Evening star., 1927-12-02
The Sitting Room.

~ and Jean Hayward-very serl-
II ously. So also did Bob Oar.
\ row, brother of Helen, whom
Jean was visiting. To be
exact, Bob had been taking Jean seri-
ously less than "a hours, since 1t was
only last evening that he had met her
| for the first time and decided she was
the sweetest girl he had ever seen.
With her fair hair in coronet
| braid about her dainty head, her
STRAIGHTFORWARD blue gaze, above
| huttering blue frock, she seemed at
! first lust a lovely kid" Playing
ruthlesslv upon her innocense from
the vantage point of 20 years and col
leee sophomority. Bobs opening re-
mark had been, Il dldnt know thdl
eyes came in powder blue to match
frocks" He accompanied the speech
with the last minute" in bows.
wide, flashing smile and frank gaze
of admiration.
Helen drew attention from jeans
bushes by grabbing a tuft OF her
hrother's thick brown hair in either
fist and pulling his face down to hers.
Kiss him's sister and then go wash
him's dirty face. Dinners on
The meal was half over when Bob
came down in evening clothes, groom
ed to sleek perfection. AS his family
looked surprise, he muttered casually,
Changed my mind. Going to the
dance after all. You girls got
sheik?"
Helen choked noisily. Good broth
err" she said demurely.
Bob's confusion was pathetic, but
no raillery could keep his eyes from
Jeans face. And Jean was living a
beautiful dream, for here was Heiens
brother turning out to be far more
wonderful than the pictures of nm
that she had secretly adored. and he
he admired her,
Right away, though, "a worm / the
bud'' of her happiness began to gnaW.
AS they were all putting on their
wraps in the Darrows' beautiful VAIN
scoted hall she saw picture in the
huge mirror-her childish, quaint self
in a round-necked, homemade gown.
surrounded by Bob's modlsh, richly
dressed family.
His friends are all like that; their
homes like his marvellous home; ms
is a different world: I'm novelty.
His interest won't last the evening
out" To this tune the worm gnawed
and gnawed all the evening, though
Bob heaped attention upon her and
told her there wasn't a bobbed-haired.
half dressed girl in the room who could
hold a candle to her." And because
the dear boy already saw below her
smiles and sweetness with the eyes of
love. he knew that she was not happy
and carried her off to deserted con-
servatory to ask her why.
"A shadow came across your eyes as
we were starting out. Have any of us
hurt you? We're a blunt lot. Tell
me. His hand slid along the bench
and covered hers.
His touch melted the lump in jeans
throat Tears wells to her eyes. But
she shook her head.
"I want you to, lit means a lot
to me-" Bob whispered.
She told him. 1T came over me
all that you were born to-your ex-
quisite home, your family's culture
and social position, the-the absolute
correctness and assurance of all of
you-so different from my folks.'
Jean talked on. her eyes, dry and
burning now, bent on her twisting
fingers in her lap, so that she didn't
see how Bob's gaze grew cold. how he
sat stiffiy withdrawn from her. IF
you knew us at home-our crude
ways, our craZy-quilt of house, with
its Jungle of overstuffed furniture and
walls all broken out with perfect
measles of worthless pictures and fam
lily photos And father and mother
jollying the second maid about her
beau when she clears the table! l
can't drive mother to the hairdress-
er's. She insists on that awful figure
eight on the back Of her head because
it was done that way the day father
fell in love with herr
Bob didn't smile even at the house
that was "craZy quilt" broken out
inside with a measles" He could
think Of nothing but his disappoint-
ment. Petulance. in such face!
Worse, the poor "sportsmanship"-
speak mildly-of running down her
parentsi Why, she was saying that