Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-20

meat, and Alexander doZed somewhere
on a chair. But Mr.. DiaphanOos and
Aunt Jane sat at the table.
Have you ever been in Greece
Mr.. Diaphanoos would ask Aunt
Jane.
mo. not in Greece" Aunt Jane
would answer. perhaps.
you ought to go there Mr.. Dia-
phanoOs would say. You'd enjoy
Greece. We have some swell dancers,
down by the brooks there-bare-leg-
ged in mosquito netting. I hang out
around the brooks mostly, when I'm
at home in Greece"
II care very little for dances"
Aunt Jane would reply. II go in
more for Japanese art. That's one
thing l do know about"
Yes" Mr.. Diaphonoos would say,
Tive seen some swell Japanese art
myself. Dog kennels of the early
Stung Period and cat-coops of the late
Whang Period
A LITTLE later, a year or so later,
when Jane hired the little maid
whose name was Marjatta, that
amazed-eyed youngster never quite
knew whether Ned and Jane were
crazy or merely in earnest.
''Vud I max place for Meest'r
Daphnoos an Aun' Chane might,
Mees No'tOn?" she would ask.
She took it all quite solemnly.
Sometimes she would stand for ten
minutes with a dish in her hand.
watching Ned put F'ido through his
tricks She could not quite under
stand these Americans. She learned
to hurry "ekks." the sofa pillow, into
the bedroom when Dot called, and to
recognize invisible cats and dogs, and
to pretend to serve invisible Mr.. Dia-
phanooses and Aunt James, but she
had half a notion that Ned was the
crazy one. The invisibles seldom APP
peared when Ned was not at home.
1t was when the door opened and let
him in that his call, Here. Fido!
Here, Fidor rang through the
apartment, and Mrs. Norton said,
Maui 1t was then they began to
talk about Aune Jane-"How's Aunt
James rheumatism?! "Daphy hasn't
been flirting with you while I was
away" up, Fido, up! That's the
dogr'
Med" Mrs. Norton said. ff ever
Aunt Jane comes unexpectedly, you
see these two places on the mantel?
I'll try to get her into the bedroom
to take off her hat and you put the
kennel and coop in these places"
Lets have a fire drill" Ned sug-
gested. SO they fire-drilled amazingly.
why, my dear Aunt Janet! Jane
cried at the door. and Ned dashed for
the vacant room. Jane stood at the
bedroom door and Ned, on his hands
and knees, with the kennel under one
arm and the coop under the other
crept to the living room. BY the
time Jane led Aunt Jane to the living
room. the kennel was on one end of
the mantel and the coop on the
other. Ned. this is Aunt Jane"
Well! we'll! WE'LL" cried Ned. Jump
ing out his chair. You dear old
soul"'
"Only not quite so affectionate." said
Jane. otherwise o. K"
The trouble was that Aunt Jane
had been for many years in Iddles-
borough the family hope. There was
no reason for thinking Aunt Jane
would ever really do anything for
any one, the connection being so slight,
but every one knows how family hopes
behave. They won't perish, and they
will keep alive. And little Jane had
certainly been named for Aunt Jane.
and Aunt Jane had no one else. OF
Aunt James money Jane had the
vaguest possible idea; she knew 1t
was in automobiles and in Detroit. If
Aunt Jane was a poor, deluded crea-
ture who did not know art. even Jap.