Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-14

that day; Rosie was going to take the
babies for me, and I was going to pull
a really good party. / had white roses
for the table in my black glass bowl
and white candles in my black glass
candlesticks, and had planned mar
| velous menu, If do say 1t, myself.
Hominy, baked crusty, with Parmesan
cheese (Which don't believe anybody
| In Montrose had ever served, instead
of potatoes, and ripe olives stuffed
with almonds, which are about the last
word.
was so excited with my plans that
| didn't even think about Cousin Eftie.
And then, just as was slicing the
! veal loaf and putting bits Of parsley
around the platter, glanced out the
kitchen window. There, coming down
| the street, was Cousin Fife.
Some way, it didn't bother me at
all. / figured that could, If necessary.
tell Cousin Effie that I'd just have to
ask her to run along today and come
some other time. This would be good
lesson to her, and might even stop
her from dropping in another time.
And Will wouldn't mind my having
done it. It's a great comfort to realize
| that your husband will really under
stand.
I listened for that deprecating little
tap at the door with perfect calm. In
| a minute or two, of course, heard 1t,
and then Cousin Efie's plaintive little
Anybody homer"
I came in from the kitchen, my big
rubber apron on over my new black
chiffon-velvet afternoon dress, perfectly
poised and calm. feeling able to deal
with the situation. I said, Hello
there" in a brisk friendly voice. Then
met Cousin Efie's eyes.
| Every bit of poise and calm and
| briskness drained right out OF me.
| There was no mistaking the expression
in Cousin Effi'e eyes. She knew d1dn
want her.
Queer had never understood that
look before, that slow gray, quiet way
she always came along the street; that
soft, deprecating tap at the door, the
way she always came Sliding into the
/ house. She had always known didn't
want her.
| I simply can't explain what recogniz-
ing that look did to me. All the hours
that Cousin EfIie had spent talking to
me about her sickness and her troubles
had pretended to be sympathetic
while I had just been bored. This was
different. It was as though I was
suddenly standing alone in the world
driven by the terrible emptiness anc
loneliness Of my own life into going
to see even some one who didn't care
for me, tapping softly, alphabetically
because knew wasn't wanted.
Maybe 1t was Cousin Effie's own fault
that she wasn't wanted anywhere. May
be most all Of our troubles are oul
own fault, If we only had sense enough
to see 1t. But suddendly that didnt
make any difference. was sorry fol
her. For the first time saw that sht
was Just q poor, old, lonely woman.
Honestly, get disguised with my.
self-Im SO weak. There had haC
everything decided. I had made up my
mind with perfect calm and poise JUS
what I ought to do. And couldn'
do 1t. For several minutes struggled
with myself. I tried to hang on tx
my brisk, sensible suggestion. But i
was hopeless. It was like trying tt
keep your balance when a rug is being
pulled out from under you. Why,
couldn't even make that important
luncheon seem important.
And then Cousin Effie cinched 1t
She held out a pasteboard box to me.
."I baked some rolls this morning,
she said, land brought you over some
| 1u6N IG WIdPpCu up Ill q 10RA0I D
they'll stay hot for dinner"
X ~ X
r DO admire people with strong char
acters, but there's just no use pre-
tending I've got one. I haven't. Al
my wise, sensible decision went dow
with a crash. I was perfectly disgustes
with myself, and couldn't do a thin
about it. My voice began to talk a.
| InnI nAvHtrnI a. fN1f
Cousin Effie was so glad she'd come
that it was the sweetest thing in tn
world for her to have brought thos
rolls; that I was having company TO
lunch, and didn't have thing bu
bread. Those rolls would Just make tn
luncheon and that she was too dea
for anything to have brought them
Desperately, unreaSoningly, heard my
self trying to make it up to her for TIT
rotten deal she'd had in life, going OF
like weak fool:
You're just in time, too, Cousir
Effie. NonsenSe OF course, you'll sta!
and have lunch with us. Mercy, on
more won't make any differencel
don't care If haven't seventh goblet
I can use one Of the ordinary glasses
nobodyll notice the difference. No, !
won't hurt the looks Of the table ont
bit. And what do we care, anyway
They're Just some of the Harveste
crowd"
There I was, rushing around, upset
ting the table arrangement, completed!
running the effect, taking of Cousin
Effies coat and hat by main force.
know I was just making lot of trouble
for myself in the future. ] knew wa!
a complete and utter fool, and didn'
give rapl
The funny part Of It was that thos'
rolls of Cousin Efie's did make tn,
luncheon. I had only been trying tt
make her happy when I'd said the!
would. And then they actually did
They were simply wonderful rolls
whole wheat, each one folded over bi
of butter and sprinkle Of cinnamon
and baked crisp and crusty on the out
side and light as air.
Mrs. Curtis simply raved about them
and Mrs. Jackson's husband being Mrs
Curtis husbands assistant, so did Mrs
jackson. In fact, they all did. Nobod,
leven mentioned the hominy and Par
Imesan cheese or the stuffed ripe olives.
II don't know what's the matter will
the hired girls these days" Mrs. Curti
said. IF you ask them to make bi
Of homemade bread, they act as though
you'd insulted them" Mrs. Curtis ha
q perfectly gorgeous home, and Is tn
only person In town who keeps thre1
servants, yet she's got the funny, old
fashioned streak that won't let her cal
them maids. ~ lost two girls by max
arr, ara Src1fos ~ IL and then wina I 90