The Coolidge examiner., 1932-05-06

Mother got up and came and
put pair of comforting arms about
| her.
1t isn't so bad as that, ducky,"
she said. I'VE can't do much this
year. of course, but we'll manage to
make it feel like Christmas, any
how. We must do that, you know,
for Eds sake. That's the thing
your father is worried about. He's
afraid If Ed finds out how things
| look just now, he'll want to stay
right here and go to work instead
/ of going back to college. And that
would be terrible. Ed must have
a college education, you know. 1t
would make a difference to his
whole life If he didn't do that"
~ wish he wasn't coming home"
Edith said passionately, "or Agatha,
either"
Agatha got home two days be-
| fore the performance of the play,
but Edith hardly had time to see
her at all. She almost felt hurt,
though-perceptibly let down, any
how-to find that Agatha's time
was pretty well filed, too. She
tried not TO feel that way about
1t. 1t was silly to wish that her
best friend was dangling around
forlornly with nothing to do but
wait for her. 1t wouldn't have
amounted to anything If she and
Agatha hadn't been such awfully
good friends-once. 1t made her
pretty melancholy when she had
time to think about it.
Ed, they learned at last, was get
ting home on the very day of the
performance, and not until dinner
time-just before or just after,
they couldn't tell. for his telegram
was obscure.
They had an early dinner which
Edith was too excited TO eat, and
then she dressed at home In her
Charles Surface costume. Father
was to drive her to the school and
then come back for mother, and
Ed IL he came. She kept hoping,
of course, up to the very last min
ute, that he'd arrive before she left.
But Ii came time to start before any
thing was heard from him.
She felt awfully hollow as she
put on an old quilted black silk
cloak of mothers which she'd bor-
rowed because Ii came way down
to her ankles and went out TO get
into the car.
Another cara great big one
which she didn't Immediately rec
ognize pulled up at the curb
right behind theirs just as she
opened the front door. A man with
suitcase was getting out. Why.
it was Ed! She cried out the fact
to her mother and flew down the
walk to meet him. Naturally she
forgot all about Charles Surface for
a moment, and she had something
better to do with her hands than
to keep that silk cloak huddled
about her legs. She didn't at first
see why Ed should stop to stare
at her in that bewildered way
Then she remembered and ex-
planned.
''Pm dressed for the play. It's to-
night"
At that he came to and hugged
her enthusiastically. My, but 1t was
good to have him backl What an
idiot she'd been to wish he wasn't
coming.
Dad got out of their car. of
course, and mother came hurrying
down the walk. The other car
started to back away, but a voice
voice inside stopped it. and another
man got out.
Hello. Edith" he said. II haven't
seen you in years !"
1t wasn't until he spoke that she
knew who. he was. 1t was Roger
Morgan. She hardly knew him at
all. though the Morgans lived in
the next street He was a grown
up man, three years older than Ed.
and a senior.
With the recognition she remem-
bered how she was dressed and felt
horribly young and foolish.
What's the play| he asked. rs
ii tonight?"
She nodded. "It's-it's just a sort
of foolish play we're having at
school-'The School for Scandal
Pm-I'm supposed to be man."
1t was impossible to disguise that
fact as, with the handshake, the
cloak had got away from her again.
What with the cold and her embar-
rassment her teeth were chattering
so she was sure he could hear them.
What a perfect fool she must look
to himl
Dad rescued her by turning to
thank Roger for having brought Ed
home from town. But she real
lied, as she bolted into her car. that
Mr.. Morgan had been In the act of
saying something else when dad in
terrupted him-something about