Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-29
Days End.

N Ar ILDRED FRASIER walked
HU four blocks after leaving the
I" street car through the
Il II strange. still heat that fore
tokened a storm. A few
irons Of rain were falling to a rolling
Accompaniment of lightning as she
m0unted the steps to the door of the
9rnall brown house which still bore
her husbands name, DR.. Ezra c.
TrAsier. DR.. Frasier had been dead
NRht years and his widow was now
q 6Rleewoman In the dress department
kt Coleman's big department store.
It had been q hard day for Mildred
for she had sold but one dress, al
though she had tried. as never before
TO please her customers. She had
feeling that unless her sales mounted
up she was not going to be retained
much longer, and she trembled with
apprehension. Her last resort would
be to sell the house, the dear home
Ezra had given her. The children
would not like that, for there was a
bit Of garden that Trivilla loved. But,
of course, they could not stay there
unless she could keep on at the store.
In fact, she had not gone to work
: Until she had been forced to. AS the
children grew older they needed more
and more money, and they were now
d(LASSAl1S dSAlIS AOi AAACAAiSSAfSD ONSA =
cent of the small income Ezra had left
her. Thus she had been forced to pro-
vide for herself and almost entirely
for the house out of her small earn
ings.
AS Mildred entered her living room,
after having hung up her coat and
hat, her daughter sprang up from the
sagging davenport. Trivilla was Is,
tall, slim. flat-figured, yet with look
Of grace and pliancy that convinced
one of an immense store of vitality.
She was like an American Beauty
rose-iust that radiance and perfec
ton. Flowing hair, brilliant skin,
eyes like hand-polished agate and a
mouth which dared the whole world
TO kiss her. Mildred had never been
like that. and she paused now to gaze
at her daughter, wondering where
Trivilla's beauty had come from.
Mother" Trivilla said excitedly, |
'Leon and I have asked Mr.. Boyd to
dinner
Mildred turned pale.
But, dearest she began help
lessly.
Il know. There wasn't a thing in |
the house to eat this morning after
we cleaned up the breakfast table and
built our lunches. But there is now. |
Leon got whooping big steak and I
stopped at the delicatessens for pie
ara potato salad. And If you could
Just make a cup of good coffee"
Il can, of course" Mildred re-
piled. She went on to the kitchen.
A moment she stood with her eyes
Then she reached for the coffee perco- |
lator.
John Boy had been a friend Of her |
husbands. He had gone West soon
after EZra's death and had returned |
within the year. The first time he had |
called after his return he had seemed |
to be greatly impressed with both |
children. Leon particularly, and had |
made a real friend of him, and the |
boy had improved wonderfully under |
the mans fine training. But his feel |
ing for Trivilla seemed altogether diff |
ferent. Mildred suspected that some |
day. when the girl was old enough to |
know her own mind, OHM Boyd was
going to propose to her. Until then
he was winning her by every means |
in his power.
It would be a splendid thing for |
Trivilla to have this handsome, rich, |
intellectual mans love, and Mildred |
was glad for her daughters sake |
But there was something in her own |
heart that terrified her. She herself |
loved John Boyd.
Trivilla came into the kitchen pres
ntly.
Mother, Mr.. Boyd is here. Aren't |
you going to fix up or anything?"
Mildred smiled. mo. Won't / do?" |
"Oh. you will do" But Trivilla was |
frankly disparaging. "Only I hate 1
that sloppy old dyed blue thing and /
your hair is rough. Let me smooth |
It," She attempted to pat smooth the |
rich braids of duh brown hair which |
covered her mothers head.
Mildred went in to greet her chill |
dren's guest. She found Leon sitting |
on the arm Of Johns chair with his |
arm frankly about Johns shoulders. |
Leon was 10.
I'VE pretty near had to kidnap him, |
mother" Leon proclaimed, as John |
arose to shake hands with her.
At the table Trivilla was captivat- |
ing. She loved good food and a guest |