Evening star., 1934-06-23

ment In this grown mans tone when
he addressed the small figure In the
chair.
Look here, Aunt Abby-darn I'll
excuse me, but I've got to ask you
something. This business of--of Har-
vey's wife. How's that girl managing
to live does she tell you things
. talk to you?" he hesitated
briefly, adding defiantly: AFTER all,
it Is rather up to us to keep an
eye on the thing"
Miss Abby smiled. She had prompt
ly reached over and extinguished the
lamp he had lighted. The darkness,
Miss Abby knew from experience, had
way of bringing out strange con-
f1dences in one at times.
81 dare say 1t hasn't been any too
pleasant" she began-then stopped
on the impulse to say more; to tell
him of the new venture which Rose
had In mind. This, she decided In
that instant, she would keep to
herself for the present. It was time
some one in the Therrold family be-
sides herself awoke to the realization
of what Rose Therrold had been try
ing to make of herself-to some sort
Of admiration for the girls uncom-
planning. courage. Not, Miss Abby re-
flected, that the situation as 1t stood
was entirely Jeffrey's fault. Living,
as he did, in that household of wom-
en-, tended to make any man lose his
proper perspective. But the fact re-
mained that she, Miss Abby, had felt
rather badly for quite a long while
over her favorite's detection in the
matter of Rose Therrold. That he
had reacted to that snip Of Barbara,
rather than to his own better nature,
Miss Abby was fully aware. All
right now let him wake up at last
and worry; time enough to tell him
of the new business venture when it
had begun to function. Let them all
worry!
"But-what I mean is-who are her
friends does she have any?-
outside, of course, Of that chap, Larry
Morgan! She seems to see rather a
lot of him, take it-though how she
| can stand him I don't knowl" The
words, clipped carefully, came out
with obviously curbed intensity-and
again Miss Abby grinned shamelesSly
through the dark.
Now, jeffrey" she said mildly, II
seem to remember not so many years
ago you and Harvey and this
Morgan lad did quite number OF
annoying things-annoying, that is, to
those of US who tried to keep you
out of jail. What's he done since
that's made him less diverting?"
"Oh-not thing suppose I
didn't mean that, really. Only-well,
I always did rather resent Larry"
he's a good enough sort. But for
something he's got that I never could
have the thing that Harvey
had-poor Harveyl A sort of graceful
! facility, an ability to take life as it
! comes without being
death head -at-the-feast all the time !
You know. Aunt Abby, I'd give half
my life to be able to take myself
and live life less Seriously!"
Wen!-Miss Abby thought delight
edly-putting out that lamp hadn't
been such bad idea! This was
her old JEFF, the boy who had come
to her long ago.
and he always could talk
| TIIlBS dTOuIlQ Illc, CfCi LAlCll, IAC
mans voice went on, Il remember,
when l was Is, Larry Morgan stole
my girl"
So! that was the way the wind
lay, Ell? Miss Abby's darting glance
touched the sweetmeat box on the
table What If that pink slip Of a
check she had given Rose Therrold
never was spent for an interest in
beauty lotion business? What If,
| before the first of the year and that
venture came to pass, some old quirk
Of fate should will that the problem
of Rose Therrold's future should be
solved in some other way? Larry
Morgan stole my girl :" Wasn't
that what Jeffrey had said? And now
here was the other girl-this girl
she had admired and respected on
sight. Stupid the old lady gave
an impatient jerk to her shawl She
must be getting old, not to have fore
seen this before. What joke it would
he on Ursula and that Barbara if jeff