The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-04-13

is real shock to her. Why, honey.
you aren't going to cry?"
He took her, hat and all, into
his arms, and she held tight to
him, laughing breathlessly, hug.
ging closer and closer, wishing
he'd never let her go.
He'd known a lot Of girls, most
of them pretty, but never one so
exquisite, so warmly, fragrantly
lovely. He was as proud Of her as
an art collector Of a new painting.
He wondered if his mother had
noticed the beauty Of her wide
greenish eyes, with their black
fringed lashes, their long, sweep
ing brows. He wondered II she
really appreciated the uniqueness,
the complete desirability Of the
girl he'd chosen. He felt the need
to tell her-to get it all clear.
Listen, darling!" He released
himself from her clinging hands.
st better go down and talk to Nom
some more. You can be unpack-
ing if you like. You'll find room
in that chest. My stuff is all over,
but you can put 1t all together in
a couple Of drawers. III be right
back"
After he had gone she walked
around noting the neat, empty
shabbineSS of the room, the alb
sence of pictures, of personal be-
longings, of anything to show that
it was Edwards.
How could he have lived in a
place like this? How could this
house be his, this little, round.
faced, disconnected woman be his
mother?
It was all so different-so ter
ribly different than she expected.
She sat down on the one chair
that the room contained, and
looked around. A painted floor
sloping towards the windows. A
dingy faced green rug. Roughly
finished walls and ceiling painted
a light purplish blue. A brown
metal bed, with pink and white
striped seersucker spread. A gold
en- oak chest of drawers, with a
mirrow with a white painted
frame, a straight backed wicker
chair painted blue like the walls
and nothing else.
They'd always called her room
at home small, but thls-thiS was
just a cubby hole!
Her room.
She closed her eyes to shut out
the sight. Queer thoughts went
running through her head. Wild
thoughts. The fifty dollars in her
purse. Trains back home. Dover
Street, and her mother and Char
lie. "Oh, no, nothing wrong! I
just decided that I'd better stay
at home until"
Until? Until what? Until Ed
ward could take her somewhere?
But Oakland was at home. The
people he knew were here, his best
chances. A wife's place is with
her husband.
Besides, they wouldn't have to
be here, in this house, more than
day or so. And it wasn't such
a terrible place. The street was
rather pretty, and it didn't look
so bad from the outSide-juSt sort
of cracker-boxy. and narrow and
highland short Of paint. Inside
it was comfortable and pleasant
enough except for this loom, and
Of course people always put all
the odds and ends and Junk In
boys room.
She got up and walked softly
around the little room again. The
windows looked out on the back
garden. There was an acacia tree
just outside, and a pink, flower
ing plum in the yard next door.
But those green net curtains!
Why does anyone put green net
curtains in a blue room, with a
pink bedspread? How does any
one stand it? How did Edward
stand it?
She thought of Edward, with
his neat gray flannel suit and his
immaculate shirts and smart ties.
Edward, who knew how to order
dinners, and talk to walters and
porters, Edward, who looked and
acted like a young man-about-
town.
She twisted the narrow white.
gold wedding ring on her finger.
She couldn't be really unhappy
when she thought of Edward. Ed.
ward, who'd come like a knight in
a fairy tale to make all her dreams
come true!
(TO be cOntinued)
Copyright, 1887, by King Features