Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-12
Grandma Parsons Declares Her In
dependence.

" LIZABETH PARSONS was
l. busting. There really wasn't
any need of it, for everything
IL in the large, walnut-furnished
library was spotless with a
lusterlike veneer that rivaled highly
polished glass. Yet the industrious
little lady hustled about. her white
head bobbing alternately behind
chairs and tables, erasing An imaGi-
nary smear here, fancied smudge
there.
Mother Parsons" the library door
opened slowly and deliberately
Mother Parsons, what are you do
ing?"
Elizabeth Parsons paused guilty.
Then, with an attempt at nonCha-
lance. stuffed the busting cloth in her
wisp of an apron and turned about TO
face her daughter-in-law.
Not a thing" she lied glihlY. "Dld
you finish your shopping so soon, Ida.
DEAR"
Her daughter-in-law waggled her
Eorefinger in an accusing fashion.
Mother Parsons, you've been dust
ing-doing Norah's work again
Where's Mari? She said she'd read
to you this afternoon? Did she so
out? Did she?"
"Now, Ida" protestingly, as she
found herself being pushed headlong
in a rocker. that's play, busting is.
l get so tired sitting around doing
nothing little work is fun, Mar
jorie read to me most an hour ana
then Jimmy called. He had on has
tennis togs and wanted game before
shutdown. l told Marjorie to 80 along
with him. No need of her sitting
around reading to some one who Is
perfectly able to read to herself.
Mari plays tennis with that boy
too often" sighed Ida, dropping in a
chair. First thing / know she'll be
engaged" she began, sorting her af
ternoon's purchases. Mother, dear,
before l forget, ] ordered that black
frock from Beaumont's today"
Elizabeth Parsons frowned.
THE black" she echoed, disap-
pointedly. But I wanted the blue
with the frilly collar"
ooh. mother, not at your age. The.
black is more becoming. l ordered the
crepe toque with it," continued Ida
absent -mindedly, then. CHANGING at
her wrist watch, jumped up. 20 o'clock,
and / promised Norah Id fix the
salad
Elizabeth Parsons, looking after
her, shook her head.
For woman of So, long hair and
longer skirts would be more dignified,
too"-the rocker went degree faster
BLACK, and l wanted blue. / wish"
with sudden usefulness, Ida would
Get me buy my own clothes instead of
picking out what she thinks is APP
propriate. Land sakes, l wish, just
once, l could do what l like in the
tvay want to DO it,
1t had always been like this, ever
since she married big Bill Parsons
from Minnesota. Poor Bill, he mad
created her like a Dresden china doll,
guarding her with an ever-vigilant
bye as if fearful she might some day
TALL and break 1t was her own fault
of course; why hadn't she told him?
After little Billy came it had been
worse, although the strain Of child
birth had in no way weakened her,
fragile and slight as she was.
Poor Bill" she sighed heavily. Jie
had died. but even in death MS
guardianship Of her continued. The
entire Parsons estate had been willed
to Billy with the stipulation that
elizabeth Mary Parsons receive one
third the interest in semi-annual divi-
dends" (she hated that clause of the
wild There had been nothing left
to do but make her home with Billy,
his wife and their two children. And
here Billy, with true filial obedience.
proceeded to carry out the tesla.
ment to the letter. Like his father,
he exerted an almost tyrannical rule
over his mother, but it was the tyran-
ny that is born of love and Elizabeth
Parsons found herself helpless in the
face of it.
Dinner that night found her still
thoughtful, still increasingly despond-
ent. 1t was a typical Parsons din
ner, beginning with the usual thick
soup and ending with the usual rich
dessert. Tonight it was chocolate