The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1931-10-22
Sue and Her Needed
Sun Bath
By DOROTHY DOUGLAS
(0 by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.l
(WNU Service.l

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QUE stepped into the torrid air Of
~ the big greenhouse that nurtured
the tropical plants of the park, with
the air of one who performs an act
that could be held as suspicious. In
Sother words, Sue sneaked in.
She found a spot where the sun beat
mercilessly down from Its great blue
dome of mid-July, and sat down. on
her small camp stool. She then fum-
lbled in bag for tidy package of
sandwiches and a sketch book and
pencil. She managed the lunch quite
naturally but the sketch book and pen
ell seemed unfamiliar tools In her slen-
der hands.
In removing her blue and gold hat,
Sue released a mass Of curls that
baby might envy, so soft and silky
they were.
Sue began idly sketching a tropical
tree. She selected It because there
were clumps of fruit hanging about
and very large leaves 1t looked fairly
easy to draw.
The only other occupant of the
;grilling dollhouse was a young man
who had crept into the coolest fern
corner he could find and was hopping
his brow and longing for the refresh
ing sensation of an iced shower bath.
He was sketching, however, some de-
tails of tropical plants with the fine
ness and the gifted touch of an artist.
Sue had crept in so quietly that Pen.
as he was called In artistic circles,
did not know of her arrival. II was
tdisagreeable, hacking little cough,
reaching his ears from time to time
that told him that another soul was
sharing his enforced roasting In the
tropical plant house.
Then he peered from among the
ferns and saw what he supposed to
be child of fifteen or so. Sue didn't
look a day older. Sue was, however,
twenty-one.
Had Pen realized that Sue had
reached that advanced age, he would
not have approached her so carelessly
TO nave chat.
Sue looked up with great blue eyes
as he stood beside her, and would have
hidden her sketch had he permitted 1t.
"Pd like to see it," said Pen, much
as if he were talking to very young
child.
ITS not very good" she said, and
handed him the drawing
Sue had never spoken truer word.
Pen bit his lip in an effort not to
smile outright.
81 think you have made the figs
bit too big"
"They happen to be bananas" ex.
planned Sue with dignity and turned
her back completely on Pen.
And poor Pen felt keenly the fact
that he had hurt the child beyond for
giveness. He cast hopeless glance at
the edge of pink cheek and slightly
heaving shoulders and patted the same
shoulders very gently.
She turned on him and then instead
of anger her eyes we're full Of laugh
ter. The nasty little cough, however,
came between smiles.
IT know don't know the first thing
about sketching," she told him shyly,
,''but in order to get in this sunny hot
house. had to get permit to
sketch"
''But why sit in this boiling sun,
child? Aren't you afraid of sunstroke
or heartache or something like that?"
SIN the first place." said Sue, "you
may as well be put straight as to my
age. l am twenty-one."
"What? Great Scottl You look like
Ia child You must think me fright
fully rude"
"Well-I don't think it was exactly
polite to take my good bananas for
figs" She looked swiftly at her watch.
'+Oh, must hurry. have to be back
at the Office"
"Are you coming again?" he ques-
toned swiftly.
~ have to come every noon hour, "
said Sue. "The doctor told me must
get away into the sunshine and bake
this cough out of my system. But
since that is quite impossible, am
doing the best can" She looked so
wistfully up at Pen, that, big man
though he was, he positively quaked
in his boots. He had most awful
desire to pick Sue up bodily and carry
her off to the sunshine of California
and to health. However, If she in
tended coming each noon hour there
would be time to work up gradually to
this pirate business.
ats a fine idea, summing yourself
here" Pen told Sue. 81 must be here,
too, to get details for a big frieze Pm
working on for Mrs. Goldchunk's din
ing room. suppose" be looked
straight into Sues blue eyes, "I-hope
you won't mind my speaking to you
tomorrow"
Sue looked up at PENS nice honest
eyes and smiled.
81 think my art really does need
some helpful criticism" she admitted
an Pen knew that the hottest het.
house in the world was going to be
a place of refreshing loneliness when
Sue was in 1t.