that college had certainly made Alice
Stone strong minded. and they
thought it a great pity. because she
was such a pretty girl and so sweet
when she wanted to be.
AZ, this excitement was about the
fact that Alice insisted on spending
the summer after her graduation in
one of those bare and grubby fresh
air camps for slum children that dot
the New Jersey and Connecticut hills.
She said that she felt that it would
be experience.
Well, so it was. but that is another
story. At any rate, when the last
carload of shouting. unruly. likabie
little waits had been shipped back to
New York and Alice packed her
trunks and started for home. what
wonder that she began to ask herself
If Greenfelds really gave her the
proper scope for her abilities and her
personality. What chance was there,
she meditated. for one who really de-
sired to live. l hate to confess 1t, but
Alice Stone. despite her curly hair
and big blue eyes, was in fearful
danger of becoming an earnest young
person.
But when she arrived in Greenfields
and began to experience the comfort
of the big luxurious house-quite dif-
ferent from the fresh air-camp- three
maroon, and a small bare room at
that-and when she saw unfeigned
joy of her father and mother at hav-
ing her home again. Alice decided
that, for a time. she had better put
aside the big business of living and
just give herself up to the simple
pleasures of local society and the i'm
personation of loving and dutifui
daughter.
OF course, you understand that she
~ kept her ideas and her ideals in
the back of her head. ready for use
if needed And she kept on reading
lot of Russian novelists with unpro-
nounceable names. And she told olo
Mrs. Lowell that she thought it was
shameful that the woman's club did
not seriously study Eugenics-nor did
she care for Mrs. Lovell's jocular
reply that the members of the wom-
ans club were afraid of what they
might learn about themselves II they
did Still. this was distinctly a minor
incident 1t was not until Alice began
to renew her intimacy with Kitty
Tennant. nee Massringham. that she
found a mission to her mind.
Kitty had always been Alice's dear
est friend. They had shared their
candy and their secrets, done their
lessons together, Joined the same
high school society, bought the same
sort of hair ribbons. read the same
books, hated the same teachers
skated and walked and talked and
rowed and played tennis together
ever since childhood. If Kitty came
to Alice's house oftener than Alice
went to Kittys it was only because
Kftty's stepmother was very like the
stepmother of tradition, while Alice's
mother was the kindest soul alive
and fond of Kitty besides.
With the ending Of high school
days, their paths separated. Alice
went to college. Kitty, however. was
the dimpled, delicious sort of girl
whose sole career is matrimony.
When Alice was worrying through
sophomore math. Kitty was planning
her trousseau and adniring the dia-
mond solitaire that young Dudley
Tennant had placed on her plump
little left hand. Alice was the maid
of honor at the wedding, and two
years later Alice cut short a senior
Committee meeting to rush out and
buy a silver porringer for Dudley
Tennant, jr., who had just arrived.
Alice had not entirely approved of
Kitty's marriage. Dudley was aw-
fully poor. and Alice could not under
stand Kittys radiance over her in
finitesimal house, mostly furnished
with wedding presents. Kitty, how
ever, felt sorry for Alice, who had
not such an adorable little house,
with rugs and jugs and candle
lights" and such an adorable husband
as Dudley, who would one day have
heaps of cases and was practically
certain to ascend to the Supreme
bench Kitty was one who loved and
trusted.
These little mental reservations
concerning each others respective
states in life did not affect either
their affection or their intimacy
there is a nice distinction between
the two. When Alice reached home
at the end of August, via the fresh
air camp route, in her first vacant
moment she few around to kit,y's.
She found the house as bright and
spick and span as ever, and Dudley
Junior a jolly. good-natured roly-
poly. But. when the baby had been
sufficiently admired and exclaimed
over a0d Alice came to look at Kitty.
she was appalled, by the change in
her. Kitty was disheveled and dowdy.
her eyes red with crying, and her
face drawn into lines Of acute worry
For heavens sake, Kit" burst forth
Alice, what is the natter"
KITTY looked away and at first
did not answer. Her chin began
to culver, and at last she hung her
self into Alice's arms with a terrible,
tearing sob.
IT'S Dudley" she said. "Alice-he's
in love with some one else"
Alice's first thought was naturally
Of the Russian novelists. and what a
situation it would be for them; but
her second thought was of affection
ate common sense.
why, Kitty, Kitty" she exclaimed.