The Washington times., 1927-08-25
Jennie Answers
a Mysterious
Phone Call

Mrs. Murphy's boarding house,
away from the noise of the street
and not too near the smelly
Kitchen. But. after living in it 20
years, Jennie Parker fairly de-
epised 1t all.
She sat in the iff.backed chair
at the single window, tired little
school teacher who wished, very
earnestly, there was no more
school to teach and no boarding
house to live in.
Jennie wasn't meant to be a
epinster. Somehow she had al.
ways wanted a home: a greenland
white colonial house with a big
kitchen to putter In Shed even
dreamed of man. to fuss over and
love; a son to guide and mother.
But. at IS, such dreams become
vague improbabilities and romance
is forgotten in the dust OF the
years.
But I've never stopped wishing
for them" Jennie Parker muir
INJURED dreamiIy.
sBrrr-ing! went the telephone.
Hello" she quavered.
Hello, Jennie, " came the sur
prising answer and the voice was
unmistaka kably masculine. II know
It's long time since / saw you
last but don't start asking aues-
tions. Meet me in front of
Boyer's drug store at seven.
Hurry"
Jennie Parker replaced the re-
ceiver on the hook with trem-.
bling fingers. He'd called her
Jennie" and dear and said he
hadn't seen her for a long time.
Who could 1t be? The young
naval officer she had met when
: she was eighteen? Impossible!
Perhaps it was John Lockwood
But he was married now and had
family of sons and daughters.
Al dozen possibilities entered
her mind but were as promptly
dismissed, One thought remain.
ed paramount. Adventure beck.
onedi
Jennie went to the bureau and
gmoothed her soft, brown hair
before the mirror. The color was
high in her cheeks. Her eyes,
always mild and duh. now
sparkled like child's.
s4Sn 4Il1llQGCS 64l6I SdlQ the
ivory clock on the bureau, and
Jennies hands quivered as they
adjusted the new brown toQue.
She must look her best.
A moment more and she was
walking brislkly down Bromley
Street.
What would he look like? What
was the explanation he had prom
ised? Three blocks! Would she
never get there.
He was there! She could see
q tall, slender masculine figure
pacing up and down.
Jennie slowed her footsteps.
She mustn't appear hurried. The
man was looking in the window
now, gazing abstractedly at the
blue glass ball. She caught
glimpse of his face.
'Ohs' said Jennie Parker and
turned suddenly sick with shame,
for the man was no one otner
than 17-year-old Wilbur Barrett,
who was In her high school his
tory class.
Jennie, shrinking back against
the shadows, understood it all.
Wasn't Wilbur Barrett's infatua-
fion for pretty little Jennie Allen
the fayorite joke of the school?
Poor Wilbur! Central had given
him the wrong number and he
thought he had heen talking to
the object Of his worship.
Go and tell himy Jennie
Parker felt she couldn't. She
leaned closer to the entrance of
the drug store. What a fool
she'd been. She might have
known it was a wrong number
all a mistake.
As she hesitated, a tall, gray.
haired man emerging from the
Etore fell heavily against her.
His apology was instantaneous.
beg your pardon, Madame. l
didn't see you. I've been watch
ing that nincompoop son of mine
incoming around out there and
waiting for some girl" the lean
face flushed with anger. I'm
going to break him of it. Ill
show him..
Jennie Parker held out
restraining hand. Her own dis
appointment was forgotten.
Please, Mr.. Barrett-you are
Wilbur's father, aren't you? r.
I'm Jennie Parker, his history
teacher. Wilbur's such q bright
boy and you mustn't be hasty,
please. He's so quick to grasp
things and punishment OF. any
sort spoils him somehow. Besides,
his affection for the little Allen
girl isn't wicked, now Is 1t?
Don't most boys Of seventeen
imagine themselves in love with
some one? Didn't you?'
Mr.. Barrett looked chagrined.
His dark Eyes met the school
teachers. gray ones.
Maybe you're right. Miss Par
ker. You talk like his mother.
Mel guess don't understand
children much. Since his mother
died, It's been hard job try
ing to figure out what was best
for him and what wasn't.
Wilbur is a splendid chap,
said Jennie Parker and looked
for the tall, pacing figure but
the boy had seen his father
talking to his teacher and; taxi
ing advantage of the opportunity,
had discreetly disappeared.
I suppose he ought to 20 to
college unused Mr.. Barrett
thoughtfully, then as a sudden
inspiration struck him. t'Say,
Miss Parker, hope you won't
think me presumptiOns but but
can't we have dinner together
and have little chat about
Wilbur? know you can give
me some good advice and maybe
we can get better acquainted.
The warm color braced back to
Jennie Parker's cheeks. Her eyes
shone She was suddenly glad
she'd worn the new brown toque.