The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-12-19
Every Man Is in Love With His Stem
ographer or His StenOgrapher Is
in Love With Hin" Says a Student
of Human Nature.

~ nome Will TAG tOAAASAS 0AANA
read to my mother for an hour or
30, IL you're not too tired. You
know she's an invalid, don't you?
And i've told her what q lovely
voice you have. You'll come,
won't your
st haven't a lovely voice. but
I'll come Mary Rose began
eagerly, and then stopped. All
the eagerness and joy died out
of her face, as something that
FIossie had said to her q few
DAYS before flashed across her
brain like a subtitle across q
movie screen.
'.I suppose you haven't been
doing your best to get John Man
nefs away from that HING girl,
hmm?'' Flossie had asked. i've
seen you siInpering around hin!"
Mary Rose dropped her eyes,.
Her finger moved along the edge
Of her desk. as if she had meas
ured her words for her answer.
You see, Miss HING usually
comes over to read to Mother e.
couple Of times q week, John
Manners went on as if he could
read her thoughts. rBut she's
been visiting In New York for
ten days and Mother misses her.
They've been reading Anna Kare-
nina together"
That settled it for Mary Rose.
1f she were only going to take
Doris Kings place in her alb
sence, what harm could there be
IN going to John Manners house
TO read to his mother?
Her smile flashed up at him.
Ill be ready in jiffy. just
wait til put my hat On
Down in the washroom Flossie
was getting ready to go home.
Festival Air
Let me borrow some .of your
powder, Mary Rose said breath.
lessfy. & I'm going over to Mr..
PLANNERS house to read to his
mother. and / mustn't have q
SHINY nose She laughed
excitedly.
Flossie's eyes Widened until
they seemed twice their natural
size.
We'll. aren't you getting to be
the village vamp2" she asked
with shriII surprise. Going to
meet Mother now, hmni2 First
thing we know you'll be having
Mrs. on your calling cards
Mrs. John Manners, Ell wot?"
Mary Rose squelched her with
q look.
Please tell Mumsie that I'll be
Q little late. Maybe she'll leave
my supper in the hot closete"
she called as she ran upstairs.
Manners was sitting on her
desk waiting for her.
When, they reached his little
house in X St., 1t had an air Of
festival about it. The shades
were drawn and they cleaned
golden with the lights behind
them.
Mother knows you're coming"
he said, as his car swung into
the wet gravel Of the driveway,
between dripping hedges Of bridal
wreath.
Inside, the house seemed to
smile a welcome. There were
orange nasturtiums in a bowl on
the hall table and candles flick
cred on the old marble mantel in
the living room. More candles
cleaned through the thin silk
curtains that covered the glass
doors of the dining room.
A fat; rosy woman in gray linen
and white apron opened the door.
Mrs. Bundle, / want you to
meet Miss Middleton" John Man
"A ko
worlds best cook. She keeps
that we feel as if"
go along with you, Mr.. John!
You and your NONSENSE Mrs.
Bundle interrupted. She seemed
vastly pleased, however, and
smiled at Mary Rose as If she
were letting her in some delicious
joke.
Miss Middleton is going to stay
for dinner, Mrs. Bundle" John
went on, 80 1 hope that potluck
tonight is roast chicken at least"
Roast lamb" said Mrs. Bundle,
with that mint Jelly"
Il can't stay for dinner
Mary Rose faltered. II must go
home
You are going to stay for din
ner," John answered firmly. He
took her arm and guided her over
TO the broad old-fashioned stair
case.
But right now, you're going
up to meet my mother" he said.
We wanted you to know her for
a long time"
CHAPTER XIV
Mary Rose was not prepared for
John Manners mother.
When he had said she was an
invalid, Mary Rose at once pic.
tqred a sweet-faced sufferer,
propped up against the lace pill
2 lows of her bed.
But the fne-looking, dark.eyed
woman who greeted her cheerfully
as she came into the room was
sitting bolt upright In an arm
chair OF lowered chintz as If 1t
were a throne. In one OF her
hands she held a cane, and that
was the only sign Of helplessness
about her.
My dear" she said, taking
Mary Roses hand in the friend.
lest way, at is very kind of you
to come to see an old lady"
And she crinkled up. her eyes
and laughed and Mary Rose
laughed with her. For in spite OF
her helplessness, Johns mother
was not an old lady at ALI
Neither paralysis nor suffering
had robbed her OF her young
smile and her air of hafno xi0o,-