The Washington times., 1935-09-24

son kept her furlously BUSY at
the office, and then Ma drove
her nearly frantic about Aunt
Willie at home.
CHAPTER TX
Aunt Willie seemed to nave
lost what little sense she'd ever
had. She was positively light
headed. All because some goot
she met at this dance hall where
she and "the girls" from the
bakery went once or twice a
week now, showed her a little
attention.
On her afternoon off she went
out and bought two new dresses
both too small for her-and
wouldn't take them back, be-
cause she was dieting, and
would be able to get into them
beautifully in a week or two.
Every night she came home with
a new cream. or turtle oil, or
a new lipstick and looked a per-
feet fright with her woolly per-
manent, her painted, sagging
joWls, her mascara that always
smudged around the corners of
her unnaturally brilliant, con-
Stantly shifting eyes.
Even Tootsie was neglected
now. Aunt Willie only picked
her up to kiss the top of her
narrow dirty-white head Well,
Tootsie Was a sweet baby!"
and then dropped her, to rush
to her room with some new face
mask she was going to try, or to
stand, head tilted downward a
little, gazing steadily, glitter
lngly, into space.
When Pa came in from the
road he was awfully upset. He
said that if Willie was going to
carry on like that and drive
Ma crazy she'd just have to go.
"Sh-h!" Ma cried. She'll hear
you! And, Henry, after all.
she's my younger sister, and I
promised mamma I'd look after
her. Especially right now, when
she's acting so mysterious about
that fellow"
Ought to be glad she's got a
man at last. If that's all you've
got to worry about"
"No. that isn't all. She's just
throwing her money away. And
it's the last of it, too. The last
of the estate money"
"Eh? The last of it? Yours,
too?"
'Well =. I always thought,
poor Willie, not having any hus-
band so whatever there was,
If she needed it more than I
did"
Pa looked serious. He took
out his handkerchief and pol
ished his glasses, the way he al
ways did when he was worried.
"You don't know how soon
you may need it yourself, that's
all. They're letting off a good
many men these days. -. Well,
Mary, you'll be supporting your
aged parents yeti"
He laughed when he said it,
but there was a strained, anX'
ious look in his eyes.
Mary laughed, too,
mo; I'll send you over the
hill to the poorhouse," she said,
lightly.
But she thought of Samson
sharp-eyed, too-jovial Samson,
looking for mistakes in her work.
Samson, who wanted to bring
his own stenographer down
from the North.
Ethelyn Piper often did not
have time for lunch and window
shopping from IL to / with
Mary. She'd have something
special to do for her precious
chief, Dexter Alexander.
When it was something for
himself, like a book from the
Mechanics library, or a trip to
the bank, or samples for a new
suit from his tailor she was all
smiles and insufferable impor-
tance.
But when it was to get the
ater tickets, or order flowers for
the little widow who found so
many excuses to see him at the
office on business, she COM
planned bitterly.
Mary didn't say, "1t's your
own fault! What do you do it
for? Why don't you tell him to
go to the devil?" because you
couldn't say anything like that
to Ethelyn.
She thought. It'd like to see
MYSELF hoofing it all over
town for MY boss!"
(TO be cOntinued)
-" Copyright, 1885. by King 60
Features Syndicate, Incl