Evening star., 1924-05-25

pretty, she had handsome
and industrious young hus-
band and beautiful baby. True. their
income was small, but in San Fran
cisco money matters nothing if one
belongs
When Marjory married she did
what more than one girl of her set
had done-she took fat in San
Francisco and was her own cook and
housemaid. Her husband was not yet
u Junior partner in his uncle's large
importing and exporting business,
but there was no doubt of his quality
and he had never been wild.
AS efficiency was the keynote OF
Marjorys character, she soon became
an expert cook, and not only fed her
husband satisfactorily, but their
friends at numerous little dinners,
beautifully appointed with the we'd
ding presents and her own good
taste. An itinerant Jap waited on the
table.
She was passionately domestic. and
preferred to sew for the baby or
herself while Morgan smoked a pipe
and read novels aloud in the evening.
OF course she had Il car. MIR. Har-
borough, Morgan's uncle, had given
her a coupe for a wedding present.
In the morning. after her housework
was over, she took the nurse and baby
for a drive through the Golden Gate
Park, the woods of the Preside. alon g
the beach or around Twin Peaks.
During those afternoons which her
admirable housekeeping left quite
free she drove about to see her
friends or took tea with them at the
Town and Country Club or in the
court of the Palace Hotel The sum-
mer she spent at her fathers place in
the country, and Morgan commuted.
Free of all house duties, she took part
in the quiet life of Menlo Park or
the gayer life of Burlingame.
Ella Covington, who was still a
had cook, sad to her one day:
You are altogether too lucky,
Marge. 1t can't last
And Bessie Carroll. whose looks
had faded, remarked upon another
occasion:
Life is not all roses. you know.
Seems to me you'll find a thorn one
of these days. Stands to reason
Marjory merely smiled at these
salles and tilted her charming little
head.
Several months later, when Marjory
and Bessie were sitting in a corner of
the broad veranda at Menlo, sewing,
Bessie said abruptly
"Marjory, what would YOU do if-if
things didn't go on coming your
way? Everything is lovely now. Jut
things don't last, you know.
Things will last with me- said
Marjory placidly. threading a needle
We make our own lives. OF course,
we cannot prevent death, and if
there should be red revolution
couldn't help that, either. But within
limits"
Bessies keen. gray eyes contracted
to a sharp point as she watched Mar
tory contentedly stitching. She Won
dcred how well she knew this friend
who had been the most popular girl
Of her set even during their school
days.
Marjory could not be tabulated as
clever. But versatile! Yes a girl
who could dance like a seraph and
make a bed like a hospital nurse.
who could entertain a roomful and
cook to please a man. Who was tie
"best mixer in the bunch" and made
frockS that might have come from
Paris-yes, Marjory might be called
versatile
Bessie stif1ed a yawn.
The old Spanish grandees left the
blessine--or curse--of manana on
this valley. I'd take about ten
stitches a month if I lived here
What do YOU think of this Ly,iis
1Harren""
Lydia Farren"" asked Marjory
vaguely "Oh. that New York girl
Mrs. Drummond's niece. I've never
thought about her at ALL
But she's frightfully good looking
and smart. OF course, she seems q
lot older than we do, but she's really
only twenty-five. And a winner.
The men have fallen for her hard
Regular siren--too much class about
her for vamp. / met her at Il house
party last week, and she asked lot
of questions about you"
Did she? Morgan liked her. 1 re-
member now."
Mrs. Carroll opened her mouth,
then closed it firmly, as if nobly re-
sistlng too-feminine temptation.
"Of course. youll go to Clara's s
luncheon. She's asked about forty
people, and I've an idea it's given for
Lydia Farren. Sunday luncheons are
a godsend with the men off duty
and in town and on in the country.
And Clara's got the best cook on the
peninsula. suppose Wen all play
NAH jong afterward, worse luck. 1
hate games
''Oh, 1 adore nah jongl4" cried
Marjory. Morgan and l play every
night. Hes felt too tired to talk
lately, and we don't either of us care
TO read in summer. SO NAH jong
suits us down to the ground. 1 tell
him he's a born gambler and doesn't
know it,"
Hmm said Bessie. NO. ] never
should have said that. He's too
well, impulsive, ardent-for he's
such an old steady at business. I
fancy it's just reaction never
could imagine him gambling deliber-
ately with life. Could you?"
Marjory's eyes looked very wise
and very innocent as she raised them
to her friends speculative gaze.
What do We know about any
body?" she asked, smiling.
y ~
nN Sunday Marjory turned into the
gateway of La Quinta at pre-
cisely 1 o'clock. Morgan had barely
spoken during the drive and had
smoked necessarily. Marjory as
sumed that he was cogitating over
a deal" but was trifie disappointed
that he had not noticed her charming
costume. But she was sure of having
a thoroughly good time and knew