The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-05-06
aoh. yes. l See. welI. gOod-by..

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"oh. yes. 1 see. Well. good-by."
"Good-by."
A wave Of her hand, and she was
gone, to let her mother make her
comfortable for her rest and re-
fresh her throat with milk and pine
oil.
She was too excited to sleep, al
though everything ordinarily con-
duciye to slumber had been done for
her by her doting parent.
Mrs. Everett, peeping for the
tenth time into the darkened room
where she lay and finding her still
awake, came in to coax her to close
her eyes and try to sleep.
Suddenly Irene sat up in flutter
Of excitement, "Oh, forgot she
exclaimed. Il told Mrs. Reed you'd
be right over Something dreadful
happened, and it was all Eeryls
fault. Really, mother, dent know
what she'll get us into some day
with her crazy ideas"
What do you mean2" her mother
asked fearfully, for her eldest
daughters "'wildness" was a never
ending source Of worry to her.
I mean that she nearly let An
gle Reed drown himself this morn
ing. Poor Mrs. Reed is all upset
and Of course Beryl is trying to
highland the whole situation.
She even attempted to order
Tommy around, but I settled that.
Just the same, I think you'd better
60 over and see what you can do.
Its the least this family can offer
as an apology for Beryl's careless
ness. Somebody ought to do some
thing about letting her have her
way with those kids"
MFRS. EVERETT sighed deeply.
Iva It suppose I'll have to go
over" she said with touch of
WEAKNESS. 'But I wish you'd told
me sooner. I was just starting
pie for dinner.
She paused and looked at Irene
hopefully. Il don't suppose you
could finish it?" she asked tirnidly.
''Motherl" Irene rebuked her.
I've got to rest; you know that"
GIVE got the apples all peeled"
her mother ventured, but Irene cut
her off.
please don't let any one disturb
me, she said irritably. with all
this on top of what happened last
night I'm completely exhausted.
And hardly got started with Mrs.
Reed before Beryl came in and
turned the house upside down"
Mrs. Everett started to ask how
Angie was, thought better of it as
Irene turned over on her side, and
went out, quietly closing the door
behind her.
She went back to the kitchen and
put away the things she'd got out
In preparation for making the pie,
;ook off her apron, and returned up
stairs to make herself preSentable.
1t was her belief, fostered by
Irene, that it became her to hide
the grazing Of her hair with henna.
That Beryl thought it hardened her
wrinkled features was only another
proof in their eyes that Beryl was
not smart in her taste.
And when Mrs. Everett touched
her lips with rouge, she was hap
PLY unaware that their thinness
was not adapted to the addition of
false color.
Rouge looked we'll on Irene's rose
bud mouth and all fashionable
women used it, they agreed, so why
not Mrs. Everett?
She looked, as she walked hur-
riedly toward the Reeds house, pre-
ciSely what she was-the some
what vulgarly dressed mother of
daughter who saw no beauty In
age; a spoiled daughter whose taste
and whims colored the more char
acterless mothers life in too many
respects.
She carried with her an everlast-
ing agitation Of a sense of futile
e1IorC. Beryl was sorry to see her
arrive at the Reeds among the
neighbor women who had begun to
gather there. She feared her
mothers outspoken reproaches.
ONCE she had said to her mother
~ and Irene that she could not
see how blackening her whitened
them anv.
Irene had wanted to know in
what way she ever had diScredited
the family. and Mrs. Everett had
been deeply wounded. Beryl had
given up her self-defense as a hope
less undertaking.
This was when Irene had apollo
gized profusely at Beryps expense
to neighbor for the damage done
to the latter'S house cutters by the
squirrels that came to feed on the
nuts Beryl brought home from the
grocery store as part of her wages.
The squirrels ate the nuts in the
cutters and clogged them with the