Omaha daily bee., 1922-02-09
What Msdse Ran Into" When
She Reached Home.

As Lillian and ! drove into the
farmhouse yard alter our early visit
20 DR., Petit, We saw Elizabeth
Hsrrison's four children and Marion
busily engaged in dragging boxes
and barrels from the rear OF the barn
to various vantage places on the
front lawn
What do you suppose they're up
10 nowH asked, careful. however.
10 keep on, OF my voice the dismay
! felt a. having the front lawn lit
tered in 80 unsightly a fashion. |
suppose when Junior gets to the
restless age ! shall be as indulgent
to the development oil the play
spirit as any other up-to-date moth
CT, but just now ] fear that ! am
not possessed Of a rapturous en-
ihusiasm for some OF the activities
q some OF the modern children" !
Lillian looked over the array with
on cNpcIhrHScu eye
1T looks to me like circus" she
said judieially. Marion and her
chum used TO, stage one occasionally
in the drawing room with hassocks
and chairs. aud small boxes. But
one never can tell. II may be a
mail coach holdup, or any other
movie fed fancy. When was a
child in the pslezoie age, and even
in the more recent years when you
ilour.shed. we used TO have to de-
pend upon our own imaginations for
our drastic amusemcn,s. Bu, the
modern child can run the gamut OF
ideas from the brain factories Of
scenario writers. think III keep
hall an. eye on that outfit. That
small daughter OF Elizabeth's has
ahnos, too much imagination TO
make her absolutely safe"
She lowered her voice 10 an
almost inaudible whisper as she
spoke the last words. for had
rounded the turn in the driveway
which led past the kitchen door to
the barn--the only serious fault |
find in the arrangement OF the farm
yard is the lack OF any place TO
park the cars except in full view
OF the kitchen activities--and we had
seen Elizabeth framed in the door
way for an uniorgettable instant.
Her face was flushed. and as |
stopped the car distinctly saw her
angrily dash her hand against her
eyes.
Mother Graham had succeeded in
reducing her apparently placid, in
dolent daughter to tears, with less
than an hours work. /, who know
only too well my mothef-in-law's
gilt for Raging" acknowledged
again her superiority in that par
ticular line, for it had not appeared
possible to me that anything short
Of an earthquake could disturb Mrs.
Harrison's irritating placidity.
"I'd better beat it, Madge," Lillian
whisped as we alighted. 81 never
saw a more promising prospect for
a family row. Call me if you need
me, and remember, I'll do kitchen
police after breakfast. I'll predict
Elizabeth will be mere pulp by that
time"
"Quitter!" l Missed melodramatic-
ally after. her. Then | walked
slowly into the kitchen, calling
loudly some banality to Lillian as
l did so, that the warning pair in
the kitchen might have due notice
o. my approach.
Elizabeth was at the stove, stir
ring the cereal sullenly--incongru-
Gus as such an expression seems i'll
connection with her supposedly un-
varying clleerfulness-while Mother
Graham, the light of battle in her
eyes, was beating yellow batter
into lightness at the kitchen table.
Margaret" My name heralded
my entrance. 1t was uttered in the
explosive manner l know SO well,
and | recognized the meaning Of the
sound. 1t meant that Mother Gra-
ham now intended to turn her at
tcntion to me.