Evening star., 1928-04-08

mouth quirked up into the smile she
reserved for the doing of her contem-
poraries and their offspring.
She must see Nina Rauschers poem
oh. she wouldn't miss 1t for a farm
And Alice Cowles was lucky to get Min
ME off her hands-as for Jane Dakin
on the Jury, Lola must telephone her to
come in person and relate the epic OF II
as soon as it was over-'it will be heaps
more amusing to get 1t strained through
the shallow cup of James intelligence
than to do 1t myself: yes, and she was
thankful the meningitis scare was over
She remembered, when Edgar was little
there'd been an epidemic of 1t and she
had snatched him up and gone abroad
Did Lola recall that? Yes, Lola recalled
1t perfectly. for she had spent dreary
Summer in a seaside boarding house
with an elderly cousin who wouldnt
let her go into the ocean. AS for the
flower er-show-"Lola, are you going to
send sweet peas again?"
Sweet peas and roses. Nobody IN
towns got the real old Felicite-Perpe-
tue but us, mother"
"Oh, goodl Why not decorate a
table? You can take my pink lustel
set and those darling old crocheteo
bead mats Itlat NSlc e4oAiNhiS@AANA .
Don't you see it?"
Lola saw. more slowly, but she saw
Eyes. could. But the table itseh
mother"
Mary Grafton chuckled. Borrow
the butterfly table Edgar and Kitty
had the row about Make EN- pay for
my lost sweetbreads."
A certain complacency showed itSeli
about Lolas mouth. Yes, / might &c
that" she said. and the quality OF nel
tone made her mother glance at nei
sharply.
Have you been up to something?
she asked. But no-what question
You never run of the beaten path, &c
you?"
OLA was very vigilant in the weeks
L. that followed, but Edgar and Kitty
kent their promise. Whatever disagree
ments they had they kept at home
When they ran in to see Mary Grafton
they were sweet with honeyed smiles
fulI of endearmentS But they did not
stav so long as they formerly did, anc
their visits were infrequent. Lola dlo
not care. II they would only behave
themselves when they did come--tha'
vas all she asked. And how well they
did behave themselves
After all. thought Lola, observing
them. even the most thoughtless person
only needs to have his duty shown MIN
nut presently her congratulatory
notes began to fail little. 1t was true
that there were no more headaches. but
she had a growing consciousness tnal
Mary Grafton was not quite so well
she was restless. hard to please. Where
before she had made light protesIs'
given a grace to her whims ana IAN
cies. now she was frankly peeviSn Ano
there was something more, ana inflnlte-
iv terrifying; 1t was as II, thougnt poor
Lola, shrinking from the truth, YET
bound to acknowledge 1t. her motiler
did not like her And I'm not natu-
raIly sensitive. and she herself says I've
NO inacination." she told herself pite-
ously. so it must be true. I don't Just
fancy It."
For there we're times. and they were
growing more and more frequent. wnen
her mother yielded TO her ministrationS
as II she actually found her presence
distasteful. The scraps and scrappings
of harmless tittle-tattle and comment
Lola always brought in so proudly were
listened to abSent-mindedly, without
comment, or with sharp little cuts that
surprised and hurt the one who offered
them.
Even more disquietings was the lack
of interest Mary Grafton displayed In
her clothes. her surroundings. Hereto
fore, 1t had been her pride TO maintain
her old, yet dominant beauty with
studied effects Of gowns. marvels OF
scarfs and laces She varied her jew
els, enjoyed them, even enjoyed looking
at those she did not wear.
Once a week or so she liked Lola to
get them all out. while she lifted and
loved them. ran them through her fin
gers, watched the light play on them
and melt their colorS into prismatic
fires She MniIld discuss nnSSihle new