The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1933-10-02

the members read one another's
compositions. Caroline called it
The Vicious Circle.
1t was half past seven when Caro-
line ran her car Into the shed which
did duty as a garage and went up
the tagged path with the red stand
ard rose-trees on either side of it.
The cottage was really two cot
tages thrown together. The front
door opened directly into a sitting
room. out of the corner Of which a
steep curly stair went UP to the bed
rooms.
Caroline stood on the doorstep
said, "Golly!"
All the furniture had been pushed
back. and there was laid out upon
the floor a short length of brightly
Powered chintz, a longer piece Of
sage-green serge, and a remnant of
navy-blue crepe de chine with pat
tern of green and yellow daisies.
Some strangely shaped pieces Of
newspaper were disposed like is
lands and peninsulas upon the serge,
while. kneeling with her back to the
door and holding a pair Of cutting
out scissors in heeitating. hover
ing manner. was Miss Patsy Ar
buthnot.
PATSY Ann-what are you do
ing?' said Caroline.
Miss Arbuthnot sat back upon her
heels and slowed around. She had
very pretty dark hair. and it YVES
obvious that she had been running
her fingers through it. She wa1
about ten years older than Caro-
line, and she had just missed being
cs pretty as her own romantic pic.
ture of herself.
She had melting dark eyes and
ensrpously long lashes; she had
srcied eyebrows. straight nose,
and a fine if rather colorless skin;
size also had a tiny mouth. rabbity
teeth. and lisp. She wore a rather
tired crimson smock stuck danger
ously full of pine. end yard-meas-
gre trailing round her neck like
scarf.
"Oh. I'm so glad you've comet"
she sad.
Ibid you think I'd been abb
Gucted?"
This won't come out"
Caroline came nearer and SUR
vcyed the mess.
What are you trying to do?"
ITS those three remnants that |
cot. There isn't enough of any Of
them. but l thought IL could cut
cut the chintz flowers and applique
them on to the serge"
Caroline gurgled.
It'd look exactly like boil e d
green's served up with ssters."
DO you think it would? And even
then there wouldn't be enough, with
these long skirts. And | don't see
how | can work in the crepe de
chine whatever do"
"NOU can't" said Caroline with
=. great frmnes3. And. darling.
if we don't have some food soon, |
shall probably swoon. I'VE got feel
ing that | shall see those asters go
ing round and round in about half
a minute. What are we having?"
Scrambled eggs"
10 and scramble them. I'll put
the; muss away You can make a
knitting-bag out OF the chintz, and
q tsblecloth for Mrs. Vickers out of
the serge-if you keep it here. I'll
lcaye home. I dare say III have an
idea about the crepe de chine some
other time. Now go and cook. sim.
Ply must wash"
When Caroline came down again
she had taken off her hat. She laid
the table. and presently Miss Ar
buthnot came in with a flushed face
and a smoking dish Of eggs. AS she
put 1t down. she shot hesitating
questioning glance at Caroline
ut wasn't JIM"
II don't know?"
"You don't know?"
He's gone to Lexington. I'm 60
ing there tomorrow. He's lost his
memory. l don't awfully want to
talk about it. Patsy Ann.
Patsy looked little offended. She
loved Caroline dearly. but she
thought her odd. 1t was odd of Caro-
line to be so reserved about Jim
Randal. Patsy could have talked
about him all day. 1t was so hard
to have to live ones emotional life
without anyone to confde in. II
Uncle James had died six months
earlier. 1t might have made all the
dinerence. Jim wouldn't have quar-
relied with his uncle and gone
abroad. AS 1t was. every time she
went through the village there were
the stone pillars at the entrance to
Haie Palace q little more covered
with green mould. and the drive a
little more neglected. And Caroline
wouldn't talk about any of it.