The Washington times., 1936-11-05

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never called, but Evelyn made the
pilgrimage to the Mill Valley
house, every few weeks at tea time
There were usually other guests,
and to these she chatted, boast
fully, aggressively. Everyone knew
that it had been HER home, that
her family, the Faileys, had built
It, had once owned the tapestries,
the prints, the very silver service!
From her manner she inferred
that all true aristocrats were now
Door as church mice and only the
vulgar could buy caviar and new
clothes.
snliliugly. silently, the sonora
listened. She might have been
deaf, for all the sign she made.
Never once did she show that her
unlimited guest was unwelcome
but never once did she invite her
to come again.
Behind her Mona Lisa smile she
greeted the mother of her sons
beloved Jan, listened to her, an
swered her, babe her goodbye.
"I'u never set foot in the place
again!" Evelyn said after every
visit.
But thinking it over afterward,
she could never be sure that she
hadn't imagined the coldness.
Sooner or later. she'd go back.
There was no doubt in anyone's
mind about Jan and Lowell. The
boy had eyes for no one but her.
Even while she exchanged formal
greetings with the sonora, or stood,
a little shy, little self-conscious,
as she was introduced to other
guests, he waited, impatient, intol'
Grant, hardly able to endure the
moments that must pass before he
could snatch her away.
Then they'd disappear into the
garden, or some far corner OF the
long living room, the dark head and
the fair one close together, voices
low, young faces serious except Tor
JAMS rare bursts of high. childish
laughter. o.
"What do you two talk about?"
Evelyn wanted to know.
"Oh-different things"
"But what? You look so serious,
as if you we're settling the affairs
of the universe"
Maybe we are"
Don't try to fool me! I was IT
once myself"
Jan would just laugh at that.
There was no way Of getting it out
of her. Strange! That was all
Evelyn could say about 1t.
CHAPTER XIV
Dorathea had finished her bust
ness course at last, and David got
her a position with a stock and
bond house. The pay wasn't any
thing unusual - just $50 a month
but the work was simple, the
hours easy, and the girls, about
whom Evelyn worried off and on
for weeks, were all Of the better
class.
. But that necessitated larger al
lowance for lunches and incl
dentals than they'd counted on
and the first month was an en-
durance test with Evelyn's little
coin purse flat and Dorathea Wor.
ried because the other girls dressed
so well, because they spent so
much in their noon rambl1ngs,
because they all typed so much
faster than she.
Evelyn had never had so little
to spend for food.
"What do you think of THAT?"
she'd demanded, proud and happy
as she'd serve big platterS Of spa
ghetti and green's to the hungry
girls. isn't it GOOD? You ought
to thank your stars your mother
likes to cook. I've been all day
making the sauce-but 1t cost al
most nothing and thereu be
plenty left for tomorrow"
Tomorrow followed tomorrow.
The end of the month was still far
away. Penny-pinching became tire
some, so Evelyn gave up and just
bought canned pork and beans,
with hamburg occasionally, for a
treat.
The girls didn't complain. But
she herself barely tasted the food,
signing, saying, mo, I don't care
for any. My head aches. Besides
I'm dieting"
But Mel Steig, the insurance
broker with whom Evelyn had
scraped acquaintance at Peters
office months before, happened
along again, and became a willing
meal ticket.
A solemn, red-faced widoWer of
so, with paunch. thin black hair
encircling his shiny bald spot, and
a ruby as big as a pigeons egg
upon one stubby, short-nailed fin
ger, he was earnest as he was
unexciting.
"He has serious intentions!"
Evelyn giggled. "He thinks I'm
wonderful, the way I make all my
clothes, and whip up gorgeous
dishes out of nothing-I gave him
a dish of that vegetable soup
and he sits by the hour telling me
how his late Augusta-that's his