Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-19
THE EVENING STORY

lutely without charge, because she
wished to read before the best people.
beautifully interpreted" wheezed
very thin old man with a dyed mus
tache of an unnatural black. "She
grasps the fundamentals Of the better
life"
AS George dazedly turned his head to
See who had made the comment he
heard this tart whisper: That's the
man who lives in the fiat above us; he
beats his wife every Saturday night
George wondered savagely why ne
limited this exercise to Saturday nights.
then blushed at his elemental nature
"You did very well, my dear" Mrs.
Tremaine's voice rang out your in
depreciation Of womans place in life
is charming Your husband Is very
much to be envied'-a ponderous hand
was playfully wagged in Georges dlrec-
ton, who -mindedly Smirked back
Come and sit with me while talk to
you bit"
Rita. blushing at the fiattery, swan
along in the wake of her patroness.
George, convinced that the evening
would never end, had stifled three
yawns more or less successfully when
he was again aroused by Ritas name:
Eyes. my dear, she is the wife of COM
mon carpenter. He works In his own
shop. Some one said he was here to-
night. but hardly think Mrs. Tremame
would permit that I'm going to invite
her to read at my evening in Woodlawn.
She isn't well enough known to charge
anything and reading Is as good as
anything else. Just so it Is from some
well-known poet. people will swallow
any" Some people stirring between
them shut out the rest of the conversa-
ton.
George sat digesting his status in the
society of climbers. He had built his
shop on the side of large lot which
he owned, planning to put up modest
homo on the other half. Rita. however.
hat been so expensive proposition as
to prevent the carrying out OF the plan.
The shop was far out and so far she
had succeeded in coaxing him to rent
an apartment nearer the city. 1t kept
her in touch with important people
and he could just as we'll take the car
to work. she had explained. He had
given in weakly at first, thinking that
he could save the money to build. but
her clothes had cost a great deal. read
ing in wealthy houses necessitated
MANY changes and she hated sewing.
In fact. their life was given over to her
art. ITO the Interpretation OF the
beautiful" he told himself grimly as
he placed her handsome evening cape
over her shoulders as she had shown
him how to do.
She was very silent on the way home.
Once inside the uncared-for fiat she
sat down and began pulling out her
hairpins. She had an odd look on her
e.. AEyr al M
suggestion tonight. She said she bad
done a great deal for me-"
George, getting drink of water at
the sink, turned and stared at this.
II thought 1t had been the other
way around" went on Rita doubtfully,
but she said that she thought 1t about
time I showed disposition to recipro-
cate. She wants you to do over the
library-that is, put in new black oak
panels and drop beams in"
IT haven't applied for any work, "
interrupted George. II have more now
than can do
Ritas white hands twisted together
painfully. why, she doesn't mean to
make an estimate and be paid. She
wishes it done as token Of"
THE beautiful, dare say. Rita. this
Is the last straw, have weakly hest
tated because I wanted you to be hap
by. but as you said yourself tonight,
Life is what we make 1t; each day
should be filled with beauty Now I
propose to run things hereafter. There
is no beauty in this dusty. untidy house.
You are going to throw away your
limp volumes Of scarlet leather and
bilious green's, put away your ridiculous
silk dresses and wear good, sensible
| ginghams or whatever women wear to
| work in. We are going to have real