The Ely miner., 1930-08-22

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had arrived home from his office A
slender. vivid young figure got out OF
the car ahead of him and ran lightly
up the steps. The girl carried a
shiny hatbox. She did not wait for
her uncle To introduce her but started
sank down in the porch hammock be-
tween Elherf and Ada, closer to Ell
bert than To Ada. For Ada had with
drawn. but of the corner OF her eye
she was taking the girl in-cherry.
culored dress cut sunburn effect and
round knees. dark sleek boyish head
from which the girl had pulled her
white hat. Gus. coming heavily up
the steps. smiled in amusement at his
niece.
'l,ll go In and tell auntie to pusa
your high chair up to the table.
Doris" he said This was the best he
could do in the way of joke. The
screen door Tapped behind him.
"What heavenly candy" breathed
DOiiS CgCiiS lIfC UOA III Aud . IuIf
"Help yourself" Ada extended hos
pitaity with smile. With girlish
contempt for added pounds and acid
stomach Doris did help herself. The
first layer of candy in the box melted
away while she kept up a stream of
gay chatter directed toward Ebert.
She told him that she'd heard lots
about him, that she'd been dying to
meet him. She did not tell Ada that
she'd been dying to meet her.
The call to dinner came. 1t seemed
to poor Ada as If Edna had entered
into conspiracy against her. Rich
gravy, starchy vegetables, a rich pud-
ding smothered in whipped cream.
Ada battled with hunger and pride as
she sat beside Doris, who gobbled
everything. Gus insisted on filling
everybody's plate the second time.
Edna had an awful way of asking !:
whats the matter with your pudding,
dear? Don't you like it?" Thereby
compelling Ada to devour the last
sticky crumb.
HIICI l''iio Iui hCd Oh bhS
radio and declared that she must
dance. Uncle Gus was her first part
ner. He soon played out. Then Ell
bert danced with Doris. Ebert danced
well. Ada did not dance. She sat on
the davenport and tried to act un-
concerned
AT last the evening ended. Doris,
il seemed, had weeks supply of
sheer lingerie and chiffon frOcks in
her hat box. When Ada first saw that
hat box she had never dreamed that
Doris was weekend guest.
By bedtime the candy box was pretty
well rified Elbert hadn't had a minute
alone with Ada. She felt that he
didn't care and she grew cold. The
memory of those thirty pounds preyed
upon her. Ebert wanted something
young, slim. sporty. not fat old
trump like herself. She grew sick at
/ heart.
She lay long awake in nightmarish
agony. She might as well cut her
visit short and go home. She felt
cTuSlleu. utlSdltu. VI lWO years SiS
had planned and saved for this visit
TO her old school friend. The unex-
| pected entrance of Elbert upon the
scene had thrilled her. She had fallen
| in love with him. She had hoped AMI
Edna had encouraged her to hope.
Now it was all over. No man could
resist Doris. Ada could go back home
to her married sisters house. where it
wasn't always agreeable, TO her desk
in the public library, to Henry Pratt,
who wanted her to help bring up his
five motherless children and whom her
sister thought was plenty good enough
for her. you've waited too long to
be choOsy now." julie always said.
Breakfast next morning was an or
deal for Ada. She felt she looked
shriveled. And for once her appetite
was gone. Doris left the table for a
Ada was sure she heard Doris say
Ebert. Then she thought of some
thing she had forgotten TO say and
called him up again. Ada could not
meet Edna's troubled eyes.
taffy-colored car came into the
driveway. Doris saw it and started
up with shrek of joy. She ran out
of the house. Ada saw her talking to
Ebert She could bear no more. She
got up and went upstairs to her room.
She wasn't given to crying. but the
thing she wished most to do was to
fall prone on her bed and weep. No!
There was something else. She could
pack up and 60 home. Feverishly she
began to fling things into her suitcase,
the old blue dress that wouldn't 60
round her. everything.
Running steps on the stairs. The
door opened. Edna came in.
"Ada! What on earth are you do
ing? Elbert's come for you. He
wants to take you out and show you
his home-where you're going to live.
Get on your things and hurry right
down."
The singing bird again started up.
Then fell back upon cold cruel earth.
Ada looked into Edna's eyes.
'What is Doris going to do?" she
asked family.
"She's going to play tennis with the
boy next door. What did you think ?
That Elbert would want a little flap
life? You're the first girl that's ever
made a real hit with him. He told
Gus so last night"