The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-10-27
A Delightful Narrative of Domestic
Life by Popular Magazine
Writer.

IN HIS office Philip was sur
prised to find a woman and
a boy waiting for him. AS
he stepped nearer he was
astonished to recognize Constance
and his son. He stretched out a
hand, bewlidered.
"How-do, Phillip
"Well-well,' he stammered.
"Glad to see you. How do you
do?"
He hesitated over calling her
by name. He had swift i'm
preston she was rather dowdy;
constance" might be q little
familiar at the very first. The
boy looked at him covertly out of
q thin face, and avoided his eyes.
Philip sat down at his desk and
scanned his visitors closely. He
was deeply interested: he had not
seen either Of them since before
he was married.
1--WE thought we'd come in and
pay you a little VISIT" Constance
explained. "I'd have brought
Paul over before only he amt been
WELL.
Philip frowned. pursuing his lips.
whats been the trouble?"
''Oh, it's the same old thing"
Constance said in listless tones.
cts his stomach, you know. He
don't digest his food right, ! gueGs.
We went camping last summer
with some friends and 'spect 1t
was the canned cream. He's all
right now"
The woman was strangely differ
emit from the Constance he remem-
bered. She was grotesquely dress
ed, in the first place-and there
was something common, something
unlxempt about her. Philip, grown
accustomed to such women as
Leila. Lucy and Beckie, with their
fastidiousness, surveyed his one
time sister-in-law curiously. Had
she retrograded-or was it himself
who had changed? He noticed her
ungloved hands. rough and knuck-
~, like her mothers, her long,
knobular nose, the red moIes upon
her face. particularly the large
one at the corner Of her mouth,
which gave her right profile The
effect Of a perpetual grin. She
had always been homely, but now
she impressed him as uncouth, un-
prepossessing. He turned an APP
praising glance upon the boy. =
His Son
Paul still suggested old Mrs.
Jones. He had the narrowset eyes
and the long family nose, with a
knob at the end He was tall, with
q thin, suIlen face, and. stubborn
brown hair, plastered flat over his
forehead and sticking up at several
different angles on top. His white
shirt was appressively clean, stiff
with starch; his knickerbockers
fitted him clumsily, gaping about
his belted waist, and his thin
legs descended into his shoes with
undertaking directness. He hal
Marjorie's dark eyes, but he kept
these averted, refusing to meet
his fathers scrutiny. Philip felt
that he should make some demon
stration; after all, the boy was
his son.
Come here, young man." He
righted his tilted chair and he'd
out his hand.
Paul shot a quick look at Con-
stance and Philip was aware she
encouraged him with a quick nod
Of her head. He drew near mis-
father. turning his head slowly
from side to side, his eyes upon
the floor. 1t was evident he was
shy. and Philip noted he shrank
perceptibly when he touched him.
A swift memory of his brothers
three boys came to him. He drew
his son awkwardly upon his knee,
and put his arm about him.
Hes quite a little man." he re-
marked for wantof something 20
say. Eyes. quite little man."
He patted the boy on the back.
Paul's tense attitude disturbed him;
ne was conscious of a mild irrita-
ton. He fished in a vest pocket
for a quarter.
Here. sonny, take this and buy
yourself candy. Quite a little
man." he repeated. How old is
he now. Constance? 1 declare I've
forgotten"