Evening star., 1927-04-03

- ERTAINLY Babs Bliss was as
surprised wife as ever found
herself in dispute with an
~ irate spouse. In the MIDST OIL
the fray she put her gr1my
little hands over her rosy little ears
and clamped her lips together TO keep
from screaming. Wrath blazed from
her blue eyes. Her square-cut bang
was as rumpled as Napoleon's. She
felt that she was the most abused
brunette In Westchester.
The marital spat had started limo
Gently enough. Babs had arisen early,
tionned old whipcord riding breeches
and a raggedy blouse, and gone forth
to spade up ground for mint and
parsley patch.
The long, curving drive from the
street to the stables was a golden
jungle of forsythia that hadn't been
pruned for a quarter of a century and
the uncut lawns were crowded thick
with colonies of daffodils. Bluejays
swore and robins chided them. All the
world shouted that II was Spring.
Babs had survived the Winter. in
spite of what she called more trouble
than could be-" Sometimes she had
had grave doubt of the wisdom of SUR
viving But today, just to be alive
and in love with her Gene and her
babies. just to have her Gene alive
after she had been 50 perilousfv near
losing him, made Babs draw a long
breath and blow q kiss 20 the blue sky
above her.
Which was her way of saying:
For what we have received, oh,
Lord. we thank thee"
She sang as she dug, TO the vast de
light of her babies, who were safely
corralled in the old pony paddock.
They sang with her.
9TH ole ark's a-movin', chlllun."
Elephants and csmeis, goats and
mosquitoes, crocodiles and pussy eats
were marched into the ark. two by two.
Small Gene whooped with glee and
Barbara echoed his giggies. Listening
TO their laughter blotted out for Babs
all the long hours when she had lain
awake listening 10 her husband s nag
ging cough. This very morning she
had tiptoed out with the youngsters
the instant they had awakened, 50
that his rest should he undisturbed.
AT noon she spied him moving
slowly along the drive with beloved
ysie for a cane.
Top o. IN mornin', Genius, dear.'
she cried.
Put down that spade' he growled
as he approached. You're no day
laborer. We may be penniless. but
YOU shant slave like this
His crouch just seemed funny
then.
It's no. half so hard as getting a
golf bail out of a stand trap" she
assured him as she patted down a
neatly turned spadeful.
why dig garden when we
haven't enough money 70 buy seeds?"
The walk had made him cough
frtghtfully.
'Tisnt 8 garden, it's for garnish
tngs and trimmings
She WAS patience itself she was 50
sorry for him.
Even with that scowl and that in
valid palIor she decided exuitsntly
that he was quite the bestlookine
man she knew. She made valiant
effort 20 dispel his gloom.
Genius" she informed him, "Yor
are the least expert OF any accountant
who ever toted totals. Admittedly, th'
family excheouer is a tr1fie low, but i
looks 10 me like we are fixed rather
pretty. No rent, 10 paw little hei
sitting on D 3 eggs this minute: seFera
az those eggs msv hatch twins. An'
We hsN. two Children worth m 10
dollars ach. and J have two nillioi
dollars worth o. heath sud -four intl
uon dollars worth of pep On
Genius she fung dirt wildly as sh
piled up heir assets. snap out of u
THIS ole ark is inof.n