Evening star., 1922-12-17

sons side terrace. walked non
chalantly across the street and
around the next block. On the way
he told the joke to three people
Runt Perkins and Hod Beeson. who
delivered coal. and Lizzie Beadle. the
town dressmaker The reason he told
no one else was the very simple one
that those were all the people he
met.
Reaching home by this circuitous
route. he burst in upon the famil!
with the tale.
with my own eyes I seen en-" he
finished breathlessly.
Saw them" corrected Katherine
didactically
Saw EN-" Junior repeated.
If Katherine was concerned with
Juniors manner of speaking mother
was Immediately concerned with the
moral aspect of his spying. hut Mar
cia and Eleanor thought only of the
news.
What do you know about that
1t was Marcia.
"Blonche. the fair: Blonche. the lovable:
Blonche. the lily maid of Astolot."
Mrs. Thompson would have a fit
and fall in it,"
Katherine. too. was growing inter
ested.
scrubbed and sterilized." Eleanor put
in.
Girls. Girls" mother remon-
strated.
young filks are most all fools
was Titles affable contribution. At
which Marcia and Eleanor wrung
their hands and pretended to weep.
Junior" 1t was mother who spoke
severely. You probably meant no
harm, but let this be a lesson to you
about sneaking up on any one.
Promise me you'll never tell a soul. "
Il promise" Junior said glibly.
But even as he spoke he cast a guilty
thought at the gossip he had left be-
hind him like long tail of Chinese
kite.
TIME next night the Mason family
i had just finished supper. Chairs
We're pushed back. Tillie had begun
to pick up the dishes. Father was
opening the evening paper. The
white ruffled curtains swayed in and
out. The girls We're humming in
concert Somewhere a Voice Is call
ing" 1t was as peaceful scene as
the Acadian village of Grand Pre-.
Just then the voice called, but it
was neither tender nor true. 1t came
in clicking, indignant tones from Mrs.
Thompson at the dining room door.
She came in like a hawk in chicken
yard. In angry tones she told them
that Blonche had just heard what
Junior had been telling around town
about her; that there was not one
word of truth in it and that she
wanted something done about it. On
and on she went, delivering vindictive
verbal uppercvts to Junior, making a
self-righteous speech on the excel
lent quality of her girls upbringing
and finished with: Neither one of
my girls would allow a thing like
that
For one brief. fieeting moment
mother had an unholy desire to re-
tort: "Oh. of course. I've taught my
girls to spoon"
During the onslaught the members
Of the family had remained rooted to
their respective places like the kings
family during the curse on the
sleeping beauty" When she had
finished the spell broke. Father was
the first to stir. He stirred himself
SO thoroughly that he slipped quietly
out of the dining room into the
kitchen. He could have diplomat
ically refused loan to the governor
He could have argued violently with
the members of the state banking
board. He might even have unfiinch-
ingly faced a masked bank robber
But he could not face his little angry
neighbor.
So it was mother who took the
stage. She questioned Junior. The
latter wanted nothing in the world SO
much as that the painful scene should
end. So he did what almost any little