The Washington times., 1936-03-10

ments she was gone.
The next day Connie and Bruce
played tennis, ate lunch, and
went swimming together. At din
ner that evening Aunt Hannah
said, "Sit down, if you like" when
he stopped at their table. The
following day this program was
augmented by an auto drive and
a horseback ride. The third day
saw some variation as Bruce had
an engagement with friends at
Carmel. Connie had tea with
Aunt Hannah in the patio.
where's that young man to
day?"
I'm Carmel, Auntie."
Hmm. Be back?"
eyes, late tonight"
"I suppose you're going to this
special dance tomorrow night"
Bruce asked me to, if you
don't object. of course"
II can get along without you,
I guess, I saw a dress of that
jade green you have always been
so fond of in the Dress Shop this
morning. I told the girl you'd be
in to try it on, and if you liked
it to charge it to me-"
Aunt Hannah! You're a dar-
ung!"
Miss Sinclair shook herself free
Of Comics embrace, smoothing
imaginary wrinkles from her
blouse.
Nothing of the Sort" she
grunted; Il just have some pride
in my relatives appearance"
The dress was the weapon
which felled Bruce's pretense of
casual interest. Connie was lovely
in jade green. Her hair glowed
like copper and the Swirling skirts
danced as she winged her way
across the ballroom. Bruce kissed
her that night. and made plans
to paint her picture in the jade
dress.
The picture, however, was the
beginning of trouble, for it
changed Aunt Hannah's attitude.
A rising young business man with
a very good family in Philadel-
phia was one thing; potential
artist with fool ideas and a
wealthy father was another. From
the first conception Aunt Han
nah Travelled to the second, all
in the space of time that it took
Connie to tell her about the con-
templated portrait. She snorted,
she grunted, she barked, she went
through all the barnyard Ian
guage that in human beings spells
disgust. She ended by forbidding
Connie to have anything more to
do with Bruce.
This was all that was needed
to transform summer romance
into an ardent, serious passion.
They met at the beach, at the
riding stables, on the tennis court
whenever Aunt Hannah was en-
gagged. Connie must have had
a few qualmS about deceiving the
old lady, but it was not hard to
overcome them when she pictured
Bruce'S Viking self and concen-
trated on her own love for him.
They really came to have fun
over the situation.
Look here" he proposed, "we
ought to have some way of telling
each other at breakfast whether
we can meet that day or not. For
instance, tomorrow we will ride;
I'll met you at the stables some
time between 10 and II. But if
tomorrow morning Aunt Hannah
plans that time for you, then you
could let me know at breakfast" "
Swell! But hoW?"
"Well, suppose if you can make
it, you wear white flowers pinned
on your dress. If you cannot make
it as we planned. but will have
some other time free during the
day, wear pink. Then I'll contrive
some way to speak to you, and
you tell me the hour and place.
# she has you all sewed up and
you have to back out entirely,
wear yellow"
r. 20. K. This is getting to be
really exciting"
CHAPTER XII
:. So for two more weeks they car
ried on their romance and talked
to each other in their flower
code. BY the time Connie left for
st. Joseph and school, they were
engaged to be married. Aunt Han
nah, who was told about it one
evening, was furious; she never