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


On this account just went ACROSS the Ballinger
front lawn, pushed through the hedge and let
myself into the side door Of our cottage with
a latchkey. Mrs. Massey was awake when
got upstairs and pretty cross with me. Il ought
to know by this time, though, that it's waste
of breath to talk to you" she ended "You
never have had any consideration for your
health and your natural sleep when you've got
one of your checker seizures on you"
Well 1t was a week or so after that, one
evening, when o lando asked me If I'd mind
doing a little favor for him; he had to take
the midnight train to New York. he said, and
be there all the next day on some operate
business for his wife, and he'd be obliged to
me II I'd escort her over to the beach, since
he couldn't do it himself. "She likes to have
somebody wi h her besides the maid and chauf
feur," he told me, because it keeps strangers
from coming up and speaking to her, which is
always liable to send her into sort OF tantrum.
She's taken q big liking to you-she really has
and so thought If you wouldn't mind
Mind? Mol" told him. because the truth
was felt flattered II consider it privilege"
That was the way thought of it at first but
later when got home began to feel maybe
was going to look little conspicuous at the
beach n:xr morning. Mrs. Massey said she
thought probably would, but laughed and told
me to be brave. She was sorry she and the
girls would have to miss it. she said: but they
were going on all-day sail to Lodgeport and
Eddie Bunfnch. stop fretting." Mrs Massey
told me, after I'd gone talking to her about
1t some more If you feel conspicuous don't
let anybody sec it: just act as If you'd spent
half your life es-orting great prina donnas
around Logansviile."
It was good advice; but next morning, sitting
with Madame Palma and her maid and the
dogs in her car, began to feel pretty doubtful
about being able to act upon it. I'd got pretty
well used to Madame Palma by this time, but
there was something about her always kind OF
overpowering, you might say, especially in hel
bathing costume and anyhow every little thing
she did seemed to be about FIVE or ten times
more vigorous than the same thing done by
ordinary people. She thanked me for eScorting
her as If were doing something enormous.
and kept calling me my Massey" and telling
me was q "bootiful mems to be such friend
to her Orlando. Finally. when we got to the
beach. she handed me one Of the dogs to carry,
having another one herself then took my arm
and started the procession down to the water
When I realized how many people were look
ing at US I don't suppose there was q more
embarrassed man in the United States, and
yet, walking down across the beach, leaving
everybody staring behind us, wasn't half the
trial that the rest OF my eScorting turned out
to be. Mr.. and Mrs. Bullf1nch and Mr.. and
Mrs. Weeder and Mrs. Dalrymple and Mrs.
Allstover and four or five other middle-aged
people were sitting together In the group that
made me feel the most self-conscious. I pre-
tended not to see them, but when we'd gone by
them could feel their eyes like about a dozen
ice poultices p.astered up and down my spine.
Then got into kind Of q hot stew all over
because It WIS high tide and Madame Palma
stopped and handed me her red silk robe right
straight in front of those people and only about
40 feet from than. She gave me the dog she
was carrying besides, 50 had two. and she
told me not to put them down because those
two weren't well and mustn't get their feet
IT,
standing there. We'll sir, I don't believe could
have turned around to save my life, and @ Tor
that row OF people behind me, standing in
front Of them gave me something like the feel
ing q paralyzed person would have In front
Of an express ain.
MAYHEM Mime. Palma came out q the water.
W you could see she felt just splendid; sts
was kind Of dancing and capering. and after hes
maid had rubbed her with the towels she was
even nvelier. She had the four little dogs thaA
were On the ground an friskins and bariins
around her, then she grabbed the two I was
carrying, kissed them-spang on their mouths.
the way she always did-and said they muA
kiss me to thank me for holding them. I didnB
like the idea and was trying to back away.
being kind Of scared because could see she
was in such high spirits she was gstting frolic-
some, Orlando called It, but might just as
Wen nave Cr1ed 70 naex away from an affec-
tionate race horse that wanted to play with
me- She was holding the two little dogs with
her left arm and pulling my head right down
ON their faces with her other hand. KEGS my
Massey" she said. "Pou-pou and Tou-tou must
KEGS my kind Massey Keesi Keesi Kees!"
Then she made me put her silk robe on her,
turned me around, tucked her arm under mine
and started back across the beach for her car.
She walked me pretty nearly ON top of Mr..
and Mrs. Bullanch and those Others We went
so close to them an Of them looked red and
sort Of intense Il seemed to me- the wav peopfe