The Washington times., 1934-07-10

01VA4 VVAA0I VAO 0"VVHAAS VI
Lunch had been at / o'clock,
Just as it usually was. At 3
o'clock Susan and Lutte Brod.
erick, the younger Of her two
aunts, had bundled up in their
fur coats and come walking
downtown through the first
heavy snowfall of the season to
buy a Christmas gift or two and
change their books at the Public
Library. They always returned
their books on Friday or Satur-
day and took out new ones to
tide them over the dullness Of
the weekend.
It was 5 o'clock now. The
sky above the electric lights OF
South Main Street was the pc
culiar dark luminous blue OF
winter twilight, and, as the two
women came out Of the library,
the 5 o'clock whistles began to
blow, their sound muted and
made silvery by the snow that
had been falling over the city
all day long.
"This is what they call the
hour in Paris, Susan" the older
woman said, clinging to Susan's
arm as they descended the Slip
perry steps that led to the pave
ment. The tea hour. When
we were abroad years ago we
always used to drop in at the
Ritz or Rumpelmayer's for tea
or chocolate at this time Of day.
"I'd like some now," she
added wistfully. I'll tell you
what we can do when we go up
to Hart's to look at those little
face pillows that want to get
for your Aunt Edna, we can take
the elevator up to their tea room
and charge a little something
to eat. Cheese dreams or some
thing light like that"
"Just enough to spoil your
girlish figure, Lutte" Susan said
looking down at the heavy face
that was on a level with her
own shoulder. It was Lutte
Broderick's cross that she could
not eat all that she wanted
and at the same time remain
slender and willowy like Susan
who ate what she wanted and
kept the wand-like figure Of the
tWentieS in spite of it.
Still Hopes
At AZ Lutte had not yet given
up hope of marrying and living
happily ever after. She wore
her dark hair in a shingle bob,
painted her pale lips with a
flaming shade Of lipstick and
was always very bright and
lively as though she had made
up her mind never to surrender
herself to the dullness and
drearinesS of her spinster life.
Every morning she went through
a series Of exercises that she
called her "upsetting exercises"
and at night she bound up her
double chin with a rubber strap
that fastened at the top Of
her head.
Il suppose you're right about
eating between meals" she ad-
mitted now as she trudged along
past the store fronts that lined
the crowded streets. "Only I
40 get such an empty feeling
this time of day"
Hart'S was the largest depart
ment store in the State. It was
housed in a white marble build
ing that rose 10 stories in the
air, and it covered an entire city
block. An entire city block filled
with the things that women
covet-furs and dresses, grape
scissors and gardening gloves,
draperieS and diamonds, lingerie
and laundry baskets, French
perfume and bath champagne,
ironing boards and ice cream
freezerS. The Brodericks had
had charge account there for
30 years, and Lutte knew the
place as she knew her own home.
Thanks. we can find our way
about" she said in her most
girliSh manner to the floor
walker, who came up to her and
Susan in the main aisle of the
store. Were going back to the
linens"
Susan followed her through
the crowded aiSles to a counter
near the elevators. where tired
looking saleswoman dropped
above crisp lace and embroid.