Evening star., 1933-01-21


unhappy eyes, that the hard jesting
males Of his acquaintance would never
hear Of his reading aloud to Carroll
"Alice in Wonderland"
them to 60 to place that had repu-
tation of being hotter than New York
at its hottest but this relief was not
open to him with the older men who
remembered Michaels father. Old Col
Wierly, for instance. rose from the
torpor induced by his favorite clut
chair to bark out, Hear you're run
ming day nursery, Wister," to which
Michael could respond only by turning
a sullen purple and by thinking most
sincere, "Damn!"
He stalked to the club library after
more he was seeking spaces where
silence was compulsory.
Here he thought he looked at copy
of the London Illustrated News, but in
reality he made a mental image of old
Col. Wierly telling his cronies what he
had said. well, I can't help what
they think" Michael mused; II must
go on with 1t. No one else would look
after her!"
He hoped, scanning pages with absent
unhappy eyes, that the hard-jesting
males of his acquaintance would never
hear of his reading aloud to Carroll
Alice in Wonderland" "The Water
Babies" and Through the Lookin-
glass;" 1t seemed to him that if that
came out there would be nothing for
him to do but to go somewhere else
and make new start.
He sighed deeply. then he frowned
and Col. Wierlys rubicund image faded
H. I, - he
book on diet that he had planned to
ideas of being kind was to stuff Car
roll with cream puffs and all she would
say when Michael demonstrated was,
Jaw, Mike, have heart; the kids got
yen for EN-"
Life was very difficult, Michael found.
Now he stirred, rose. slapped the
magazine to the table and left the club
smiling saturninely. His slap OF the
magazine on the table had badly dis
turbed the slumbers Of old Mr.. Horace
George, who the day before had asked
Michael whether he wore a cap when
on duty.
Outside Michael met contemporary
who said, Hello, Boy Scout, getting
After his answer Michael realized
that his vocabulary was being enlarged
and that the subconSciouS would al
ways supply the right word If you gave
it plenty of rope.
Then he hailed a taxicab. having
realized that morning as he started out
that he didn't walk enough. He gave
a Fifth avenue book store as his land
ing place and, getting into the cab set
tied back.
The clerk at the book store had a
voice that suggested formative years
spent with the very deaf. Michaers
voice at this moment suggested that he
had served an apprenticeship in fu-
neral parlor.
II want a book about diet" he whis-
pered, after a sharp look around. diet
for child, you see; child of 10
that kind of child"
"A book on diet in childhood" the
clerk broadcast with piercing clarity.
"Help!" thought Michael. He left
with the book under his arm He didn't
want even the clerks to know who had
bought it. In the street he mopped his
brow. It seemed to him that ever since
he had taken Carroll under his wing
he had been subject to copious, truck
horse SweatS.
Theresa opened the door to him and
fate had arranged propitiouS recep-
ton for the book on diet. Carroll had
been ill all the previous night from
eating too many cream puffs. Now she
was curled up, limp and white, on the
chaise lounge, but when she saw Michael
she rose with little squeak grown
from roots of delight.
"Oh, Mike!" she said ecstatically,
"Oh, Mike!"
He moved to stand by her. "Sick?"
he asked grimly, HUMP"
Mike, I was sick all the night; !
was sick, awful sick-wasn't Tressa?"
You bet you were" Theresa agreed
heartily. Say, Mr.. Wister, we had to
get in q doctor the way she went on.
I never seen no one no sicker, and Jer-
sey. she's one to get pretty sick on a
morning after"
Mother doesn't get tanked often, VI
said Carroll, obviously anxious that
Michael should not misunderstood.
"She only gets tanked when it crawls
up on her and she doesn't know it's
going to hit her"
Michael settled by Carroll and he put
an arm around her. Carroll shifted
close to relax against him and with her