The Washington times., 1936-11-11

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to get down off their high horses
and"
"F'or a child of IT," Dorathea
cut in, a little weary of Ardis'
precociousneSs in spite of the scan
dalous flavor, you know a lot!
When you've been out in the world
as I have"
"Oh, nonsense. I know some
things about you, tool"
''What?"
"Oh-things. That you haven't
a beau. for one thing. Don't you
suppose Aunt Evelyn called a fam
my session when you threw out
Stewey Parker? She couldn't un-
derstand it,"
"No, she couldn't. Somebody in
the social register and I didn't
want him. 1 must be crazy!"
That's what she said!"
''Well, I had my own reasons for
throwing him over and I'm the one
that would have had to be the
bride, not she. He's queer, I tell
you. I'd be afraid Of him, really.
He does queer things that scare
you. But that's all right. They'd
let me marry a half-wit If he had
cash enough and belonged to the
right family. What's more they
wouldn't believe he was a half.
wit until they caugth him cutting
paper dollS-or worse!"
Jan looked frightened, but ArdiS
only laughed. Then what are
you going to do? No fooling, Dora
teha, you're the beauty of the
family. We expect things of you" !"
Dorathea's eyes sparkled. She
knew that she was beautiful, but
she liked to hear it said.
We'll - that doesn't always
help" she said slowly. "A stray
bachelor will hang around and in
vite you to lunch of something,
but the ones that really matter
have their own closed cliques and
they couldn't drag you in if they
wanted to. A few people sit up
and take notice when they find
out you're one of the Faileys, but
they don't roll over and die. The
family wasn't so important"
TRY to sell that idea to Dad or
your mother! Of course you may
do we'll, Dorathea. because you're
glamorous looking and Jan had a
stroke of luck, but I'm not count
ing on anything like that"
Dorathea lit a cigaret, learned
forward, her rounded elbows on
the table. what do you mean?"
She was nearly three years older
than Ards, but you couldn't pat
ronize Ards, she really did know
too much.
"Just that I'm not going to
marry at all. I've seen too much
of tin the family. Look at Dad
making a fool of himself at his
age with that stenographer who's
80 if she's a day! And Aunt Eve.
lyn. thinking she's a romantic
figure"
Mothers lovely she IS 70.
mantic!" Jan cut in angrily.
The other two smiled.
"Of course she is," Dorathea
said Soothingly. But the point is,
she's the last generation and she
thinks, poor darling, that she's
new. But what ARE you going to
do, Ards? Work all your life?"
eyes. Social service. With time
out for travel, and a romance mr.
two"
Dorathea was annoyed. "No-
body with the least sense would
even pretend to take you seri-
ously. Let's have some more cof-
fee and then go to a movie"
Ards just laughed. "All right,
darling. You wait and see!"
The Kramers were going to
leave Mill Valley, and go back to
Guatemala to stay.
Aunt Edith had the news first.
Ellery heard it in one of the clubs
he frequented.
Evelyn, who always scoffed at
new ideas. didn't hesitate to scott
at this one. "If it were true, I
guess that Lowell would have told
Jan before this!"
You'd think so, wouldn't you"
There was guile in Edith's mild
eye.
(To Be COntinued)
Copyright. 1885. King Features