San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1926-04-05

res syndicate. Incorporated.
her cropped gray hair and so oddly
with her heavy. almost squat figure
"HuIlo," she called as she walkcd
in through the open door and eyed
my checked bingham morning drcs'
oddly. What do you pay for those
"a dollar thirty-nine at bargain base
ment sales?"
Yes" / said. Pretty little frocks
aren't they? And so cheap"
Very pretty. So that's the way
you look mornings. Very sweet
Hum :"
Her tone suggested volumes. but
she failed to illustrate further, say
ing instead:
Thought Id find you packing
Brought lunch and an idea. Luncl
first. It's a pesky nuisance how
hungry a body gets"
Then stripping off hat and dust
coat she emerged in neat dress OF
thin dark wolfe, over which she pro.
cCeded to put the bungalow apron
she brought from her coat pocket.
Il came prepared to lay my hand
to whatever there is" said Madame
in a tone that showed the Dora
Peters she had been and how unre'
lated that side of her nature is to
Diane Petruzzi of Metropolitan fame
I'll get the lunch laid out-over
there, / suppose-on that gate-legged
table. Don't stop to show me where
things are. / have a natural in
stinct for kitchens"
Before l could answer Madame
Petruzzi vanished into the kitchen
leaving me to gape after her with
mingled astonishmCnt and relief. be.
cause she had saved me the cmbarrass,
ment of having to make some com,
ment on her presence.
"She guessed I'd be going"
thought duly as l took down a snap,
shot of Jim taken two years ago in
our little house in BARLEY Crescent
As Madame Petruzzi came back
into the room again, / slipped the
picture into my pocket where it lay
all afternoon unhPeded.
Gold ham, dill pickles. potato
salad. and some jelly roll" she said
proudly. That's my menu, plus the
tea I'll brew as soon as your kettle
bOils. Don't bother with your kitCh,
on. Kitchens hurt the most. IL
pack that
There's nothing to pack" | said
I'll give the eatablcS to the ice
man. Except the bottle opener and
the butter pats and the three little
aluminium sauccpans and the china
match safe-nothing's mine. 1t was
all here when we came"
Furnished house," whistled Ma
dame Pctruzzi. THAT makes it cas-
Ter. Also it means l can't help much
Well, there's never much doing at the
studio on Saturdays in summer any,
how. III see if you can't find q
few chores for me-"
"YOu knew we'd go?" l asked.
81 knew your kind of woman
wouldn't linger long" she replied.
Il might have-if Jim had made
it possible"
HE couldn't stand looking you in
the face" she said bitterly.
HE seemed hurt that | didn't trust
HMM spite of everything" l told
her.
Diane Petruzzi put her hands on
hcf nlpS ana thrust nef neau out III
me as she cried with a stamp of her
high arched foot that seems so in
adequate to carry her big body:
Anne Harrison, don't you know
they all look like injured cherubs
when they realize talking won't dc
them any good? But when man
quits a woman like you it's generally
because he's through with whole wheat
bread and wants cream puffs. Is that
going to floor you-Or do you want
woman that's been through it al
twenty-five years ago to tell you how
you can do the one thing that will
make him Sorry-the one thing that'l
let you hold up your head again some
day. You're ashamed now amt you
Ashamed that a little fluff got your
man away?"
l shook my head in wordlcsS mis-
cry.
I'm here to tell you how you cal
get over being ashamed" said Diane
Pctruzzi. WANT to listcn?"
ITO Ra TOntiuupdD