Evening star., 1928-04-08

y r was a good little buoget or news
Lola Grafton, walking home from
the Fortnigntly Club, ran over 1t
item by item, She must remember
everything. Jane Dakin had been
calied en- jury duty; Mrs, RauScher
had at last nlanased to set poem
published. Alice Cowle's oldest girl was
engaged to the professor she'd met IN
France seven years ago; the meningltls
Scsre was over. because Mrs. Hearln
had said that DR.. Hearin said so. and
every one knew how reliable DR.. Hearln
Was. and the ffower-Sllow was not TO be
until the end Of June, Therel
From, the very beginning Of her
mothers invalidiSrl, Il had been Lola
Craetoa$ custom 10 take the world
their worlS--home 10 her, 50 that she
should miss little or nothing of the
various human contacts she so much
loved Lola was not by nature re-
Porter. and this picking up of unlm-
rortan; trifieS was hard for her; but
she went at il with the same devoted
efficiency with which she had taken
over the care Of the house. taught her
self to cook the daintieS her mother
fancied. and learned massage. She
loved her mother with blind passion
even when she understood her least
She served her in every way she could
With al the strength Of her strong.
hunorlesS nature and her capable
brain.
Now she came into their house, where
hesuty and comfort were comolneo
without sacrificing either TO the other,
glanced round 70 see that all was rlgnt,
took of her hat. went back TO the
kitchen 10 ask the cook If the sweet
breads had come. then started upstairs,
anticipating her mothers orlghteneo
rsze and her fiavorous comments on
this iuSt-coliected local column. Kan
way I'D she paused, listening. From
behind the closed doors or her mojncf
suite there came muffleo SooS ano the
high. sweet voice OF a woman nan
dramatic, -hySteTical. a young voice,
impatient, angry, protesting. StaHlllef-
ang in haSty unreaSon.
And he said. Mimi, he said I
was extravagant, tnat was eA-
trsvagant. mind YOU tSob. sob: Just
as il I'd wasted the money" tsobl; "just
as If nv whole idea" sob. sob. Sool
wasn't to make the house more attrac-
tive for him. (Soh, sob: lust as II ne
didn't know that was what / wanted
furolonged sobbingl He knew II all
che time. and he Said-he said I'd have
g send the table back" (soh. sob, Sob),
~the sweetest little butterfly table you
ever saw tan ocean of Sobsl. the very
thing the landing is simply crying for
{sob, sobl: land. when asked him
sIlst asked him coolly and calmly II he
didn't want the house TO be furnished,
or If he wanted to see it always as
bare as a barn"
I OLA GRAFTON turned and came
IL down, twitching with evaporation
Her brow was drawn into lines Of ex-
ASPIRATION, her lips were pinched TO
hold back words as vehement as those
ghe has Just heard She went into the
living room and sat down IN her favor
ite chair. stiaened. reSentful. anxious.
She thought it out slowly. This has
cot 10 stopi AS soon as Kitty has gone
Edgar VIII be here And. by dinner
time. motheru be crazy with her mi
gaine. Oh. I could beat them both So
selfish, so silly!"
There vas bowl of roses on the
table beside her The petals OF one OF
the flowers Ioosed and dropped. and it
gave her an excuse 70 move. IN go and
cut some fresh flowers" she said 70 her
self II can't stand the waiting. and
seeing Kitty fy out and across the street
and Edgar come rushing in. They act
like children-bad children-selflsh,
hnyri6 children
She had gauged the ensuing happen
ings accurately. for, when she came
from the garden with fresh flowers, she
met Edgar at the door, on his way out.
Edgar was as tan and dark as Lola,
but he lacked 10 years Of her evident
81. and he had Tivacity, significant
Fnooility Of feature that she had not
He was tngenuously embarrassed at see
ing her
-Just ran over 10 talk 70 Mimi mo-
rrent." he murmured Must barge along
nov he slid out Of the door anc hur-
ried across the street 10 his own house.
Only the flowers In her hands pre-
vented Lola from shaking her flst al his
back. She PCT them down on the table
and ran upstairs Later. she would at
tend 70 them Nov there was something
cs more importance.
Exactly as she had expected There
iay her mother, her eyes closed. On the
little table beside her were the various
accessories 70 the inevitable heacacne