Evening star., 1927-05-23

Her full name was Hollister, which
had been her mothers; after Mrs.
Bayne's-well, what you might term
Widowhood, she had been strongly
tempted to call herself Mrs. Hollister
Bayne, but Margaret had been so alb
surd about it that she had not.
In the drawing room the tea table
would be ready. Mrs. Bayne always
laid it after luncheon, before she went
upstairs for what she termed her ST.
esta. 1t was only necessary, in case
of a caller, to light the spirit kettle
and mot bother to ring" Furness
Brooks had been coming twice week
for months, and he had not yet dis
covered that the Baynes kept no ser.
want Margaret Houister would put a
match to the lamp under the kettle
and then ooze out.
'If you don't mind, I have some
notes to write. And I'll tell Holly
you're here"
But. on the October day this story
opens the routine had been changed.
Mrs. Bayne, dressed in black silk. had
sat all morning in the drawing room
and most of the afternoon and. in the
third-story front room Holly was work
ing like young fury. Only Margaret
holding them close to her eyes; she
needed glasses. but specialists were
expensive.
1t was one of Mrs. Bayne's pet fic-
tions that, if dear Margaret did not do
so much "fancy work" she would have
fewer headaches.
When, at last, the doorbell rang, the
sounds on the third floor ceased, and
the hush Of gentility descended on the
house. 1t rang second time before
Mrs. Bayne moved. Then, picking up
a book and inserting a finger in it, she
went to the front door and opened it..
A burly young man was standing out
side.
II thought 1 heard the bell," said
Mrs. Bayne, graciously, looking back
over her shoulder for an imaginary
servant. Really, these days"
She looked again at the young man.
He seemed respectable, but not par
ticularly affiuent. Not that he was
shabby, of course, but compared with
the spick-andspanness of Furness
Brooks-of course, Furness Brooks
had his own man-servant, Filipino.
And then the man on the doorstep was
young: she had not considered that
possibility.
1t took only a second all this. She
appraised the young man and he look.
ed at her. Then he coughed, apologeti-
cally.
II believe--but perhaps have made
mistake. There was an advertise
ment of a room for rent and it gave
this number"
"Ah," breathed Mrs. Bayne. as IL
she had just remembered. Yes. OF
course. Come in, please"
But she did not show him the room
at once. She led the way into the
drawing room, and the elegance of
that apartment, plus the tea table.
quite overcame him. He had none of
Mr. Brooks savoir faire, and he had
not seen a tea table in a private house
for a long time. Not since he left
home, in fact.
please sit down." said Mrs. Bayne,
graciously, and sat herself. You see.
we are three women alone here--do
sit down!-and we really should have
man in the house. A gentleman. of
course"
II should try to qualify" said the
applicant, smiling. He had rather
nice smile. II can only give my bust.
ness references. / sell bonds-that is,
when / can sell them"
A sudden recollection broadened his
SIIillC lie lIdu SOic UdCh W Ills CidSS
reunion the year after he came back
from the war, and one of the BAN
ners they had carried read Ninety
nine per cent Of us are selling bonds :"
1t had seemed funny then. Maybe it
was not quite so humorous now.
But Mrs. Bayne was looking panied.
"By a gentleman" she said II mean
birth and breeding. Those are what
count. don't you think? May ] give
you cup of tea?"
The young man glanced at the tea
table, with it's silver and old china,
and it occurred to him that one of the
tests of gentleman might be the way
he drank his tea! So he took a cup
and managed It successfully BY and
large he had rented a number of fur.
nished rooms, but never before had
the acid test of tea been offered.
II was not until tea had been drunk
and Mrs. Bayne established as q
hostess. rather than landlady, that