Evening star., 1922-04-09
But if 1 make a nuisance of myself
just you give me a hint and I'll drop

But if I make a nuisance of myself
just you give me a hint and I'll drop
out"
"All right" says /. Il suspect,
though. that you're going to be a
great help"
He started in well by suggesting
that we get together a little bunch
for tomorrow night and drive off
somewhere for dinner and dancing,
with him giving the party.
That would be bully" says I. "if
still in the jazz age. Perhaps you've
noticed that young people are rather
scarce in this place
That's so." says he. glancing over
his shoulder into the living room.
Looks a good deal like an old folks
home in there. doesn't it? No. l don't
see one who would
With that he broke off. and when
I turned to see what had stopped him
so suddenly 1 found him staring
through the window.
What do you see. then, Mr.. Phil
lips?" says I. A ghost?"
lin not sure" says he. still gaz-
ing Tell me, who is that gray
haired woman sitting under the read
ing lightg'
That one?" says L "she's Miss
Dawes"
"Not-not Carrie Dawes?" he
gasped.
why, yes" says I. Caroline
No vo11 lxpou- hero''
II used to-" says he.
There you are" cut in Barry,
nudging me. Didn't tell you? Well,
Well. what about her, Mr.. Phillips?"
"Oh, you wouldn't be interested,
I'm afraid" says he.
But we would" insists Barry.
wouldn't we. Trilby May?"
absolutely" says 1. "Anything
romantic about her. Mr.. Phillips?"
IL don't know that you would
call it that" says he. Anyway. I'm
rot going to take a chance of boring
you"
"Oh, Gomez says Barry. Cant you
see we have our ears stretched? Let's
have the story"
IF we don't get it," 1 adds. 1.-The
dancink. party is off. Who was she?'
IF you must know" says Mr.. Phil
lipps, lowering his voice to a conf
Dental whisper. "she's the first girl
1 ever kissed
"Details, details" urges Barry, en-
thusiastic.
WELL, we got 'em after little
w more prodding. IF it wasn't for
this moonlight" goes on Mr.. Phillips.
land the fact that you two young
scamps are egging me on. I'd never
tell you a word. AS it is-well. you
must try to imagine that once I was
seventeen. Il was a bashful young
ster, too, and just as fond of the
girls as bashful boys usually are. I
think Carrie must have been at least
a year older. We lived in the same
little Massachusetts town, just south
of Boston Don't snicker. now, when
tell you that her mother ran
bakery. She was a widow, this Mrs.
Dawes, and with her two daughters
she carried on the baking business
after Mr.. Dawes died. The girls
were Anna and Carrie, and Carrie
was the younger. If yru ever lived
in New England You can guess how
I used to meet them and when"
We couldn't and said so.
Through the BEANS" says Mr..
Phillips, and when We stared, he
went on to explain. "One OF my
regular Saturday morning jobs was
to take the bean pot down to the
bakery. They chalked our name on
it and put it in the big oven with
dozens of others. Then Sunday morn
ing I went after it with a basket,
bringing home the hot beans and
loaf of fresh brown bread. Also the
Sunday morning paper. 1t was
regular performance-almost rite.
So you see, I was bound to get ac-
ouainted with Anna and Carrie"
And you fell for Carrie, eh?" I
asked.
"At the first trip" admits Mr..
Phillips. "Of course, Anna was bet
ter looking. She was tall and dark
and had stunning eyes. But she was
at least three years old than l. was
and 1 was much more afraid of her
than I was Of Carrie"