The Washington times., 1931-02-23
CHAPTER 8

Feeling suddenly as if she had
entered a fascinating fairy tale.
with it's One-Eye, Two-Eye,
Three-Eye, miraculously appear
ing luncheon tables and all,
Mary Lou followed Hilda's be-
coming maroon uniform into
the lovelieSt bedroom she had
ever seen in her life, and
through that into a great bath
room. painted and decorated in
mauves and greens. There WIS
q huge dressing table there
with many mirrors, and rows
of crystal bottles with jade
shoppers and squat crystal jars
filled with cold creams and
cosmetics which looked quite
good enough to eat.
Hilda produced heavy linen
towels and gayly colored wash
cloths, a powder jar and tufts
Of ribbon-tied cotton and a
brand new brush and comb in
a little case, and, after in
quiring whether there was any
thing more she could do, with
drew. '... $500
Mary Lou washed her hands
and face, combed her hair and
powdered her pert little nose in
a sort of dazed and lazy dream.
Even the towels were too GOOD
to be true. Her fascinated eyes
fingered long on the shining
shower with its heavy glass
door. Shed never seen one
like it and was by now SO
surrendered to circumstance"
that if T1ilda had suddenly IN
vited her to bathe in the pale
green sunken tub or to stand
under the needle-spray of the
shower, she would probably
have done so without question.
A Charming Room
She walked about and looked
at the interesting walls. cool
green and splashed with laVen-
der in strange and unconven.
tional flower designs. She had
lust about decided that it
looked like a garden Of iris
when Hilda knocked at the
door and announced luncheon.
So Mary Lou went obediently
out of the beautiful bathroom
into the more beautiful oed-
room and through to the Sit
ting room, suddenly conscious
that she was very hungry IN
deed.
Hilda had vanished. Peter
hovered for a moment to see
that the tea was strong enough
and everything arranged Tor
her comfort, and then he, too,
followed Hilda's example ana
left Mary Lou to gaze upon ner
tray with extreme pleasure ana
appetite.
melon, a slice of lime, a cup OF
steaming hot, clear chicken
broth. lots of brown bread, which
she loved, cut thin, the way she
liked it; Melba toast, as WELL
fresh buttered; a lamb chop, a
baked potato. taken out OF us
shell and whipped with cream
and put back again, and new
green peas in milk; tea, with
lemon and with cream, and
funny little fruit dessert, all
@1,fF and sweetness. such as
girls love.
She ate with her eyes as well
as her red mouth. The linen
was lovely, the crystal and sill
yer perfect, the luncheon ser
vice, in tones of brown and yell
low, like an autumnal scene,
the prettiest she had ever seen.
And she was almost reluctant
to ring for Peter at last, as he
had asked her to do. and to see
him appear and carry the rem
nants away, while Hilda, deft
and silent, set the table back
against the wall again.
But Hilda had not been gone
very long when Mrs. Lorrimer
appeared.
Quite Comfortable
She went right to the couch
and sat down beside Mary Lou,
who, replete and comforted, was
again attempting to read the
magazine as her hostess en-
tered. And so, sitting beside
her, Mrs. Lorrimer took the
girls two hands in her own
and tried to smile.
Did you have enough? Are
you all right?" she asked anxi.