Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-10-10
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CHAPTER XIV

home when the newly-weds left the
next morning.
For their departure was anything
but pleasant.
They were furious at the way
Beau had been turned out Of his
bedroom, now that they were sober
and had had time to think things
over.
Sally had risen early to make
Beau's favorite jelly pancakes and q
pan Of rich cocoa. But neither he
nor Mabel would touch q bite OF
breakfast, although they cast long
ing and hungry eyes at the table.
"No, thanks, we won't eat a bite
here, where we're not wanted"
snapped Mabel, answering for the
pair OF them. "And we're going just
as soon as the man m for our
trunk, tool Well never give the
Jerome family a second chance to
ask US to close the door on the out
side, believe you mel"
Sally could have crIed as she
looked at them. They seemed so
young, so pathetic, as they stood
with their arms around each other
against the background of white
curtains and red geraniums, looking
from her to the steaming dishes on
the table.
"Oh, don't be silly, pleased" she
begged them. do sit down and have
something to eat!-You know you're
perfectly welcome to stay here until
you've found a place of your ownl"
Mabel sneered. "Yes, il looks as
IL we were welcome here, with Mil
lies things all over Beau's rooml"
she said, bluntly. with his trunk
all packed the minute he was out Of
the house! 1t was a pretty rotten
trick you pulled on him, II you ask
me! You know it, yourself, too, Sally
Jeromel"
Sally did know il. And she went
straight to the room at the back Of
the flat where Mile was brushing
her bright, fluffy hair, before the
toilet glass.
"Millie," she faltered, as her trou-
bled eyes met her sisters in the
mirror. "Don't you think we ought to
go and ask Beau and Mabel to stay
here for a few days until they find a
place of their owns They're so hurt
because you packed Beau's things.
They think we don't want them
hede."
"Well, we don'ti" replied Mile
who was a hard-headed as she was
soft-eyed. "You know that il we
ever let them get a foothold here
they'll stay forever. You knew that's
what they're looking for-ror Us to
nsk them to stay on for n while.
Wait! I'll 20 and tell them a thing
of two"
"0h, don't!"-Sally flung out an
arm to stop her. But like a flash
led to the dining room.
What's the matter with you twoi"
Sally heard her ask the honeymoon
ers, and her voice vas as soft as
usual. Aren't you satisfied with dis
grazing me the way you did last
night before John Nye without kick
ing up another rumpus this morn
ing? What is it you want. anyway"
Instead of answering her question
Mabel looked her up and down slow
ly and insolently.
Disgrace you?" she repeated in
mock surprise. "Why, how could
anyone disgrace you before a man,
Mile Jerome? Any man who knows
you knows all about you! You're a
disgrace yourself, and you know it
as well as I dol"
To Sally's establishment, Mile
redeemed under the singing words.
and did not say a word in answer.
Instead, she swung on her heel and
walked deliberately back to her
room, closing her door gently be-
hind her.
It seemed that Mile was afraid
TO go on with the battle. There was
no other way Of explaining her be-
havior.
All morning long Sally thought the
thing over, when she was alone in
the flat, washing up last nights
dishes, changing the linen on Beau's
bed, making a plate Of tomato sand
witches to leave in the ice box in
case her mother should come home
before night.
Mabel's words came back to her
again and again 80. What did she
know about Mile that had made her
say a thing like that: ANY man
knows all about your"
What did il mean? 49,. What dis
graceful thing could John Nye, for
instance, know about Mile? Why,
she didn't ever smoke a cigarette be-
fore him, or touch a drop Of any
thing intoxicating! And she had
fibbed to him about Mrs. Sloan's pink
in order to make him think
that she was the sweet, simple type
Of girl who would find pleasure in
a little garden.
Perhaps, then, Mabel knew things
about her that nobody else knewi
Things that Sally did not know, and
that John Nye did not know. After
all. she and Mabel worked side by
side in Bursali's big office for
months. They had known each other
very. very well, indeed.
And what was il Mabel had once
said about herr "Millie just won't
stay in an office unless there's some
body there that gives her a thrill!"l
That was it,
Sally sighed as she dressed for the
Ct IL o'clock. . . . IL came to
her that the little sister who had
her make mud-pies in long
ago days had become almost a
stranger TO her.
4 don't know q thing about her
except that she likes good clothes.
a good time. and lots Of men friends"
Sally went on thinking, walking
along under a cloudiess blue sky fiji
teen minutes later.
Then another thought struck her.
/. Miles men friends had sud-
denly vanished into thin air! They
no longer called on the telephone
every hour Of every evening.
For the last month Mile had seen
none of them, talked to none Of them, |
except John Nye. He alone held the
field.