Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-28

CLARIssA looked around to where Mr. and
~ Mrs. Bullnnch. the Weeders, Mrs. Dali
rymple. Mrs. Ailstoyer and some Of the others
I was most scared Of were sitting on the sand
q little way behind US. TITS that red-faced.
cross-looking man at the end on the left"
I'VE 90 there" Mime. Palma said I'VE talk
weez ot Boolyeetch. my Clarissa Massey"
Look here!" said. and was trying to back
away. but Nine. Palma took me by the arm
and marched me straight up to those people.
Ciarissa ran up to Mr.. Bullnnch.
mime. Palma wants TO speak to YOU" she
said and he got up. looking mystifed and
frowning. "Who?" he asked her. who wants
to speak to me?"
But Mime. Palma was already right in front
Of nam, she dropped my arm and grabbed both
Of his hands, with Mrs. Bullhnch and all the
others kind Of stirring around on the sand and
making sounds with just their breath.
"Boolyeetch!" Nine. Palma said in her grand.
big voice. Sweet, sweet Boolveetch you and
my Orlando and my Massey have made a such
bootiful Summer for your Fenny Pollamer Of
Keiiyfornie! 60 away. but you viii never
forget your Penny! Then, before he could
move. she seized him around the neck and
kissed him with q good deal Of noise.
Sweet Boolyeetch!" she said. Sweet, sweet
Boolyeetch!" And then. just rs q kind Of
gasping nutter broke out pretty much every
where. and while was standing there almost
as kerhummcxed myself as Mr.. Builanch was.
she gave him another pretty loud kiss and
ran up the beach. with her red robe flying
behind her and her six little white dogs streak
- ing after her. *r
Ciarissa and didn't stay there either We
got away In the runabout pretty close after
Mime. Palma's Limousine, and she was looking
out Of the back window. throwing kisses to US.
My condition was too astonished for me to be
able to respond very warmly, although for some
reason felt grateful to her and already began
to have sensations Of relief from my troubles:
couldn't tell just why What on earth did
she do such thing that for?" said.
Clarissa laughing almost too much to
talk. shes grand! She certainly stirred up
the Fiji Islanders for you. papa!"
For me?" asked her. MY goodness didn't
she drag right into It? Didn't she say I'd
been helping to give her beautiful Summer.
too?"
only as one of three, papa" Clarissa told
me. II don't believe that'n bother you much
after what's happened to MIR. Bullhnch."
She appeared to be right-in fact I was
feeling pretty comfortable late that afternoon
when MFR. Bullfinch came in to see me. He
looked about 10 years worse than his age and
kind of groansd as he sat down. This is
terrible thing. Massey" he said. "a terrible
thing! I don't know how much part you had
in It.
mot any. Mr. Bullhnch." told him. Not
any"
I'm glad to hear it, because II you'd had
anything to do with it intended to demand
a written statement generating me. I would
have telegraphed my lawyer to come here and
force retraction from Mime. Palma: but Mrs.
Bullhnch said that obviously the woman In
crazy and heaven knows what she migft al
lege H,s n terrible situation Massey"
See here" said. you don't mean to say
anybedy,s taking the thing seriously. do you?
For instance. Mrs. Dalrympie and the WeedeEs
and Ailstoyers and"
"I4sten!" he said and he gave . kind of
shiver "You haven't the slightest idea Of the
credulty Of people! Why. the stories shout me
that are already going around"
well. but why should they bother you?"
asked him. You know they're unwarrantsd
the stories they kind al help to pass the Sum-
naer for the people that tell EN-"
"you take 1t mighty calmly" he said. "Of
course, you know you're in 1t. too. Massey
"Oh, yes, from the first" told him. But
right nov. seeing you in such . fretfui state
I needn't have fretted. Nothing Of the slightest
Importance is actually happening. you sec Only
. lot of people wholly ignorant Of the facts
are going about irresponsibly giving themselves
pleaSuEable sensations out Of this very ig-
norance. Doesn't It strike you that their being
able to do this shows them up as being SO in
ferior, as you might say in this respect ut leass
that nobody ought to mind EN- any mere than
if they were mere Fiji Islanders?"
But couldn't cheer him up ut all. He didn't
show any sign of understanding what meaLt.
and maybe he was out Of the reach of help be-
cause he'd always been in the Fiji class himself
It's a peculiar thing that . gossiper always
seems to be the very person who makes tsae
most fuss over being gossiped about. And when
Clarissa and came back from seeing Nine.
Palma and Orlando of ON the train, couple
of afternoons later, the Bullhnches were just
driving away from Mrs. Dalrymples gate. I
went over to speak to her.
Poor old things!" she said They're spend