The Washington times., 1930-03-06


Aunt StehPs chief reason for
disliking her. YoL don't care
to have a reminder of your
secret anC. /. )peless love under
foot day and night, though you
deny that love, eva to your
self.
Jim Carroll had worn that
same look of gay courage. That
almost rapt air of gazing at
some brave sight hidden from
others. Charm hau played like
I flame within him-an uncon-
scious magnetism which had
drawn hearts to him as light
draws moths.
The flame of him had drawn
the pretty pale moth of Ar
deth'S mother. She had mar.
ried this golden boy of hers
had born him golden child.
And in her secret heart she
had never ceased to marvel that
Jim Carroll had ever wanted to
marry her at all. had lent
her a dazed, slightly breathless
air at times.
She never had understood the
vivid JOY of life in him. She
was content merely to idolize
him. A frail, slightly pathetic
figure Thelma Carroll had been,
swung violently through life by
the blazing comet of her love.
She lived only in the vivid flame
of her man, and when that
flame went out-Jim Carroll
could not resist the hot excite
ment of war. though he had u
wife and child dependent upon
him-Thelma had quietly faded
away from the earth.
Ardeth had come to live with
Aunt Stel at the death of her
parents.
Aunt Stel had hidden her feel.
ings we'll. No one had guessed
the violent jealousy which swept
her when handsome Jim Carroll
had come courting her younger
lister, Thelma After Thelma's
marriage Stel had married Ed
Harrison, just to show Jim that
she could.
Not even Ardeth guessed why
her aunt was so severe with her.
She supposed it was because of
Bet.
To a certain extent, she was
right. Betty Harrison, sandy
haired and pasty, seemed more
uninteresting than ever by com
parison with her cousin.
At IL. Ardeth could not be
sent to the corner store with
out annexing at least one at
tentive male escort. But Neil
Burke, by a sort of Squatter's
right through his residence in
the flat below, quickly "stab-
lished his monopoly of the girl.
1t was then that Bet experienced
the same jealous pangs her
mother had known some years
before.
Curled up on their mutual
bed now. elaborately filing ner
nails, Bet registered large scorn
of Ardeth before the mirror.
For" the love of Pete quit
primping!" she said sourly.
"A person'd think you were
going out with the Prince of
Wales"
Ardeth laughed without NAL
ice. The discomfort of the
night before was gone. Such
a simple thing as a Sunday
outing could send the iov of
life bubbling through her.
Ardcth loved Sundays. Loved
the delicious sense of leisure
they brought to dress in
ones own time to put on
ones best things even that
was an adventure.
She was going for a ride with
Neil in his cut-down Ford. But
the sun was sinking and she
was wearing a sport dress which
she had bought in a noon-ho'-r
sale the day before. At 20
that is excuse enough for being
happy.
She turned before the glass
now in innocent vanity. Ar
deth loved being pretty
loved the feel of her silk stock
ings
Those silk stockings! Aunt
Stel'S basiIiSk gaze fell on them
now as she stood in the door
way swathed in a frayed silk
kimona whose painted irises
had long withered to a diScour.
aged grayneSs.
New stockings againl Silk
all the way up. I'll bet-though
the Beehive basement had a
sale on Isle tops last week!
Why any decent girl has to
have her stockings silk where
they don't show. beats mel"
at isn't just the looks, Aunt
Stei," Ardeth explained absent,
ly, ner attention going to pull
ing on her hat without diSar.
ranging her hair. Its the
feel. It's just to know that
they're all silk"
"Well, be sure you don't have
q tumble with your fine ideas!"
retored Aunt Stel. darkly. And
those flimSy silk and lace things
you wear underneath
going around half-naked. the
way no good girl would dream