The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-09-04

and she wouldn't have to argue about things.
 She began carefully to make up the couch in daytime fashion, fold ing the gray sheets meticulously, piling up the pillows. This floor she thought ought 10 be cleaned to-day. If she only had a vacuum cleaner if she had some liquid wax But she dared not make any such suggestion to Gloria whose housekeeping was of the most casual order.
 Her own few belongings she packed away in the imitation leather bag Russ had bought for her. They were pitifully few. gown, a toothbrush, a pair of red slippers, some handkerchiefs from the dime store. Russ was "a little short just now he had complain ed sham mefacedly. He was expect ing some money any day. Boots was too young, too inexperienced, to inquire further into their finances.
 While Russ was enrolling in the tub she went rather shyly out into the kitchen. Gloria was sit
  over d tabloid. She looked up with out interest as the other girl entered.
 "Oh. l left some coffee". she said vaguely. I'm going out in min ute. over to my girl friends. We want to see Clark Gable down at the Empire and the show starts at H."
 "Is it that late?" Boots glanced remorsefully at the alarm clock on the kitchen dresser The hands pointed to half-past 10.
 Gloria took the paper with her and retired to the box-like bed room down the hall. In 15 minutes she emerged, her makeup freshly laid on, her yellow sports dress not too clean but still very jaunty.
 Help yourself" she said, be- latedly hospitable, at the door. I'll be seein' you.
 Boots sighed with relief as the slam of the street door attested to | the others departure. She attacked the kitchen, with its depressing evidence of vanished meals, with an alacrity which would have amazed her mother. The eggy plates, the cups with their smoky dregs of darkly supicious liquid, the stained and sticky spoons she plunged into a pan of studs. She had been wanting all wek to clean that coffee pot. This was her | chance!
 When Russ came whistling into the kitchen Is minutes later, his | cockatoo's crest of leaf-brown hair slick and dripping he found Boots | wiping plates and spoons with a housewife's pride. Fresh coffee percolatcd on the gas burner. There were four slices of golden toast piled in saucer. | 'T couldn't find any oranges" she told him, peering into the refrig- orator.
 "sa-ay, Duchess. where dyou think you are-at the Ritz?' Russ wanted to know, pretending to affix monocle. "Oranges!" She laughed but more in annoy anee than amusement. Don't be silly, Russ. Everybody has oranges"
 "You think so, hey? A lot you knowv
 He poured himself brimming cup, tilted the small squat bot tie, trimmed and collared with a yellow scruff of hardened cream. and drank. Boots opened her mouth to say something and closed 1t again. It would be time enough later, when they were by them- selves, to teach Russ that men did
 not behave this way with their | She considered what he had just said. Was 1t true that the things she had always accepted as part of her everyday life up in Larch. neck were really luxuries to the sort of people whose lot she now shared? She began to respect hei Father more than she ever had be- fore for tsroviding her with the lifs sine had known. She had never had