Evening star., 1925-11-19

if she didn't. but she didn't like him.
He demanded too many kisses for each
soda. Ten cents apiece would have
been cheaper. If she'd had enough
dimes. The fellow always passed her
house in the mornings while she was
watering the flowers and stopped. And
she had to go around the corner OF
the house and kiss him or he'd charged
her for her ice cream soda after school
She'd never liked geraniums. But
her mother did. SO she wouldn't take
roses or lilies to Mrs. Adams. but
geran!ums. Mrs. Adams was not a
bad sort. If she didn't kick about
her money maybe she wouldn't get
1T. The florist explained that gera-
NUNS didn't come in punches. but in
plants. only. People don't buy them
as cut flowers, you know" he explain
ed. ''They take them in pots"
We'll, here's where you learn some
thing you didn't know Joanna in
formed him. Just cut me up ten
dollars worth of plants will you. When
I want geraniums L want geraniums.
I'm a different class from other peo-
pie, you know Funny that she
should think of geraniums, and her
mother, and the druggists son be-
cause she had a lot of money in her
bag and wanted to do something for
geraniurns looked like.
But Mrs. Adams hadn't. When
Joanna, overdue in her room rent, as
usual, stepped out of the automobile,
| in front of the rooming house. some
| thing electric brought the slatternly,
but motherly, landlady to the window.
When she'd rubbed her eyes and
| recognized her delinquent roomer she
estimated the arnful of flowers.
Joanna and geraniums, And lin
CUISINE, What's wrong?
To the chauffeur, who helped her TO
descend and who took her bundle.
the wrap she had put aside for the
new one of mink, Joanna said:
You may go back now to your
boss. And if he asks about me, tell
him III see him at churchs will YOU"
The man saluted. Mrs. Adams,
watching, from the window. saw it.
Joanna, suddenly was upset again.
Say, YOU she said. her lips set.
you're just about the same as a new
run in an old pair of stockings TO me,
but you're running the wrong way.
We're saying goodbye now, and we II
probably never say hello again, but
I'd like you to remember that You
were in on the start of something to-
day that's going to have a big finish"
He made no reply. but just looked
Il
added, irrelevantly 1t seemed:
and il didn't start the way YOU
think and it won't finish the way YOU
expect, take it from me- Then, her
flowers hugged close. she went to the
house
Mrs. Adams was q dear old soul. or
( a mean old ermagante, according to
whether you owed your room rent or
not. Not that she was so much differ
ayof y,Ia ~, 1a{%
but the general aspects of her seemed
different. AS matter of fact she was
good for four weeks of arrears for any
girl and after that. why, aS many more
as girl required If she was in real
hard luck and actually trying to get
out Of it. Joanna, herself, had once
coInforted a girl friend who had mort
gagged her room rent for two weeks
ahead on dress she couldn't afford
with "Never mind, dearie, The first
weeks the hardest After that she'll
pray for you, and l guess that won't
do YOU any harm. either"
Mrs. Adams was breathless with
curiosity when Joanna faced her, in
the drab room which gained it's
proper designa ton from the iEonclad
rule which the landlady laid down
meticulously to each new lodger:
MY young ladies receive their com
pany or the other sex in the drawing
room only Her young ladies' Gus
tomarily referred TO the big front room
downstairs with the two spindle-leg-
ged gold chairs and the three over
stuffed things in faded red as the
drawing room only" Joanna, speech
less for Il moment. showed her flowers
into the landlady's arms. At the same
time she noticed that the old lady had
taken off her apron. She'd never seen
Mrs. Adams. except on Sundays, with
her apron off. 1t gave her something
easy to talk about as a starter:
IT didn't know it was you getting
out of the automobile" Mrs. Adams
explained And l wasn't taking
chances. That's my rule. when an
automobile comes to my house off
comes my apron. l was properly
raised in my young days.
She allowed tear, or two. to escape
over the flowers. marveling at the as
sembly of SO many gera NUNS, also a
beloved memory of girlhood, In one
bunch. Then she was ready to be
told about the car, and the absence
from the store, and the reason for the
gift Of blossoms.
Joanna made her nut the flowers in