The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-02-10

straightforward things like kisses. It was, rather place for wit and fancy, finesse and artifice and in- trigue. Great colorful ny-gpecked lanterns were hooked up on the ceiling, and wind bells, though broken, would have tinkled had there been q stirring of air in the deep stiffness of the dim soiled room that smelled of old, old chop sueys and dear dead chow meins. with such sauce, too. The table, cloths were spotted and, the dishes were clipped, and all the glorious Orient would have glowed, more than likely. if the lights had been turned on; and a sloe-eyed boy in coat and apron, around through all this glamorous glamour and stopped tea and scantily fulfilled their meager wants:
 Earl would have only green tea. and that not strong. Earl was off his feed: stummeek trouble, he said, which got worse on him if he didn't watch 1t. Which, anyway, was almost sure to get worse on him until he could get to Mendel Springs and stay overnight, at least, and drink of its mineral waters. So who did not care for tea, ordered nothing but a glass of milk and a slice of custard pie, and she finished them up quickly, and after that she ate nothing ex- cept small soup crackers from the smudged bowl on the table. But these she ate with. such an air, picking each one dainty from the dish and poising 1t near her lips for a moment or two before she popped 1t in, that 1t seemed almost as if she was smoking cigarets and not eating anything at all.
 Conversation had lapsed. Earl reopened it. Excuse me, Frankie, he said, but you got kind of a mustache of milk on your mouth"
 Mary-Frances blushed and ap- piled paper napkin.
 "You're pretty" he said. "Cripes! You're awful pretty. But aren't you afsaid of getting fat. drinking milk and eating such heavy food between mealsT
 "Fat!" protested Mary-Francis.
 He qualified, Well, plump anyways.'
 under weight, and my sister Ann dHu cVcIyDOuy WOlIlIo bpOut bhJ being so--wel1, slender. My con- stant fight-just fight, fight all the time to keep from being right down skinny"
 Sure, I know. Just the same you can't always tell. You got a swell little shape, and if I was you I wouldn't take chances with
 Mary-Frances swallowed a crack CT and pouted. "I'd look lot bet ter if I weighed five or 10 pounds more. Everybody says so."
 You lok good enough for me right now" Earl redeemed him self. "There ain't girl on big time to-day as good-looking as you are-and that's saying mouthful. Perfect ideal awn-jew- nay type, like I've been telling you all along. Now, listen, hon; the trouble with you is that in Q way you're your own worst enemy see? You don't look into the fu- ture-see? Whats it going to get you, sticking around in this one- horse burg? You don't have any fun-you don't have anything. sticking around here"
 q know I don't" said Mary Frances. The algebra examination marks had been given out that morning. Ermintrude. with a B. had been neither agreeable nor comforting concerning Mary-Fran- ces' F. Ann and Cecily would fuss about 1t. It would be just like them to insist on summer tutoring and an examination in the fall. The girls camp, by this time. was prom ising little freal worth. Just a drab, dreary, misunderstood life," finished Mary-Frances.
 "You said it hon. Now I'm tell ing you. Look at 1t from a broader point of view-see The worlds waiting for us, Frankie. Waiting with open arms--see? Give the world scomething 1t wants, and there ain't anything the world won't do for you. I'm not string ing you along. Honest I'm not. hon. We coulud number our pulp lie from coast to coast, and with any kind of break, on over to the European countries and all. I'm not saying you'd be 50 hot by your- seYf-see? Or that you could start out alone, with no experience nor nobody to protect and steer you right and make good.
 "I'm not saying that--see? I'm telling you that with the act this guy in Denver would fix up for you and I we could knock lem cold. Cold! Wed have to start in 8 small way, maybe. Not the swell drops nor all that we'd get later-but look at the future. I'm telling you. Frankie, there's no limit to where a couple can go, once they got popularity. Thousands of dollars in radio additions. Vitaphone acts timonials--cignrets, mattress es, pills--everything. Look at Lindbergh and what he turned down, Look at Rudy"
 "Ovations?" questioned Nary Frances.
 "IH tell tho world"