Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-06-02

Look here. I'll go down and get the
car started up
He hurried away and Alison, jot-
ting down on the telephone pad a
casual, so sorry, shan't be in to
lunch,' wondered. What on earth
did I say to upset Guy like that?
Was it Daphne? But why should her
name startle him like that? Did he
| think she was some other Daphne or
what?'
But if she expected Guy to ex-
plain, she was disappointed. His first
remark when she joined him in the
car was on quite a different subject.
Il say. ! hadn't thought. D'you
mind lunching in cheap placer"
Not bit. Id like it."
That's all right. then!' He seemed
considerably relieved You see, I'm
not exactly rolling at present"
Aren't people building houses?"
Alison's mind darted to her father.
Could he help? He had masses Of
, acquaintance, mostly wealthy; surely
If he tried he could find some one who
wanted to build homes
But Guy seemed slightly put out
by the suggestion.
Houses? No. It's not that-not
exactly. I've had bit of setback
in my business, that's all. To put it
plainly. I dropped a lot and had to
close down and I've only Just started
work again. so at the moment I've
got to watch the exchequer." He
( smiled suddenly at her. Il shouldn I
think that you knew what that
! meant. do you?"
Being short of money? I suppose
I don't" Alison admitted Father
pays everything for me"
Judging by his sherry, I imagine
/ that should work WE'LL"
Very WE'LL"
They laughed together: a lot of
laughter over very small joke But
the day was fine, a crisp November
! day with frosty wind to set the blood
| tingling, a day that made one glad to
/ be alive. young. and driving out to
lunch with some one. day when
/ everything was fine!
Guys anxious. Sure you don't mind
/ this?" was quite unnecessary. for
, Alison found the cheap place" charm
ing. True. it lay in the triangle behind
Regent street. down a small. dingy
side turning and the outside was not
particularly inviting. Just a window
with heavy white curtain edged
/ with the sort of crochet lace one sees
/ in France.
But the room inside. low, long and
made up of several run into one an
other, was full of funny corners that
had fascination of their own. each
table cut off from the rest. and half
hidden by tall palms. The guests
were altogether queer-foreigners for
the most part, shabbily dressed and
speaking in a babel of tongues.
A tired-looking waiter waved them
to table at the far end and drew a
menu out of his pocket, busting it
carefully on his trousers before Of
/ fering it to the girl
"Bortsch? Oh, lovely! What're
Kruskis?" Alison was enchanted;
Roberts idea of a restaurant was
strictly limited to the large and fash
ionable hotels which are on Picca-
dillv.
Lord knows! Shall We try them?'
Lets! Or this-I can't even pro.
nounce it. You know. this is ex-
citing!"
He seemed to catch her mood.
"You like it?"
Il adore it! Oh, oh. they're cooking
1t all over there. Grills always fas-
cinate me. Id love to cook but our
cook at home gets huffy if I go into
her kitchen. I think that must be
the best part of being poor-one can
do what one likes oneself"
Il wonder if you'd really like it!'
Il know I should" Alison was in
earnest. You see, we've lived so much
in hotels and places, and then my
time at school-and when I'm home
father likes to entertain his friends
and wants me to be with him-Ive
never really been allowed to have any
fun of that sort But it's always been
my dream to own a very little house
and run it all myself"
"A very little house." he repeated
it slowly, his eyes on her face.
"Yes-and a large cooking apron!'
laughed Alison.
You'd look rather good!" he
agreed.
"Oh, I adore it,"
Perhaps, as a game, for bit"
He spoke brusquely, almost roughly.
mo, 1 don't mean that" Alison
was serious. Il mean really. You
see, I'm rather a dull sort of per-
son. I'm not so frightfully good at
games and though I'm crazy about
music 1 can't play or anything. I'm
not bit highbrow. If 1 try to read
serious books I generally go to sleep
over them! In fact, I'm not much
good at anything, except just doing
things with my hands. At school, the
last one. my finishing school, We had
to do domestic courses and loved
that; I liked scrubbing! It sounds
silly but I did, =
The waiter had brought two plates
of food and set them down but both
of them had no more than tasted a
mouthful. Guy was leaning forward
looking at her with a queer smile.
AT a guess, I should say you'd
money of your own and we're always
going to have money!"
"Yes?" Alison could not see the
point
| That's why"
"Why I like scrubbing?' She was
frankly incredulous.
Yes. You don't understand your
self. that's all. People like the things
they haven't got to do. No one'd play
soccer If they'd got to play, by law.
They'd try and get out of 1t. You
haven't got to scrub; you don't think
you ever will have to scrub, so you
like it. That's all"
She said rebelliously. Il don't think
you're being fair!"
He pushed away the strange curry
Ike mixture In front Of him and Ut