Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-07

herself, exquisite, little, fragile, wise
eyed. boyish, modern, who talked
frankly, judicially, startlingly, of being
his wife las soon as Rad and Phyl were
out of the way; this was Phyllis Nor
mans family, as was, and was to be.
Radley received them as If they be-
longed to him. He always did; that
was one of the things about Rad that
stirred her anew every time she OBJ
served it. She loved him to love her
dear family For they were very dear
to Phyllis, from dad, who pooh-poohed
and purred under the demonstration
and lived on it. If the world had
hurt dad he had lived nicely through
it; it would one day hurt John, but
he would live the more for 1t.
They all exclaimed at the white
room-and came over to the chairs
like so many children at Christmas
tree, delighted with the prospect of
novelty and surprise. Tt made Phyllis
feel mature and widely experienced and
barely bit forlorn. She did not rea-
son just why; she was nearly %.
But where's Aunt Relief" Radley
asked quickly, as they settled to the
seats SO obviously set for them. "She
said she would stop and come with
"Oh, she phoned, Radley," Mrs. Nor
man answered. "She decided to come
in cab"
"Well, I'd have brought her myself,
if" Brainard began and then for
got what he had intended to say, per-
hapS what he had intended to do for
the aunt who had been mother to him
since his boyhood. as he adjusted the
gauze curtain and softened the light
again.
And then Aunt Relief Brainard her
self opened the door and Joined them,
looking enough like her nephew, who
was the apple of her eye, to forepicture
age: but as typically an old maid as a
Brainard could be anything typical.
She had an appraiSing eye, but she
could palpitate. She was as slender
as a misses model; but at SIS played
Chopin on a piano that was not auto
matte, and adored vaudeville.
well, Radley," she said. as she
glided across to them-Aunt Relief had
learned to glide before young females
strobe, or even Slouched-"well, Radley
| what shocking thing are you going to
exhibit to us here in this-this
morgue?"
They all laughed, greeting a new
comers humor Hospitality. But Phyl-
lis eyes wandered about the shadow
less room again.
We'll" said Radley, burning with I'M
patience to begin what he had to be-
gin, 81 haven't any orchestra to play
an overture Besides, there hasn't been
any score written for this piece yet
But I'll begin showing you what ]
have to show, and then lecture to you
about it afterward-if it needs lee
ture."
Gratitude, Radr' murmered Carol
! sliding down in her chair till her thin
| little TANKS rested on the bare forward
edge and the tender nape of her neck
! on its back.
| You're very considerate, young
man." said Mr. Norman. May I smoke
in here?"
"Of course" returned Brainard And
he waited, with his hand lowering
about the keys of the lights, while
young John also took advantage of the
"AswT understand ft-you're going
to show-us new" Mr.. Norman
was putting his words out with fra
| grant smoke.
yes" supplied Brainard, some
thing so entirely new that you are tbs
| IlrSt people not dlrectly Implicated WAC
will have seen it. It's going TO Startlt
you little, think--inaybe a gooc
deal, It's hard for me, after working
SO long over it, to know just what 9
normal, fresh reaction to it will be-"
"Gurghl Lovely!" droned Carol.
youthful contralto. She looked like E
Cecil Bruner rosebud, Carol did; ane
her particular rose was of a leatherr
young sophisticate indulging in swee
girlishness. Phyllis sometimes won.
dered what she really was; 1t was i'm
possible that any 19-year-old could b.
so supersaturated with guile as Caro-
seemed--or so artless as the othel
glimpses you got of her Probably sht
was neither, and was only wise enough
to pique your psychoanalytic instinct
She sat now win her hand frank.
lying in young John S-not holding his