Evening star., 1926-11-12
THE EVENING
STORY
Flo Paints Her House.

YUPY, otherwise Jupiter. the Pey-
tons puppy. could not under
stand why he was not as vel
~ come at Mrs. Slocum's house
as he was at the other houses
in the neighbor hood. Consequently
that bright Spring morning ne dasheo
up Mrs S1ocum's back steps ana
scratched and whined to get IN
through the screen door.
Flo Slocum was polishing her best
shoes preparatory to a shopping trip
downtown. She had shoe in one
hand and the backing brush In the
other.
"Go away" she cried. II despise
dogs. / despise you particularly be-
cause YOU belong to that Peyton wom'
an. Go home with you. don't want
you here" ,,..
Jupv smiled and wagsed his collie
tail. He was so used to kindness IN
a world of love that he misunderstood.
He barked and pranced gayly: Ano @
now she. too. misunderstood. for Flo
mistook his gayety for defiance. Sne
made one stride. snatched open the
screen door and flung the shoe. II
was no inconsiderable missile, out IL
failed, not of its aim, hut It's purpose.
Jupy in delight caught up the snoe
and ran home with It.; he did not ruI,
home Immediately. for he stopped
twice on the way to worry MS ne"
pleytrirg. a..
after the dog and shoe. But she did
not easily get the shoe, and wnen
she did it showed the effects or Ju-
pv's sharp teeth. And to add TO the
event. Cora Lannon stood among her
lemon lilies and laughed at what was
going on. As II it were not enough
for Flo to lose her shoe. she must
also lose what remained OF her tenn
ner. In her rage she could have an
INFLATED the dog and plump nttie
Cora. But because she could 90
neither she went home with ner
chewed shoe, fairly grinding her even
white teeth.
NThere" she painted. Cora Ian
non has put it on me-the last stfsW'
Now every single woman II the nelgn.
horhood has done something to offend
me. And. so far, haven't attempted
TO get even, but now I will get even
with them all. all at once.
She went to the telephone ana
called a number. A mans voice an
swered.
7 want YOU to paint my mouse.
What's that? Don't need painting!
Well. 7 guess I know whether 1t needs
painting or not and If you can't do 1t
III hire Homer Chadwick. Flo knew
that the two men were ardent rivals
"All right, then, you do 1t. Begin
tomorrow? No. I'm gong 10 cnange
the color. You needn't bother ABOUT
the paint. III get it myself at the
hardware"
chestnut street was the prettiest
street in the town. purely a residen-
tial street, broad and long. with
charming lawns and attractive houses:
Flo's house was as large as any ano
conspicuous for it's height. 1t stood
halfway down the street between the
houses of Chester Peyton. the banker,
and Ward Lannon. the postmast
When next morning Gus Pratt pc
gan to paint Flo's house, nrst MRS.
Peyton, then Mrs. Lannon. then every
person on Chestnut street who was
at home at that hour began to start.
At noon Mr.. Gordon took Gus to ia SIX.
What are you doing to Mrs. Slo-
Gums house. Pratt?'
Painting it-as she's ordered me
to do. Now see here, Mr.. Gordon,
Gus was honestly regretful. II know
I hadn't ought to, but she's hired me
to do it that way, and l need money
as bad as any one alive with Hon
Chadwick all but running me out.
I'm sorry-but there 1t is"
But what ails the woman
Gus shook his head. II dunno.
She's a corker. Kinda pretty and
nice. too. when she's a mind. but l
always heard Tom Slocum had his
way but once after he married her
and that was when he died. And
She's having her waV vet, ~
II should say she waS-with q ven
geance," murmured Mr.. Gordon.
Within a week F'los house flared to
the heavens and Flo triumphed.
1T doesn't make any difference to
me what my house Is painted; / don't
have to live on the outside of 1t"
she said to herself. But ] know
that the green body will make Jen
Wilbur. opposite. turn faint every
time she looks at it. She hates green
as if it was mark on her. And
esthetic sense of Miss Shattuck. and
the yellow touches that l made Gus
add for good measure will give dear
Mrs. Lannon fits. Let them enjoy
themselves gazing at my house. did
1t for them"
But whether the people Of Chestnut
street enjoyed gazing at the house or
not Flo was never to know, for the
next day she fell off the steraadder
as she was hanging a picture. Gus
Pratt, who was still at work paint
ing the house, heard her scream and
rushed. He called a doctor and the
doctor took her to the hospital on the
hill for the fall had broken bones
cred her with bruises.
There were "a awful hours and then
Flo began to sense her surroundings
and her predicament.
Where did the roses come from?"
she asked.
Miss Maria. the nurse, smiled.
Your neighbor. Mrs. Lannon,
brought them this moehing.
Flo turned her head away. She
thought of that awful house and she
could not bear to look at the roses.
That afternoon she awakened and
found a tall sheaf Of narcissi and a
beside her bed. No need to ask where
they came from. For she knew only
Jen Wilbur grew such narcissi and
Miss Shattuck's large yard overran
with the lilies.
Two ladies called to see you and
brought you flowers and two more
brought you jelly and this book" re.
lated Miss Marx.
"Oh, dear. DEAR groaned Flo.
How can they after the way I've
acted? How long have I got to stay
here?" she demanded.
"Dr. Burcham says you will be
able to go home good as new In four
weeks"
e -Four weeks, And they will have
to endure that house all that time"
Flo sighed. Miss Marx" she said
suddenly. II want you to telephone
and have Gus Pratt come up here.
want to see him-now, at once
Miss Marx teiephoned. When the