The Coolidge examiner., 1937-04-29
CHAPTER VI-COntinued

BOARD of the car, will you take me
10 Mary Lillian Patton's house on
your way to wherever you're 60
ing?"
Hop in," her father invited.
Susan looked at Jim.
In front?" she asked.
why not?" Mr.. Vaughn opened
the door. There's plenty of room"
Susan settled herself between her
father and Jim. The sedan rolled
down the drive.
Somebody looks very nice this
morning." Mr.. Vaughn remarked.
Don't you think so, Jim?"
''Swell!" Jim saw Susan'S face
in the mirror alta ched to the wind
shield. 1t was as pink as carna-
ton under the brim o. leghorn
hat.
.'Cecily had better watch out"
Mr.. Vaughn continued. Looks as
though we may have another beau
ty in the family"
The carnation pink in the small
mirrored face deepened to rose.
Susan folded her hands primly over
rubber bag in her lap.
1--WE got my bathing suit" she
said both shy and pleased And a
towel and some talcum powder"
Its a swimming party, is ito"
Mr.. Vaughn asked in a conversa-
tional tone.
Mary Lillian is having birth
day" Susan expanded in the agree
able and unaccustomed atmosphere
of adult appreciation. I've got a
present for her. It's hook" she
added.
y thought you didn't like Mary
Lillian" her father continued.
Didn't you hide in the barn the
last time she came to see you?'
Il don't like her." Susan replied
serenely. ''She's an awful baby
and lraidy-cat. There's going to be
a wedding at her house, though,
next month in September. l thought
I'd better be nice to Mary Lillian
so that maybe I'd be invited"
MIR. Vaughn laughed. You're
growing up, Susie"
I'D rather not be called Susie, "
she said, with dignity. 'Or Susan,
either. My name is Sue. Here's
the gate, Jim. I could have walked
only 1 might have ruined my slip
pers."
well, well, WE'LL" marvelled Mr..
Vaughn.
The sedan turned into The Patton
place, followed a shaded drive to a
pillared house of Georgian brick
surrounded by gardens and lawns.
Children were playing croquet on a
grass court at the side of the house,
little girls in dainty dresses, boys
In clean white linen. The party
had just begun.
Jim opened the door for Susan
and handed her out with a flourish.
You'd think she was a debu.
tante," he said, as Jim returned
70 his place behind the wheel ''She
isn't bad-looking child. The trans.
formation Is amazing" Mr.. Vaughn
glanced shrewdly at Jim. How die
you do it?''
'I?" Jim's laugh diSclaimed al
credit for Susans reformation.
She's certainly impressed by
you,' Mr.. Vaughn continued. ''She
tags after you like shadow. Io
no idea she'd ever be interested ir
weddings and clothes"
Susan is very feminine" jim
said. Her vanity is blossoming
1t would have happened some
time
And you had nothing to do with
it? Don't be unduly modest, Jim.
That's no way to get on in the
world"
"Oh, something, perhaps" Jim
was becoming increasingly embar,
rassed. Il like Sue"
so do l. But I've never been
able to work the miracle. Went al
it the wrong way, suppose. I've
neglected the children" he added
soberly. I've left them pretty
much to schools and governesses.
Work, the depression-Ive not been
with them, until this summer, con-
tinuously, that is. Tommy-Cecily
DO you know anything about this
Clyde chap" he asked abruptly.
'Cecily thinks she's in love with
him"
The question caught Jim's stray
ing attention. Here was his oppor-
tunity to make a suggestion. This
was the golden moment to present,
as his own, the plan which Cecily
had devised. Mr.. Vaughn was in
receptive mood, He had only to
go about it tactfully. He let the
moment pass into eternity.
NO" ne said, and then, realiz-
ing that his reply was little curt,
Nothing" ne added, except that
he writes very bad poetry. Do we
,urn here, sir? Is the place on the
Cnerry Hollow road?"
Mr.. Vaughn dismissed his fami.
ly and turned to the business al
hand.
This side of Cherry Hollow" he
said. Not far from here a mile
o. SO. It's a property wa'vs bad