The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-06-07
Mary Rose nodded.

out of the building when who should
come along but Mr.. Dexter in that
wonderful car of hist" FIossie began
her story. "He offered me a ride
home. and got in. And, Of course,
/ raved about the car. So he drove
me way out in the country to show
me it's speed.
1T goes like the wind" she went
on. "And before we knew it, it
was nine o'clock. and we stopped
at some little inn along the road for
a sandwich"
And then WHAT" asked Mary
Rose as she paused.
Flossie raised her eyebrows. "Well,
nothing, except that he said he
hadn't had such good time in
years." she said. And the next day
he gave me a little cigaret holder
"a souvenir of a happy evening he
said"
Mary Rose smiled gri1nly. Il
know. I saw it in your handker-
chief box tonight" she remarked.
my starsw cried Flossie, did 1
leave that thing in the drawer? l
sure thought I'd locked it up where
Mother couldn't find it! Shed have
seventeen fits if she knew I ever
smoked. wouldn't she?"
"She'd have seventeen fits If she
knew you'd been out with Mr.. Dex-
ter-that's certain"
Flossie considered this. II suppose
she would" she said. But honestly,
Mary Rose, there's nothing so awful
about it. We just have an awfully
good time together. He calls me his
Little Pal.p'
She threw out her hands in sud
den appeal. "Oh, Mary Rose, 1 do
get so tired Of eating stew and bread
pudding in the kitchen every night
with you and Mother! Or else going
to serve-self with Sam Jessup!'
she said pathetically.
IF you only knew what it means
10 me to get out and have little
fun, you wouldn't be so cross with
me about Mr.. Dexter! If you only
knew what it means to me to have
a gold vanity case and some of the
nice things that other girls have"
II know what it's going to mean
to you, all rightv' Mary Rose broke
in. tits going to mean lot of
trouble for you, sooner or later.
Probably sooner"
She went on with a wisdom far
beyond her twenty-five years: "Just
suppose that q certain girl is run
ming around with certain married
man., and people find it out? There's
sure to be big scandal, and the
girl lose her good name. But the
man goes scotfree. He always does
always.
Nov promise me that you'll re-
turn those presents from Mr.. Dex-
ter first thing tomorrow morning, }"
she added. "And tell him you're
never going out with him again. :"
@The younger girl tossed her fluffy
Z. head wilfuly. "I'1l do nothing Of
the kind!' she said bluntly. And
just you try to start anything with
me, Mary Rose Middleton, and I'll
leave homei I'm not going to have
you butting in on me and my affairs!
If you do, I'll go and live with Alice
James in her fiat! I'm getting sick
and tired of being treated like baby
in this house, anyway"
She snapped out the lights, opened
the windows and got into bed.
Mary Rose said nothing more.
Flossie's daily threat to leave home
and go to live with Alice James,
her chum, always silenced her. She
was dreadfully afraid that Flossie
would.
For Alice James was not all that
she ought to- be, in Mary Roses
opinion, at least. 1t was she who
had taught Flossie to smoke Gig
arets and to paint her lovely mouth
with scarlet lipsticks. Flossie blind
ly adored her, copied her clothes
and borrowed her slang.
Just as Mary Rose was dropping
off to sleep, Flossie's voice reused
her.
ibid Sam Jessup call me up to-
night?" she wanted to know.
Eyes, he did, and I told him I
didn't know where you WERE"
There was another long silence.
Then Flossie spoke again.
II wish you hadn't told him that"
she said. 'He gets so peeved If I
go out anywhere except with him.
And I'm pretty Crazy about Sam
Jessup, If anybody should happen
to fall off freight train and ask
you about it.
Promptly at seven the next morn
: ing Mary Rose Middleton yawned,
stretched and opened her eyes to a
new day. For years she had been
training herself to waken at this
time and she needed no shrieking
alarm clock.
Her first thought was Of John
Manners. 1t was as if the thought
of him had been in her mind, all
night, as she slept.
IT love him." she said to her
self as simply as she might have
said "the world is round" 1t had
become one Of the facts Of life to
her.
She went on thinking about him
as she bathed and dressed and set
to work getting breakfast down in
the neat little kitchen.
It's wonderful that I'm his secre-
tary,' she thought. cutting thin
slices Of bread and filing the coffee
pot, because I can see him every
day. It would be terrible not to see
him every day. I don't know how
I'd get along, if I didn't
She sighed and looked at the
COCK. Twenty minutes to eight
In another hour, she would be in