The Washington times., 1934-07-26
BIZ Beatrice Burton

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kitchen, leaving the door Of it
open so that she could hear
Allen If he came in, and speak
to him about the door.
"The Brodericks' table hasn's
shown any signs of the family
poverty yet" Susan observed
dryly to herself.
She went into the dining
room and filled the heavy cut
glass water goblets on the long
table. AS she opened the
swinging door to the kitchen
she heard q light tapping on
the side door and, looking
down through the rear hall,
she could see that someone was
standing just outside.
Thinking it was Allen Sholes,
she ran down the stairs at the
end of the hall and threw open
the door. Against the dark
ness stood Mr.. Melton who
came to the house every month
or six weeks to sell Uncle
Worthy the beverage that he
called his "bitterS."
BOSS home?" asked Mr.. Mel
ton Of Susan, his voice a hoarse
whisper in the wind that came
tearing around the corner of
the house.
eyes, he's at home. "1'll get
him." said Susan, and with a
glance over his shoulders at his
dark automobile standing in
the driveway behind him, Mr..
Melton stepped into the house.
CHAPTER XIX
Uncle Worthy was in his Of
flee, leaning back in his swivel
chair reading when Susan open
ed the door and told him that
Mr.. Melton wanted to see him.
He jumped up eagerly and took
a small glass from the top of
his desk.
Hello, Mr.. Broderick. Here's
some more just like that last
stuff I brought you," Susan
heard Mr.. Melton say to him as
he went Shuffling down to the
side door in his house slippers.
There was a little pause and
then Mr.. Melton spoke again.
This is strictly cash this time,
you understand, Mr.. Broderick."
From her place at the end Of
the hall Susan could see that
he still held his burly sack in
his arms. She watched her
uncle stroke his long chin
thoughtfully for a minute or
two, then put his hand in his
back trousers pocket and bring
forth his leather wallet. He took
three twenty dollar bills from
it, handed them to Mr.. Melton
and took the sack into his own
arms.
Come up to my office" he
said, land we'll try it, eh?"
It was almost seven before
Mr.. Melton left and dinner was
fifteen minutes later than
usual. Before Susan brought in
the dessert her uncle got up
from the table and announced
that he did not care for any.
Aunt Edna made a sudden
movement of her head toward
John, and John got up and fol-
lowed him into the hall.
Hes all right" John said,
coming back from the hall.
To all of them the whole
scene was like part of a play
that they had seen so many
times that they knew exactly
what was going to happen be-
fore the curtain went up.
Gosh all hemlock! Did you
notice his face?" John asked in
a grave, shocked voice as he
took his seat at the table.
He pushed back his chair
and ran upsairs. In two or
three minutes he came back.
"Yes, he's okeh." His voice was
full of relief. I'm bed already,
and sound asleep"
It was 8 o'clock when Susan
put the dishpan on its hook be-
hind the stove and switched off
the kitchen lights. The house
was very quiet.
Susan went into Uncle
WorthyS little office to gather
up the used glasses that stood
on his desk and turn off his
reading light. A little sheaf of
bills lay beside it, and she
stopped to look at them.
"All these bills. very little
money in the house, and still
he buys liquor at ten dollars a
quart" thought Susan.
Susan Waits
She switched off the light
and went upstairs to write a
note Of thanks to Connie for
the breakfast coat. AS she
passed Aliens room on her way
to her own she saw that his
door still stood halfway open
just as she had left it that
morning. She remembered then
that this was Friday, one of his
nights at law school.
The evening wore on slowly.
Susan wrote her note and a
short letter to Wallace.
"Are you going out?" Aunt
lutte asked.
mo ones going to bother me,
Lutte. I'll be back in a second"
The door closed on her.
When she came back to the
house ten minutes later there
were no lights in the parlor, and
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