The Washington times., 1936-12-04

10 KNOW w.
Peters office was gett ing
smaller. Just four rooms now, in
stead of seven. It used to be hard
to get to him-a waiting room
full and office boys and a tele-
phone operator, and important
looking young men all over the
place. Now Miss Dunno, sitting IN
the waiting room at the switch
board, and a typewriter there be-
fore her. She wasn't so smart as
she thought she was. You could
see his business was going to the
devil. Well, he'd always been so
high and mighty and so choosey
about what he accepted-no di-
vorces. no scandals-just corpora
ton business. Served him right!
Did you tell him?" Jan would
ask, when she could get word IN.
"Well no, not today. I want to
look around a bit first. I've been
going into different places ana
looking around"
"You mean, you talked to some
one?"
"Well-no. You don't do things
that way, Jan. You size up sltua.
ton, and find out the standing OF
a house" =,
Couldn't David do that, mom?"
"David! I'm sick and disgusted
with him. He's out of town all the
time anyway. I'm sick of every
thing. I'm going to get out OF here
altogether. Go to New York. Or
maybe I'll go to the Orient. I
don't need Francesca to send me
nv fare. I'll do something-that
is, as soon as you're settled"
Am I not pretty we'll settled?
I'm self supporting. have a good
position. as they go. I could board
at the WV or a club. You don't
have to worry about me any
"Nonsense. AS if I'd leave you
that way. mean, when you're
married"
"Oh!"
"Jan-aren't you engaged to Lo-
well Kramer?"
"Mother!"
"After all, I am your mother
though it doesn't seem to matter
much to you, Jan. And I'm just
asking because care so much
about your future, and because II
I knew, then I could make plans
and I'd know where we were drift
ing. and where we are going"
"But 1t won't be for a long time.
H,'ll finish at Cambridge first!
"Oh then he Isis planning
at least! Why in the world didn't
YOU tell me before, You make me
so TIRED. Here I am. working
myself to death and reproachlng
myself for keeping you here: and
letting Dorathea go, and all the
while you're engaged to boy with
more money than even papa had
in the good old days. And"
Mother, please! We aren't for
mally engaged!-It's just between
US! It's secret-a complete Sec
ret!"
EVELYN k::-sed her daughters
worried face. Darling. OF course
it's a secret. But I'm so glad-so
GLAD! Now I won't worry any
more. Now we'll just settle down
and be happy and wait, and I'll
help YOU get some clothes together,
Look what I did for Dorathea. on
nothing at all? And you'll be get
ting a raise soon, so we'll have
more, and can afford to do more"
"Oh, mother-please! don't
want anyone to know! Please
don't tell anyone!"
who'd I tell? Don't be silly.
You make me tired!" Evelyn said,
displeased at laTt.
Evelyn began bringing home
things for JAMS "hope chest" as
she laughingly called it. A square
Of Maltese lace-just the thing for
a tea table, and at such bargain!
An antique silver tea strainer. Six
Madeira cocktail napkins.
It embarrassed Jan. vaguely
frightened her. More than once
She wished she'd kept her secret.
Unknown to Evelyn she had two
or three treasures hidden away-a
white satin slip that she hadn't
been able to resist, a pair of white
doe-Skin gloves, still in the original
tissue paper. Christmas perfume
still unopened, two pairs of sheer
chiffon hose. Not a trousseau
centainly, but start, in case Low
ell should write or cable her to
come at once.
Not that he would, Of course.
But there was always the posSibil-
ity. She had never been able to
figure out what year he was in at
Cambridge, ncr when he would
graduate. He never did go to
school like other boys. 1t was
year here and a year there. A
tutor and reading or this, or read
ing or that.
Lately he had written Of his "a