The Washington times., 1935-09-28


At 8 they were really anxious
about Aunt Willie.
Mary put on her coat and hat.
"I'm going to walk over to
the bakery and see if she's
there. Maybe she's taken a crazy
notion to scrub the shelves or
something. And if she isn't
there I'll stop at the beauty
shop-it'S the one next door to
the movie that she goes to,
isn't it?"
"I think so. And I'm trying to
think of the chiro. she's been
going to. DR.. Bell? No. that was
the one she had before this one
.. 1t begins with an S, or a c
.. oh, dear, Willie talks so
much that I've just got to
where I don't listen, and then
when wish I had"
II know. Ma-I'm frightened!
II wish I'd listened to her
more, too. wiSh...
MARY! You scare me! Why,
you've acted so funny ever since
you came in. Now you stop it.
It's absurd, getting excited and
panicky just because she's a
little late. There! Now you've
got me all upset. Oh, I wish I'd
made her stay home. She wasn't
in any condition to go to work!
Well. go along, and bring her
right back, because the dinner
simply won't keep!"
But Mary didn't bring her
back.
Aunt Willie never came back.
Even while Mary hurried up
Grove street, her unbuttoned
coat flapping behind her, the
wind whipping her hair into her
eyes, the Morse patrol man was
unlocking the door Of the Park
bakery.
There was quite a crowd out
side when Mary got there. She
was just in time to see the
stretcher slide into the ambu-
lance.
They were all ready to drive
off when she found her voice,
screamed so wildly, so pierc-
ingly that they heard her:
"Wait! Wait for me-it'S my
aunt"
Sirens screaming, they raced
for the hospital, the tall white
one - Highland - where they
take you if you have no money,
or if it's an emergency.
The steward who sat beside
Mary answered her dumb ques-
tioning. Gas" She had the
range on full tilt. Clear case of
suicide. Well. We may pull her
through"
Somebody led her to a place
in the hospital corridor, where
there was chair and a little
table. After a long while it
occurred to her that she had
not notified her mother.
1t was hard to make Ma
understand, over the telephone,
but she did at last.
Mrs. johnson, from next
door, who happened to be at
the house borrowing an egg at
the time, stayed with them,
sympathetic and pleasantly i'm
portant, until it was over.
It was Mrs. johnson who
answered all the questions, took
charge.
Neither Mary nor Dora Shan
non seemed able to realize that
Willie was dead.
X 4 X
The house was haunted for
them, after that. Ma dragged
about her work, heavy-eyed,
oppressed. It was something of
a relief when old Tootsie died,
three weeks after her mistress.
But they, who had never liked
the spoilt, lazy old dog, mourned
her, too. After all, they were
used to her.
It was so quiet. They missed
Aunt Willie, who had never
ceased talking, the dog, who
was always whining, yapping,
wanting something. They
couldn't get used to the house
without them.
At first Ma kept the door to
Aunt WilLie's room closed. But
it struck you every time you
passed. They couldn't stand
that. So Ma tried keeping the
door open.
That was a little better, but
1t was hard, too. Seeing the
bed with the dimity spread
Aunt Willie had embroidered
and applqued with baskets Of
flowers. her dressing table that