Evening star., 1936-04-05

innumerable cushions, all limp and
dirty; satin pillows, baby pillows
showing family pink and blue under
soiled linen cases, velvet pillows. Be-
side these on the couch was a once
elegant cover Of pale green satin and
woolly Canadian plaid. At her
feet were newspapers and theatrical
magazines in a drift, a banjo, candy
boxes, two long-legged dolls, with
cheap faces in the costumes Of Spain
and Of Punchinello; tissue-paper
hat, a woman's felt hat with gloves
on top of it and vaguely outlined
other things that Tamara could not
identify.
She did not see all this at once,
or the other furnishings of the room,
but the general impression was made
instantly and she. did not afterward
find any reason to change it. It was
an impression of dust and STIFFNESS
and ugliness.
Don't give her your cold, Willette," I"
said the stout, elderly woman who
was sitting in a patent rocker q
few feet from the couch.
That's right, too," Tamara's
mother said, pushing the girl away
to get a good look at her. You wait
till your sister makes you go get
your hair set. TAM" she said.
Looks like Arch" the visitor said,
managing gum and a dental plate
with an adroit movement of her
tongue.
"She's the image of Arch" Mrs.
Todhunter said. Lance meet you,
lover?"
They exchanged brevities. Had the
graduation been lovely? And had
the trip been hot? And how was
Coral?
Mrs. Yellick was introduced.
"You don't know me, dear" she
said in a wheeling voice full of
good will. But every one knows me
your blessed mother here knows me
as Ivy Lippinger. That's who I am.
Lippinger and Smith; we did big time
for II years"
Tamara said:
Where do I sleep, mother? I'll
take my things in and get unpacked" I"
In the back room, lover. You can
have the lounge, or you can double
up with Coral. Lance sleeps on this I"
Tamara went into the bed room: !:
there were three rooms in the apart
ment. unless one counted the dining
alcove that occupied one side Of the
kitchen as a separate room. There
was also a small bath room smelling
of wet wood and scented soaps and
the bed room.
The bed room was dark: after a
few moments Tamara got accustomed
to the gloom in there and emptied
her smaller bag and found room for
her bundles under the big double bed.
There were already boxes and bundles
under the bed; the one shallow
clothes closet was bursting with
clothes; the one strip of wall that
had neither windows nor doors in it
was embellished with row of hooks
from which more clothing hung. All
about the mirror on the dresser photo
graphs of men were stuck at angles:
the dressing table itself was closely
Uttered with pots and jars, cigarette
boxes and ashtrays, brushes. jewelry,
small articles of apparel. Kid ana
satin slippers. discolored and twisted
and collapsed, were in row on the
table; the room was in complete dis
order and the bed not made.
An odd expression came into Ia
mara's face as she set about what
superficial ordering and straighten-
ing might be immediately accom-
plished. 1t was a look of intense
seriousness and resolution. Steadily,
without stopping. she moved chairs,
bulging with garments. made the
dreadful bed and pumped the sod
den pillows. She hung up her coat
and hat; washed her face. Every
towel in the bath room was damp
and smelled of perfume and soap;
the sheets on the bed were limp and
soft with use. 1t did not matter; she
was tired and these were first i'm
pressions. 1t did not matter. No use
crying, anyway.
Copyright. 1886, by Kathleen Norris)
(To be continued)