The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-05-03
70 ON WITH THE STORY
CHAPTER XIII

Aunt Jessie was going away, IL was astonishing but true. Her sis- ter who lived in a little town In southern Illinois had undergone a rather serious operation and was conyaiescing. She wanted Aunt Jessie to come.
 ssI declare, 1t doesn't seem right!' Aunt Jessie kept saying over and over. "It seems pity you couldn't TO and stay with the Miltons in- stead of having Rose come oyer here. But what with those cousins Of theirs visiting from Des Moines suppose we can't help t." She slghed again, drowning, folded her best Philippine nightgown and wrapped her bedroom slippers in tissue paper. q don't see why you make such a fuss" Susan said capably, trying to help and not succeeding very well. "You always say yourself that Rose Ia so sensible, and after all you won't be gone more than two weeks"
 Aunt Jessie kept grumbling that 1t didn't seem right and she de- clared she was at her wits end. But she went nevertheless. This was on q Sunday morning. After Susan had seen her aunt off Ut the dismai old station she came back to a house strangley empty ana quiet. She walked through the prim, familiar rooms with the sen- aation of seeing them for tho hrst time and when Rose came over to join her at q lazy, two o'clock din- rer the kitchen rang with the sud. don. foolish, irresistible laughter Of two young things set free. :, They used the best embroidered tabiecioth and the thin cups which susan's great-grandmother had brought out with her from work state." Aunt Jessie would have been scandalized at the idea Of this casual employment of her dearest treasures. The tablecloth and china were generally reserved for wed- dings and funerals but since Susan naw no chance of the one and hoped there might be none for the other slae made the most of this golden moment.
 It was fun even to wash dishes with Rose. susan hung, weak with laughter, over n kitchen chair as her friend described with embeilish ments the peculiarities of the head oe her department.
 Stop! Please don't toll me any more!" Susan begged, wiplng her eyes. Naturally Rose, delighted at this tribute to her powers as a mimic. continued the performance. AS susan rinsed out the last clean dleh towel she glanced with aston inhment at the clock.
 "it can't be half past three" she said, appalled,. They discussed the relative merits of . walk to the park or . trolley ride to one of the beaches, but somehow reached no decision. They dawdled out to the back porch, where. in a delicious c0nfusion of Sunday newspapers. cracking taffy wrappers, and tho shouts of the children next door, they idisd away tho afternoon.
 That was the beginning of su. sans real holiday. Of course She would have no actual vacation this year since she had only started to work, but 1t was enough for her at the moment to feel the exqulsitc 0 imp ortance of being mistress of her own domain. Nj There came, however, the inovit- able day when Rose, always popu. far and In demand, telephoned that she could not get home for dinner " T see. Of course you must go' Have . good time and don't be too late. No, I won't leave the door open. You ring twice and I'll hear you" Susan's tone sounded cheer 4ful but she hung up the receiver