The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-09-13
CONTINUED From Pase u
the dining plump
beside her mother possible.

gy darling! Did your bad little girl
wake you up when she came home
last night? I walked so CAREFUL
And l tiptoed in SO easy to kiss you
good night! You were sleeping like
a lamb, and just barely touched
your forehead, like this!' Cherry
leaned forward and gave her mother
abutterfiy kiss upon her heavy, sag
ging cheek. AS the other children
said resentfully, Cherry had her
mother wrapped around her finger.
''Yes, honey, you did wake me up, y
her mother confessed, in her patient,
complaining voice, but IT was curl
ously different, charged as it was
with a doting love for the beauti-
full girl who was bending toward her
so solicitously. but / knew it would
my eyes closed. Played 'possum on
you! I never slept a wink all night!
And my heads just splitting this
morning. 1 declare, life don't seem
worth living, when you're sick all
the time and poor as a church
mouse"
We'll, Mother, such is life! Mr..
>dne pushed back his chair, drop
ping the sprawled sheets of his
paper to the floor.
Jim Lane, if you say that to me
again. I1l-Irf divorce you!" Mrs.
Lane struck the table sharply with
her clenched hand. That's all you
ever say-well, such is life! Such
is life," she mimicked bitterly. I'm
sick and tired of the sound of the
wordsl If you had more git-up and
git to you, such wouldn't be life in
the Lane family! Such is life! Hunh,
Make me sick, you do!'
IT do the best I can, Martha, >"
Jim Lane said in a low voice, as If
he would like to exclude the children
from their never-ending quarrel.
I'm tryin' my best to land that
Hathaway contract. Two six-room-
and-bath bungalows"
Daddy" Cherry said, the musical
sweetness of her voice edged slight
~ with contempt, II do wish you'd
quit working on the jobs yourself.
I tell the girls and the fellows 1 go
with that my father is a "a con-
struction engineer, or a contractor,
and then they see you in overalls,
carpentering.
"You shouldn't say things that
aren't true, Cherry" Faith said
quietly, as she slipped into her
fathers vacated chair and drew the
platter of cold bacon and eggs TO-
ward her. Father is a carpenter,
and a good one, and it's just enter
prise on his part that makes him
land small bit of contracting now
and then. hope you get the Hatha-
way contract, Dad. What's your
bid?"
six thousand, three hundred and
fifty" her father answered, straight
ening his bent shoulders and looking
and affection. Your figuring helped
me a lot. Amt so good at figures
myself But / think Holloran is.
going. to underbid me--crooked as a
dogs. hind leg-Holloran is. He'll
get the job at the lowest bid,
then ring in a bunch of extras.
Don't see how he gets away with it"
He reached for his sun-yellowed
straw hat that lay on the sideboard.
How will you swing that big deal,
Dad?" Faith asked, her eyes visit
fully following his stopped, old-be-
fore-its-time figure as he walked
slowly toward the living room door.
Dear Dad!
1.-The lumber yards willing to
carry me for materials, and Pa will
go on my note at the bank for pay
roll and incidental expenses" he told
her, his eyes frightening with hope
might have a meat pie for dinner
tonight, honey if you amt got moth
ing else planned. I've asked Hatha-
way to drop in for supper. Might
help me land the contract, If you
fed him good. Decent young chap,
Bob Hathaway. I've been tootin'
your cookin' UP to him, Faith, so do
your durndestw
II wish you wouldn't use such
language in front Of the children,
JIM" Mrs. Lane complained YEARLY,
as she scraped butter upon her
fourth piece of toast and reached
for the jam pot.
Joy Lane giggled. |'Durndest!
That's an awful old fashion cuss
word! You ought hear Long reel 'em
off Mom-damn n he"
Joy, leave the table this minute!"
Her mother half rose from her chair,
then sank back with groan. ooh,
dear. If life isn't one thing after an
otherI'
"Such is life, Mother Jim Lane
chuckled, as he left the dining room.
Faith, it does look like could
have a decent egg, considering the
fact that 1 have to work hard all
day! This ones broken and the yell
low's as stiff as gluep' Cherry
pushed her plate from her in dis
gust, her lovely face petulant and
aggrieved, like a sulking child's.
IF you would get to the table
when breakfasts ready, your egg
wouldn't be cold," Faith retorted
TN fry you another one. How do
you want it? Sunny side up or
scrambled?"
Scrambled, in butter, with
4 cream" Cherry gave her order
languidly and stretched her pretty,
almost completely bare arms above
her head in a great yawn. "Oh.
: Muggy, I learned new step of the
Charleston last night over at the
Warrens Look"
Cherry sprang up from the table,
sphead her petaled, crisp green
{ organdy skirt, so short that it
showed her dimpled knees in their
cleaning white silk stockings, blew
Il kiss to her mother, then began
to fling her tiny feet and her grace
ful arms in a mad abandon. Junior