Evening star., 1925-07-26


ing achieved new heights in volume,
| If not in melody. But the invaders,
SO far from retreating, disembarked
and proceeded into the Witherbee
house apparently unmoved.
Perhaps they are deaf mutes," con-
| tributed Ted.
1t seemed as If they must be. Any
way. a first premonition of defeat ran
| through the Heights.
| Either I'm no Judge Of the human
| countenance or that real estate agent
has made a SALE" reported Ted from
the window. And here comes Brom-
ley-and here goes me-
| He departed. Presently Kay and
Bromley, TO whom her greetings
proved a shade perfunctory, saw him
join the group on the Witherbee lawn.
When this group had been wedged
back into the real estate agents car
he returned.
''They-they haven't taken it?"
gasped Kay.
"They haver' he replied. 1--WE got
the job Of moving their stuff here for
them"
You're jokingr she protested.
Even l." he assured her. realize
| that this is no time for Joking. We
stand on the threshold of new era
in Elton Heights. The Six Musical
| McSweeneys will move in tomorrow" "
| THE six who2"
| 'Never let them hear you ask such
| a question. To ask them who the
Six Musical McSweeneys are is Ike
asking Paderewski If he ever took
piano lessons
| You mean that they are-are pro-
fessional musicians?"
Bright girl! Practice and let prac-
tice is their creed"
What do you mean7"
| Musicians must practice. Some
narrowminded neighborhoods would
resent this. But here they find them
selves in a congenial atmosphere"
Ted paused and glanced at Bromley.
| Were you about to say something?'
he asked courteously.
Mo" managed Bromley.
II thought you might be-" explain.
ed Ted. las it was your PLAN
Kay colored with indignation.
who would have dreamed it would
turn out this way?" she asked with
some reason.
piled. but ! did wonder what would
happen If some people who preferred
a noisy. lively community should ar
rive in the midst of one Of our musical
festivals"
He bowed tremendously. first to
| Kay. who glared at him, and then to
Bromlev. who hardly saw him. Brom
ley, in fact, was like a boxer who
has recently suffered a knockout and
is still wondering what 1t Is all about
| Good morning" added Ted. and
went about his own affairs.
| s* = -
INOW Of these affairs Elton Heights
knew almost nothing. For a young
man. who admittedly talked a lot, Ted
was, in some respects, singularly
close-mouthed.
And so 1t was that the neighbor.
hood got a supplementary surprise
when, the next morning, two large
vans bearing the worldly possessions
Of the Six Musical McSweeneys drove
up and proceeded to disgorge their
contents upon the Witherbee walk.
Now, there are few neighborhoods
anywhere so well-bred and so self-con
tanned as not to taken an interest ir
somebody else's household goods wher
fate and moving van combine to ex
pose them to view. One might think
that there being no more pitiable sight
imaginable than heterogeneous mass
of unhappy looking furniture piled uI
on a sidewalk-all furniture lookine
unhappy under such conditions-s
good Samaritan would hurry by
averting his gaze. But there are few
Samaritans as good as that in this
world, and none at all in Eltor
Heights.
The two vans that brought the
goods of the Six Musical McSweeneys
were large and highly vanished
panse on either side was a legend fol
all the world tn raad tO wit.
RILEY AND NORTON,
LONG DISTANCE TRUCKING.
Norton? The Heights gasped. Coult
it be possible?
But conjecture as to the possible
was cut short by the incredible. The
furniture of the newcomers began t.
appear. The Heights had never seer
it's like. 1t looked like a secondhand
dealers nightmare.
ST should think" announced Kay'l
mother, "that even Ted Norton woult
have had more decency than to hav,
any part in bringing such stuff int
his own neighborhood."
fineness of fiber. He drove one o.
the vans himself. 1t was he wht
directed the operations of the mer
who accompanied him.
'"Those must be their musical in
struments," suggested Mrs. Charlie,
Emerson, who shared a window in tht
Elton house, preferred vantag,
point-with Kay's mother. Gracious
haven't they lot of themv'
They had. And they brought othel
more portable instruments with then
when they appeared In full fore,
while the moving-in process was still
under way. The head of the family
a big man with a sweeping blacl
mustache, paused to confer with Ted
-actually-clapped him on th'
back.
Ted, driving away, was absent from
the Heights until that soft May night
when he dropped In Informally upol
Kay, and even more Informally tool
his departure.
Nevertheless. he continued home
ward with spirits apparently undamp
ened. At home he found his fathe
waiting for him, clad in bath robe an,
carpet slippers. Theodore Norton, LIST
was not given nominally to self-asser
tion. he Was one OF those for who's