The Washington times., 1936-11-03

Bennle, OF course. InaC III
Jan was having ian affair"
too. Now that she had Lowell, and
knew that someone found her
desirable and lovely, she could be
sweet and friendly to the other
boys she met at school, and as the
Kramers' three months trip to New
York had been extended to q stay
of a year and perhaps longer, it
was really eceSsa airy to have
another boy friend, to hold her
own with the other girls.
Public school was all right. She
liked it. After she met Paul Hardy,
who lived in the white stone apart
ment building across the street,
she loved it.
They walked the eight hilly
blocks to school every day.
He was one Of the popular boys.
He really went with another girl,
Lois Terhune, who was popular,
too, But because he was so gay
and good looking and independent,
he did not confine himself to Lois.
And Lois went with other boys,
too.
At the very first Jan told him
about Lowell, so that she wouldn't
have to worry about stealing an
other girls friend, In case he
should happen to like her better.
But it was exciting to think about
it, Sometimes she'd imagine going
to Lois, who didn't pay much at
tention to her, telling her that she
hadn't meant to take her boy
friend, and h a d someone who
really meant much more to her.
"I want to be perfectly fair with
YOU" she'd say to herself, pre-
tending that she was talking 10
Lois.
And she'd imagine Lois answers.
Sometimes Lois would be angry
and Jealous, and sometimes she
would, be understanding and sad,
and then Jan would be noble and
give him up and never, never
speak to another boy until Lowell
came back.
Paul wasn't very thrilling,
really, but it made him seem more
SC, holding these imaginary con-
versatio1ls.
But he didn't know that, and
thought he was getting on fam
ously until he tried some rather
rough and clumsy love-making,
taking her home from the junior
prom.
She didn't say much. Just came
home, and took a shower, and
rjnsed her mouth, and washed
her face over and over, not caring
that her mother got up and ham
mered on the locked bathroom
door, crying, Jan! you stop
primping in there at this hour OF
the night! You're getting worse
than your sister! Come to bed"
Maybe Stewey Parker had been
horrid like that to Dorothea.
Maybe that was why she said he
made her sick, and wouldn't even
20 to the telephone when he called
her. though mother made an
enormous fuss over it and threw
it up to her that she could have
had one boy who was somebody
and could afford to get married
and really support a wife, when
she went out with the boys she
met at business school.
Maybe she liked to go out with
Bonnie Rogers because he was
married, and naturally he wouldn't
want to make love to her. Maybe
mother was wrong to make such
q fuss about it.
For long while she watched
porathea, silently questioning her,
but they who had never had con-
fi6ences, had none now, and Dora.
thea just resented it, feeling that
Jan was curious about the "af'
fair"
Was it really an affair?
Though Evelyn worried herself
sick over it, she couldn't be sure.
Her friendship with Helen was
definitely broken. They were out
wardly the same, but actually they
were strangers again, and even
Bennie was cool.
But whatever had been the trou-
BILE with Helen, it was over now.
She and Bonnie were together all
the time again, and when Dora
thea ran down to the Rogers flat,
the three had hilarious evenings
together. It was Helen and Ben.
ME and Dorathea-never Bonnie
and Dorathea alone. In fact,
Helen seemed as fond of Dora
thea as she had once been Of Ev.
elyn.
ooh, what's the use Of worry
ing" Evelyn decided.
So she went on an 0rgy of dress
making, and when she'd put new
lining in the mink coat. and made
a brown velvet cocktail suit out Of
one Of Caroline's formals she