New Britain herald., 1927-08-25

was part of her job to \do them all but the sandwiches, of course.
 She closed the hall door behind her and stepped into the house.
 It was dark, for Aunt Emily went around these days switching off lights the minute they were not needed. She wasn't wasting a penny in this last effort to make 'go" Of her dying business.
 But in the reception room there was a small grate fire that sent out sweet, smoky smell to mingle with the perfume of the lilacs.
 Before the fire, leaning forward with her head sunk in her hands, sat Aunt Emily.
 Sally went into the room and stood beside her.
 Going to bed, Aunt Em?" she asked.
 Not a sound from Aunt Elm.
 It was not Aunt Ems way to cry when she was unhappy. She simply became very silent at such times, and kept to herself a great deal.
 All day she had been moping in this way, and Sally knew that things must be going very, very badly with The House by the Side of the Road.
 What's the matter, Aunt Elm ?' she asked in a matterof- voice, for Aunt Elm hated to be pitied or petted or stroked when she needed pitying and betting and stroking. She was something of a chestnut burr, was Aunt Elm.
 "Oh, the business is going to the dogs." she said now, and her voice was snappy. Were losing about twice as much as we're making - and I don't know why. Our food couldn't be better, and the place is more comfortable than any other place I know. I should have stuck to school teaching I reckon. The only thing I know how to do Is to write letters on a blackboard with piece of chalk" She was silent once more.
 "Our place lacks pep!" said Sally, remem bering the very words Of Ted's sales talk. We need some thing different - something like these Spanish dancers that The Lark has,
 Spanish dancers" snapped Aunt Em in disgust. Where would we find any Spanish dancers, I'd like to know. And how could we afford them if we could find them? I'm about flat broke, Sally Ann, as it is"
 It was at that exact second that Sally made an all-important deci- sion.
 In the darkness her big blue eyes lighted up and the sparkle of high adventure shone in her face sud- denly.
 "I'n do it," she said to herself. "1t probably won't come to anything but I'll try it, anyWay.'
 She spoke aloud to Aunt Emily, with a friendly hand on her shoul- der. Come on upstairs, Aunt Elm. I've A grand idea, but l won't tell you about it just yet
 'I'm afraid of grand ideas" an- swered Aunt Elm in the tones of Gloomy Gus. My grandest idea was to open this restaurant and see what a flat failure I've made of it,"
 She switched on the hall light and started up the stairs.
 Sally followed slowly, looking over her shoulder at her reflection in the big mirror on the east wall of the hallway.
 As she looked she began to move Ter shoulders in the most graceful, delicate way possible-a beautiful when done properly and as Sally did it. The move mcnt that is vulgarly known all over the world as the shimmy'!
 And as she did 1t, she winked solemnly at herself in the glass. Millie was sitting up in bed, waiting for her.
 She had a large mirror propped against mound of lace-covered pill lows in front of her, and she was brushing her golden hair.
 How would you like me with my hair this way" she asked. twisting it into a flat, shining coil at the nape of her neck. Don't you think it's nice?"
 "Ncry," answered Sally. What did you want to talk to me about, Nillie?"
 Millie made eyes at herself in the glass.
 She smiled in a dreamy way. "Oh. wanted to ask you about John Nye," she murmured.
 Then she laughed and looked up. 1,