The Washington times., 1937-04-22

green ones come down, that's all.
They're the most expensive silk
net. The fringe alone on them
cost ever so much. had them
in the front room, but the sum-
mer we went camping-that was
the year Papa was sicx-and we
rented our house, the tenants
left the shades up and they just
rotted after that.
"All I could do was cut them
off short and use them in the
sleeping porch. I always liked
them. I've always been partial to
green. Green is Eddie's favorite
color, too. He never liked pink.
even as a baby he didn't like it.
But if you like it, go ahead. Don't
mind mel"
1 won't! I never heard Of any,
thing so silly. And Edward DOES
like pink! I'll put them up any
way, Marie. thought rebelliouSly.
But she didn't. She put them
away in the trunk, without even
showing them to Edward. There
was no use. Things would have to
60 on just as they were, as long
as she lived in her mother-in-law'S
house.
1t was April now. Over two
months since she came.
The Werners no longer peeked
at her behind the curtains. They
said, Hello Mis- Wilson," quite
naturally, whenever they met
Marie on the avenue. or out in
front of the house, and she nodded
and smiled in return, trying to
act as if she were used to being
called Mrs. Wilson.
The people on the other side,
elderly Mr.. and Mrs. Gertz, and
their two old maid daughters,
were very friendly. too. The
younger one, Dottie, often walked
to the branch library with Marie,
and sometimes they went to a
movie-"d dutch treat" Dottie'S
invitation.
Dottie, broad Of hip, narrow Of
shoulder, conscientiously girlish
in spite of her drawn, old face and
grazing hair, was mad about
movies. She collected autographs,
knew every movie actor and
actress history, who married who,
how old they were, who had
babies, who was contemplating
divorce. She was hopelessly ro-
mantle.
Her hungry interest in brides,
and weddings. and other folks
love lives disconnected Marie,
frightened her, but not as it
frightened Bee.
To Bee, poor Dottie was the
horrible example, the living proof
of what happens to you if you
don't marry. If it had not been
for the Gertz girls" Dottie and
Gladys, solicitously helping
Mama" and Papa" into the car.
taking them for rides, going to
shows with them, on vacations
with them, lost in the elderly
world they lived in, lost, and
never to be redeemed in spite Of
poor Dottie's backward glances,
her eager friendliness, Bee might
not have been so desperate about
getting things settled" wit h
Richie.
Ritchie loved her. He'd told her
time and time again that he
loved her. Then why wouldn't he
say something? Why wouldn't he
come to the point! She'd wait for
him-wait years If necessary
live at home. like Eddie and
Marie, If worst came to worst.
Things couldn't go on this way
any longer-she couldn't stand
it!
To Marie she said, men never
really propose to girls any more.
Especially when the girl has job,
too, and Is making almost as much
as they are. Men and til eli
pride - Oh, I could scream
sometimes! They don't pay much
in banks, but it's a secure posi-
ton, and, I don't mind going on
working. But Ritchie is so stub
born-he'1l never really ask me
until he makes more than I do
and sometimes I think he's just
waiting wanting me to say
.. something D.. but what girl wants
to? There's always the chance"
Silence. Uneasy silence from
Marie.
, Whenever Bee talked this way
, she wondered if she guessed, il
she could possibly know, that
! she'd really proposed to Edward
! the night they parked by the sea-
! The thought so unnerved hel
! that she could only stammer, -
) don't know. It's hard to say .
, but of course you know what you
j ought to do"
, This last was a direct quotation
:, from Julie. But Marie, who *
. seldom knew what she ought tx
' do, couldn't really expect another
= to know. Nevertheless it worried
' her. For she didn't know what
4 Richie meant by his whispered
flattery, his maneuvering to gel
her off by herself, the easy way
|. his arm went around her wher
|. no one was looking.
" Was it all harmless fun?
Or wasn't Richie as much II
e love with Bee as she thought?
=
-. "You couldn't lend me a dollar
could you, sweetheart" Edward
4 asked.
= He was going over to San Fran
- cisco, to see someone Press Hack
O. EFT knew, about a Job in a bonC
y, house. Edward didn't know mucl