Evening star., 1927-05-08

n tea, but they had all gone, and
"A Mr.. and Mrs. Alison Were
4 4 alone when footman entered
with a fat little envelope on a
saiver and handed it to Mrs. Alison
who screamed quite as If it had been
the head Of John the Baptist.
"Oh, Bill" she said. those detest
able Joneses"
What have they done to you?'
asked Mr.. Alison, in some alarm.
They've sent me back the opera
box for tomorrow night after pledg
ing their word to use it. Now / shall
he obliged to find some one to occupy
It or your mother will be wounded.
Oh. my life is burdened with care
was not meant for this sort OF thing
My idea of happiness is four slippered
feet on a fender and cradle between,
and here | am going out every night
in the week. dripping-as the maga-
zines so prettily say-with laces and
jewels Just because your father was
CleNerer than other people about oils.
But now" said Mrs. Alison. timing
her breathing cleverly while she was
speaking so as TO allow no time Tor
interruption. "but now l am going to
do something superlative. ! am going
10 send the box to your cousin Marion.
Oh. Bill. how strangely blessed you
are in YOUR life's companion. That is
the way / sum up the whole stu
alton"
Send II 10 Marion?" said Bill
rather n-committally.
"Ah. | don't wonder that YOU are
surprised. Yes, that is what l intend,
although I detest women with noble
proflles and unruffieable--if there is
such word-manners, who look at
vou three seconds after you stop talk
ing before they unclose their perfectly
modelled lips TO reply something about
as chatty as 'Indeed'-and If that
isn't a perfect Characterization, ! defy
George Meredith to have done bet
fer. Although, say land, my grand
father having been a Senator, it's no
effort for me to get out of an oratori'
cal sentence unscathed as l came i'm
although / really loathe Marion
Wynne, / am nice to her once year
TO please your mother, to whom. con.
trary to the popular notion Of mothers.
in-law, / am really de-
but is it so awfully nice just to
send her the box?" said Mr., Alison.
Darling. how YOU interrupt" said
his wife. LAS matter Of fact. it's
being horrid to her, for the opera is
'Ernani.' which is, / take it, the
stupidest. dullest, operatickest opera
of them ali, and l weigh my words
before making the assertion. but the
point is people who haven't opera
boxes don't know how bad some
operas can be, and so / shall just dash
off civil note:
Dearest Marion: Can YOU do us
the favor of using the box for tomor-
row night ht?-"Ernani," you know, and
{os 70 hn tnh
something like that. and We'll leave it
as we go out to dinner"
Lucy, I wonder if it wouldn't be
better
NO, dear, it wouldn't" said Mrs.
Alison. ut would bore me intolera-
bly,. And people like TO have an
opera box now and then. because it
enables them to discharge their social
obligations to their duh friends"
Still. do feel"
"Oh. how obstinate you are. darling,
Where did this idea arise that men
could be twisted around the fingers
of beautiful women who love them?-
and hope you are not going to deny
that | am beautiful. seeing that no
one can deny love you. since l gave
up such nice quiet peaceful poverty
in order to take care of your mothers
opera box. and other disadvantages
for your sake. But you are absolutely
uninfuenced-like gray granite-un-
der my appeals
y X
IT appeared he was. for he con-
tinued in exactly the same tone:
u should a little rather you asked
Marion some evening when we were
going ourselves, when she and How
ard could dine here first"
That's what mean, Bill-you just
repeat the same thing over and over,
no matter how clearly / explain it to
you. can't beat it. She's superior
and calm: he's cross and jumpy. Yes.
he is, Bill He drums on the table
and stares at the ceiling while I'm
trying TO talk to him."
You interrupt him. Lucy" said her