Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-08

bought it and collected from him the
money. Edith gave her silver slippers,
scissors, two packs Of small playing
cards for evening solitaire, Dedham
bowl for Calls favorite meal Of hot
bread and milk, and two pairs Of serv-
daintily wrapped and tied in Edith,s
own way. and Gail, swallowing coffee
and buttering toast, spent her whole
breakfast time in protesting gratitude.
Ariel gave her silver spoon to go
with the bowl, tending of Calls kiss
ungraciously and muttering that Edith
had made her do 1t. She would give
Gail something decent" she n1umbled
resentfully In her odd boys voice, If
she ever had cent Of her own. Calls
joyous laugh had a pang under 1t;
Ariel had become expert in causing
that pang Of late. Sammy's gift was
pair Of bright new rubber overshoes;
this was April in California. There
would be no rain until November.
well, gee, Boomers had sale, and
din know whatjer wanted" Sam
said confusedly when they all laughed.
Gail kissed him, too, with the motherly
tender kiss the boy had never missed.
Then she and Edith rushed the
breakfast paraphernalia into the sink;
big plates underneath the pyramid that
rose through smaller plates, saucers
and bowls, to cups and glasses. Ariel
was of to school, Phil had disappeared;
Sammy had gone first of all. The two
girls scrambled through the necessary
kitchen work with . speed born of
long practice.
The big kitchen was shaded, was in
order. There we're islands of worn
dark-brown linole-m on the splintery
floor; but they had retreated into the
unused corners. The walls were paint
ed a dark blue, stained and streaked
with the distillasion of the meals of
IS long years. The old house had set
tied little as II annoyed, in the great
earthquake. and the kitchen floor ever
since had run downhill toward the pantry
door. which, opening outward, had
to be dragged up with some force like
a ships door in a slight list The
Lawrence girls were still occasionally
cooking on the great French range
that measured IL feet by 6. But gas
had been brought into the house about
the time Of her fathers marriage and
on one end of the range was a three
burner stove and portable oven,
where most Of the family's meals were
prepared.
On this birthday morning Gail and
Edith went upstairs. Gail was heated
from domestic labors; her face looked
pale with heat; her rich, curly hair.
brighter than Edith's, was tousled.
Calls glance approved Of Edith. That
looks better on you than it ever did on
Mary Tevis," she Observed.
Edith studied herself in the mirror
dispas -icnately.
II never would have got It," she
said. IT don't like dots. But 1t GER
tainly has come in usefully"
The worst of Mary TeviS Is, she'll
crf-sa VIZ, q fnyY1ch 0f THINGS nna time
and then forget you for seven years"
Gail, having made herself compare
lively presentable, said briskly: Now,
when I'm rich shall have a list CT
girls-damn such a shoe lace!"
Abigail, you ought not say that"
II know I oughtnt. But look at
it"
You'll get Ariel saying it,"
Gail mended her lace, looked up
with a flushed face.
Didn't you think Ariel was beauti-
full at breakfast, Ede?"
"Oh yes, she really is"
do you tllink-this may all be my
imagination-but do you think she's
really interested in boys already?"
Their eyes flashed together con-
sciously.
"Oh, yes, know she Is" Edith
answered unhestistingly.
shes only III"
WELL" said Edith, who combined
a refuses sensitiveness and tempera-
ment with an occasional flash of dar-
ing, It was fond of the boys at 16."
Edith. pretty as she was, had never
had beau and Gail knew 1t. But 1t
was the unwritten law Of sisterhood not
to say so. Gail merely said perfume
torily, "Oh. we'll, yes, so was I! But,
Edith" she pursued. there seems to
be something-different in the way
Ariel Is"
(To be continued)