The Coolidge examiner., 1932-05-06

up and shut the window, and then
tapped on his door. No answer.
She opened it and looked in. His
bed was empty. She padded out to
the head of the stairs for a look
at the hall clock. Half past ten.
1t couldn't be! The clock must
have stopped last night. But it
was ticking away with an air of
self-consciOus rectitude as If it
knew it was right. She heard her
mother coming up the stairs.
where's Ed?" she asked.
"Oh, he went out about a half
hour ago. mother said. "He didn't
say where. Glad you've had such
a fine sleep. Go back and dress and
I'll get you some breakfast"
When she came down to break
fast she asked mother if Agatha had
telephOned, but it seemed she
hadn't. She was probably spend
ing the whole morning in bed.
Agatha liked to do that, she remem-
bered.
why don't you run over and
f, see herE' mother suggested.
"Oh, l don't believe WILL" Edith
said. She didn't mean very much
by it when she spoke, but it came
over her stronger and stronger rs
the morning advanced that she
| didn't somehow want to run aft
| er Agatha. After last night 1t
was Agatha's place to come and
see her, or call her up. Agatha
had lots of new friends now. She
had changed a lot since a year ago.
Ed was different, too. Last
Christmas.
She pulled herself up short. If
she got to thinking about that, she'd
cry. Mother seemed sort Of wOr-
ried about her low spirits and tried
to cheer her up.
Il guess l feel sort of let down
after last night" she said. Isn't
1t funny, mother? All the time
you are in school you keep wish
ing 1t was vacation time, and then
when vacation comes, you sort Of
wish you were back in school.
That's the way / feel this morn
ing, anyway"
Mother acted sort of queer about
that. She tried to change the sub
ject. And then, after a minute,
she got up and went away.
About noon Agatha did tele-
phone, and in the uprush of pleas
ure at the mere sound of her voice,
Edith forgot her doleful imagin-
ings.
Il thought you were probably
sleeping off last night. and didn't
want to disturb you" Agatha ex-
plained. But come over now, can't
you, and stay to lunch?"
Edith started to say she would
and then thought of something. II
don't believe I'd better" she said.
ED went out somewhere before /
got up and l really haven't seen
him at ALL He'll be back pretty
soon, guess. Why don't you come
here?"
There was a perceptible hesita-
tion over the telephone. Then Aga
tha said. "Why, Eds here. Hes
going to stay to lunch, too. So
you'd better come along"
"All right" Edith told her blank
ly, II guess / will"
Somehow she didn't want to go.
Eds being there made her feel
queer about 1t. And why hadn't
Agatha told her he was there in
the first place, instead Of waiting
until she had TO do so? Probably
they didn't want her to come, and
were surprised when she said she
would. If she could only think of
good excuse, she'd call up now
and say she'd changed her mind.
Only. without a better excuse than
she could think of, she'd only look
cross and sulky and ridiculous.
She'd have TO go. but she'd come
home right after lunch, and leave
the pair TO themselves.
The austerity of her carefully
prepared attitude didn't last long
after she reached the Willards'
house. Ed pretty well destroyed it
with the first thing he said. "You
were so sound asleep when / looked
in at you about nine O'clock, that
thought you wouldn't wake up be-
fore noon"
He hadn't forgotten her, then,
after all
And then they began talking
about how splendid she'd been
in the play. Ed contributed some
thing that gave her a thrill. Roger
Morgan told me-" he said very cas-
ually, that he thought you were
perfectly corking."
She felt herself going pink at
that. She wondered if Mr.. Morgan
had said anything else. She want
ed him quoted word for word. with
descriptive details, but her brother
didn't seem disposed to go further
into the matter, and she couldn't