Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1937-09-09
CHAPTER H-Continued

want to think about the man, that's
all. My sister Daphne went cock
eyed about him and he turned her
down hard. Like a perfect gentle
man, of course, but it got my goat"
care you sure he turned her
DOWN."
"Sure. I'm not blaming him, I'm
ashamed for her, that's all. He
was probably fed up with her type.
His ex-wife was never quite sober,
I've heard. Daphne fell for him
the minute she saw him, she had
worried me by her crazy ideas of
freedom for a girl, she'd picked up
a postwar germ somewhere-all
talk of course-and when Trent
came along, she stopped drinking
and staying out till morning at night
clubs. I was relieved. Then he
side-stepped. Forget it. don't
know why I told you. Nice street
this, isn't it?"
Brooke nodded assent as they
passed houses whose polished win
dows, violet-paned some of them,
screened by laces of unbelievable
fineness, regarded her with in
scrutable calm. Thoroughbred dogs,
proudly conscious of their gay col
lars and smart breast-straps, dec
orously escorted their young mas
tiers. Shining limousines waited be-
fore charming old doors. In the dis
lance rose the faint, far sound of
traffic, murmurous as mighty
flood which never rolled nearer.
"Here we are at your door. Sure
you won't change your mind and go
stepping?" The boyish quality was
back in Fields voice. Grand old
house. Pity it was turned into
apartments. Do you realize that
you never have invited me to meet
the family? What's wrong? Ashamed
of your home-or me?"
Neither. What beastly sugges-
ton, Jerry. If you must know, I
haven't told them about our friend
ship. / have the finest family in the
world, but their bump of humor is
over-developed, it isn't bump, it's
a coconut."
"What is there about me that's a
joker"
Nothing; don't be so touchy. 1
decided to be a little mysterious,
that's all. Sam resents it if I ask
him a question about his friends,
thinks I am treating him like boy
when he is almost two years older
than L; and since got Lucette the
chance to model and she is finan-
cially independent, she scorns my
interest"
"Is your mother like that?"
''No, Mothers dear, but she is
so bound up in her children that
she has no real life of her own.
It's pity because she is a COM
paratively young woman"
''She sounds old-fashioned and
motherly to me. Grade A in moth
ers. like that kind. Can't come
in and meet her? I had planned to
celebrate with you. Now that you've
turned me down, I haven't any
place to CO."
"You carry off that aggrieved,
little-boy pose we'll, Jerry, but it
leaves me cold. You, with your
Crowd-capital c., having nowhere
to go! That's the funniest thing I
ever heard. I intend to devote the
next two hours to making plans with
the family. But when we're settled,
I'll invite you to Lookout House.
Good night. Sorry"
The front door slammed with a
force which shook the house. Sam,
Of course. The atmosphere tingled
when he appeared. He was whis-
ting as usual. Good-looking boy!
His horn-rimmed spectacles added
a touch of distinction. She patted
his sleeve as he stopped beside her.
Had a nice day, Sammy"
"Not too good. They're taking off
the play tomorrow. Our dear pub
lie wouldn't see it,
He pulled open the elevator door.
"Hop in" AS it changed shut, he
asked:
Cali through being a working
girl?"
Brooke swallowed lump in her
throat and nodded.
''It will seem queer being lady
of leisure"
Leisure! You don't know the
first letter of the word. I can see
you wondering what you'll do next.
Leisure isn't your line. You'll
plunge into classes and sports.
There won't be hours enough in a
day for YOU"
The elevator stopped. A voice
seeped through the cracks around
the apartment door. Sam Reyburn
grinned.
"Say, listen! Lucette's on the air
and how"
"Oh dear, what's her grievance
now?" Brooke whispered, and put
her key into the lock.