Carbon County news., 1937-06-04

some half-hour: struck four. It was
four o'clock!
The world was gray in shadowless
light when Victoria slipped noise
lessly from bed and stepped to the
open window. She looked in. Her
father was asleep, no doubt of that,
for he was still healthily snoring.
It was at the. lightly covered form
of her mother that she looked stead
lily; was she sleeping?
No, the beautiful dark eyes were
wide open, fixed on Victoria in the
window. Mrs. Herrendeen beck
oned, and Victoria flew to her arms,
and they kissed each other, the child
Rugged down against the tumbled
covers and the little lacy pillows.
"You muggins. what walked you
up?" the woman demanded in a
breath that was less than a whisper.
Mother, are you all right?"
Perfectly all right, sweetheart"
"But, Mother, were you crying?"
II got too tired, and that's why !
cried, and I'm very silly mother"
Victoria laughed the shadow Of
her own rich affectionate little
laugh, and there were more kisses.
Then she went back to her cold
turnbled porch bed, and snuggled
down inside it, and was asleep be-
fore the mornings first chill blan"
ket of fog began to creep in across
the level dim floor of the ocean.
When they were at home in the
city, Magda Herrendeen never got
up for breakfast. She always said
that she loved getting up in the
morning when there was anything
to do. But in the five-room apart
rnent on Pine street there was not
much to do.
Keith got himself cup of coffee
and boiled two-minute oats for Vic
toria, or scrambled eggs for them
both. The rest was just bread and
butter, and milk poured from the
bottle.
Magda sometimes got up and got
herself some orange juice. or even
a cup of tea. She would come back
with the mail, the newspaper car
ried with a smoking cup or the !
glass. Settling down again, she
would yawn YEARLY; what horrible
things were in the house for dinner,
and what should be ordered?
At eleven the telephone would
ring, and then there would be a
change. A change in her, and
change in the general atmosphere.
MY dear, I don't think can to- |
day." she would say. But it sounds
too divine! How late would we be2
see. Let me think /
What are you wearing, Ethyl? |
Yes, have; / could wear the blue |
that Eleanor brought me from Paris |
Yes, know. But let me think |
about it and call you againI"
Victoria knew how this went; she |
had heard it many times, for after |
all she had not been long in school, |
and there were always long Satur-
day mornings at home. Her mother |
would hang up the telephone only |
to seize it once more. She would
be all vitality, all energy now. Her
beautiful eyes would be dancing, her
manner absent-minded but sweet
and happy again.
''Vic, could you 60 down to Flor
ence's-or wait over at school until
six? Daddy'n be here early, you
know; I'll leave message for him
to call for you =" |
And while she talked, Magda
would be packing things in her
handsome suitcase, laughing, glanc-
ing at the clock, snatching the tele-
phone again. Perhaps she would
talk to a man this. time.
''Rudy, this is Magda. Ethyl and
all Of them are going to James to-
night; are you? Oh, wonder
tull When are you going down? For
the polo? Oh, fine! Gould you
take me along? Well, you're
darling I know, but anyway
you're a darling In about an
1our? In about an hour
But after her eleventh birthday,
after that visit to the beach house,
here was a change between her
and Victoria saw it, or
oerhaps felt it rather than saw it.
Her mother was gentler, sweeter,
more affectionate than ever when
;he was with them. but she was
With them much less.
On the other hand Victoria's IA
her grew silent, and gray, and dis
as the months went by
md were years. He rarely spoke
It all at home, and in the evenings
le almost always went out. +