Evening star., 1928-04-08

"You may as well know the whole
truth said Mary Grafton. Il did have
a headache, once or twice, after Kitty's
rips, but they weren't bad. Still, they
gave me the idea. I pretended TO have
a headache. because that was the only
way I could get off from eating my
dinner. You'd never have let me
starve myself, If I'd proposed 1t in cold
blood And the Quarrels fitted In so
nicely. They had them with sucn
amazing regularity"
Lola was following through the tan
gled coil with her usual slovneSS. But
she was following. 'Why-why didn't
you want to eat your dinner? Why.
for mercy's sake, did you want TO
starve yourself?"
so that 1 wouldn't get fat, of
course hate fat old women. tell
your snapped Mary Grafton And
so pretended TO headache. now and
then. when Edgar and Kitty gave me
the excuse. and il kept me just right
thin, but not angular. OF course, I
loved their quarrels for the fun OF
them. too; they were so screamingly
ridiculous. I've wakened in the night
and laughed many a time. There,
You see me exactly as am. mass OF
deceptions and petty vanity. Make
the most of it. You deserve the shock
for your benevolent intentions about
my headaches. And right at the first,
remember, suspected you'd been up 10
something Yes. I suspected you.
might have known. So you stopped
Edgar and Kitty from running to me
with their rumpuses. did you? ! sup
pose you scolded them well IN your
most serious manner"
Yes, I did" admitted Lola meekly.
Then there's just one thing for you
to do. You go straight over there and
tell them that. unless they have quar-
rel at once-and repeat il every two
weeks or so. I shall be dull as dish
water and likewise mass Of fat and
hate myself forever"
-
TN an obedient. unhappy. yet somehow
L oddly happy daze Lola got up and
prepared to do as she was bid. The
shadows had lifted. and the potential
tragedy turned TO unexpected. delicious
farce. Lola had never had much taste
for farce, but now il was sweet and
welcome. Her naughty, irresponsible
mother! She would have liked TO
shake her and kiss her at once.
And let me live my own life. the
way I want to after this, fake head
aches and ALL" said Mary Grafton. Il
may be vain, but I can tell you il took
lot of Self-denial not to eat dinner
when YOU had sweetbreads and squads
and the things specially like. But I
did il. Oh. Lola. don't look so
stunned. / have to lie here helpless.
but that isn't any reason why !
shouldn't play my little games and
enjoy my little dreams, is il? I told
you you have no nuances, But have.
and they've got TO be INDUCED"
Lola went on out Of the room. She
could think Of no response that would
be adequate.
Left to herself. Mary Grafton felt 5
faint Qualm of conscience, little stir
ring of regret for her outburSt, 7 was
horrid to her-my poor Lola. And after
all she does for me! Oh. dear, I hope
she's got just flicker Of me IN her. 50
that she'll not be too hurt"
The door opened again. and Lola. hat
in hand. looked in. I'm going over 10
see Edgar and Kitty" she announced
ito tell them to come along and stage
their battles at your bedside"
Then she heSitated. and = CLINT that
had never been there before came into
her eyes. She was no longer literal Lois,
The flicker that her mother had hoped
for-the long dormant ficker-nad
risen to give evidence OF its being. For
once. mother and daughter looked alike
and in the likeness was conSumniated
understanding Of each others natures
They could never again be alien-that
was clear TO both. The curtain ~ their
farce was schisvsd with the principals
In light hearted concord. lght-hearted
and intensely relieved
II Just want To say" said Lola Graf
ton. and there was laughter in her voice.
matching the CLINT in her eyeS-I Just
want to say that III call YOU Mimi. after
thiS-forever You've earned II.
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