The Washington times., 1936-01-30
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It had been all too short. Just
four days at Del Monte, where
Christie showed off the trouSseau
with innocent pleasure, and Don
aid used up more than half Of his
Scanty funds.
Then a week in a funny hotel
at Monterey, with long, lovely
days on the white sands at Car
mel, gorgeous fish dinners at Pop
ErnSt's at the wharf in Monterey,
and long walks and drives along
the rocky coast where the blue
sea Splintered into white foam be-
low them, and blue and orange
made a gay soft carpet for their
feet.
"We'u go back sometime soon" :"
Donald said.
mo! want to remember it
just as it was. Enchanted April
May" he corrected her. alb
Sently, his nose in a medical
journal.
at was April when he went"
"It'S May now, darling" he
said, lodging the cushion she
threw at him. But we'll go back
next April. Will that do?"
Maybe. But after our house
is built I don't believe I'll ever
want to leave it, I'm going to love
it So"
"oh, you'll leave it. all right,
honey!"
Poor Donald, he didn't know
how little chance she'd have in
their first stormy years together.
But she wouldn't have cared,
had she known. She was too
happy living under the same roof
with someone who loved her,
after the long lonely days under
Nettie Cooper'S roof.
Now there was nothing to do in
the tiny two.room and kitchenette
apartment, and nothing to see,
for the lovely lake, and the more
expensive apartments were in the
rear of the building. Theirs was
a mere cubby-hole on the quiet
side street.
So Christie spent hours study
ing the cook book, and expert
menting with things she thought
Donald would like. When he
phoned that he couldn't make it
for dinner she tried to answer
gayly, but it did seem too bad
that this always happened on the
evenings Of her greatest culinary
triumphS.
For weeks she trudged back and
forth from the public library
bringing home books on architec,
ture, and plans for houses. When
he had time they drove out to the
lot together, pacing over every
inch of it, sitting on the grass
that was already beginning to
yellow in the summer sun, plan,
ming where the house should be-
and how to save all the trees, and
glorying in the little creek that
followed the steep canyon over
grown with willows, and thick
tangled brush.
Sometimes they brought out q
picnic supper, and sat there long
after the sun had set, and the
lights of Berkeley and Oakland
twinkled far below, and the black
bay blended into a black, star.
Spangled sky.
But aside from admiring the
view, and suggesting that some.
thing sort of rustic would be nice,
Donald hadn't many ideas.
"It's your home, darling. Have
it the way you want!"
And when it came to financing
the building, that, too, was left
to her. It seemed very simple
You sold bit of the land, mort,
gagged some more, paid a little
money down, and promised to pay
more later.
But have we any money to
pay DOWN." she asked.
"Sure. There's that bond Uncle
Charley sent us for a wedding
present. Sell that. It's a good
cause"
HaQnC we DetCer keep some
thing? I mean. in case something
should happen?"
"What'n happen? If I get that
part-time university job We'll be
sitting pretty, and I'm practically
sure Of getting it. Go ahead
Christie, tell 'em to start the
building. I'm sick of this rabbit
hutch. Don't you want to get out
Of here?"
She did. She saw architects
builders, bankers. Brought papers
home pr Donald to sign. Signed