Smyrna times., 1930-06-04
Helen Liked Her
Guardian
By MAE MARSH


it would never do. Be a dear
and take Bobby down to Strings
and have his hair bObbed."
'Oh, all right" said Tom. I'D
planned to play golf-but all right"
There was nothing very amiable
in Toms voice, nor did he look
more amiable when his married sis
ter called him "a sweet angel of a
brother"
The barber shop at Strings
children'S store was crowded as
usual ON Saturday afternoon, and
Tom found that he would have to
take a number at the desk and re-
main in the waiting room adjoining
the barber shop.
Presently a portly, gray-haired
woman hustled into the room, a
slender young girl of eighteen or
so in her wake. The older wom-
an regarded the others waiting
rather disapprovingly.
Il simply can't wait" she said,
looking appealingly around the
room for sympathy. "My theater
tickets. I've ordered hem for to-
night, and they'll only hold them at
the box Office until four. / can't
wait-and yet"-here she looked
with a sigh at her young charge
"Annabelle needs a bob fright
fully"
The aunts eyes had been wan
dering about the waiting room. She
caught sight of Tom Alden, eyed
him briefly through her lorgnettes
and then sailed over to him.
"Tm going to ask a favor of
yOu," she began. 81 simply can't
wait with my niece, and you look
as if you could be trusted. After
you have your little boy bObbed,
will you wait and see that they do
Annabelle properly? Don't let them
use those awful clippers at the back
of the neck" She sailed out to-
ward the elevator Annabelle took
a seat rather shyly beside her new
ly appointed guardian.
"Aunt Clarice is very nearsight-
ed" she said. "She seemed to think
you were as old as she is" Then
there was a pause. isn't your
little boy cunning?"
They waited fifteen minutes for
BObby's turn, and then Annabelle
followed him into the barber shop
and sat beside Tom while Tom gave
the barber directions concerning
Bohby's haircut
Then they returned to the wait
ing room and waited fifteen min
utes more until Annabelle was
Singed and waved.
''It's very becoming" Tom told
his charge, when the process was
over. Il never liked bobbed hair
on girls very much, but it looks
great on you"
Doesn't your wife wear bobbed
hair, Mr."
"Alden-Tom Alden" supplied
Tom. And then: My wife? Why,
| haven't any wife"
"But Bo5by's mother-is she
dead?" Her eyes were wide with
youthful curiosity.
Tom laughed. His mother is
my sister. Why, I'm just q young
ster; only been out Of college a
year"
They were back in the waiting
room and had taken their seats to
await the return of the nearsight-
ed aunt, Mrs. Weston. In ten min
utes came a telephone message, by
means of paging, saying that Mrs.
Weston had had to go to her dress
makers. She had forgotten that
she had an appointment, and would
the gentleman be so good as to
take a taxi and bring the niece
down to the Coolidge hotel, where
the aunt would meet the niece-for
tea.
Then Tom remembered that he
had arranged with his sister to
meet her at the Ardmore at tea
time. She was to be downtown and
would take Bobby off her brothers
hands then. So Tom managed to
telephone to his sister asking her
to change the rendezvous from the
Ardmore to the Coolidge.
Tom and Annabelle felt like old
friends when they entered the palm
room at the Coolidge where they
were to meet. To their surprise
they found Mrs. Weston and Toms
sister already seated, so busy in
conversation that they did not see
Tom and Annabelle and Bobby I'M
til they had taken seats beside
them.
"Tom, it's perfectly thrilling,
here's mothers old friend, Mrs.
Weston. You've heard her speak
of Helen Weston? / didn't even
know she was in town, and here
I happen to run into her while I'm
waiting for you"
Introductions that followed were
rather confusing, and it was not
until tea was nearly over that the
near-sighted Mrs. Weston became
quite clear in her mind that Tom
Alden was actually the son of her
old friend, and that he was not the
substantial middle-aged man that
her nearsighted eyes had told her
he was at first.
Six weeks later, after an ardent
courtship, Annabelle and Tom an
nounced their engagement. Mrs.
Weston beamed with self-satisfac-
ton. 81 was attracted to Tom
from the first. / rather flatter my
self that If Ii hadn't been for me
this affair would never have come
or"
And Toms sister smiled to her
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