The Coolidge examiner., 1937-04-08

Jim was moved by the wistful
note in her voice.
do you dislike freckles enough
to fight about them?" he asked.
II don't like not being pretty"
she said. "Cecily's a beauty and
I'm just plain" Old grievances
were in the words, lifetime of
secret humiliation. "You think she
is, don't you? You think Cecily is a
beauty?"
Jim considered the phrasing Of a
carefully tactful reply. Susan
| rushed on.
''You dol" she insisted. "I thought
anyway you liked me better than
Cecily. And then you told Mrs.
MACPHERSON that Cecily's eyes were
the color of that kind of wine and
thought you didn't like them and
told Cecily one day when she was
acting hateful and it was a compli-
ment all the time. Cecily was as
| pleased as anything. She knew it
was a compliment" Susan's eyes
were reproa chful. "She said thank
you, Susie, that's an intriguing COM
pliment. That's what she told me
SO knew you liked Cecily better
than me and hated you, Jim. /"
She broke off abruptly, then asked
in breathless voice, "You do think
Cecily is a beauty, don't you, Jirn?"
Well" Jim said slowly, II think
she's very pretty"
Everybody does" Susan's chin
trembled. II hate to be. homely!"
she cried. 81 hate it! I hate it,"
You aren't homely." Jim took
handkerchief from his pocket and
wiped away the tears that streaked
her face. You have cute face"
She looked up at him gravely.
Have I? Honest, Jim?"
But you ought to wear shoes
and stockings"
why"
you'll ruin your feet if you
don't" He looked at her apprais-
ingly. "Pink would be a becoming
color" he said. "Your hair cut
even. One of those in-Wonder-
land combs"
"People would laugh" she said.
II wouldn't"
She looked up at him shyly.
you're nice" she said. Il like
you"
She plunged toward the door and
bumped into Cecily coming out of
the house. Jim returned to the
hedge. Cecily addressed Susan.
SIS the hunger strike over?" she
asked
"What?" Susan asked vaguely.
What did you say?"
"Oh, nothing!" Cecily shrugged
her shoulders. whats the use? 1
suppose you're going out to start
another fight"
Susan appeared to be in sort of
gentle daze. "Fight?" she repeated
absently. "Oh, no." She smiled
dreamily. 81 guess I'll just 60 up
stairs and wash my face"
Cecily stood watching Susan's dig
nified departure. Her expression
was puzzled, astonished. After a
time she glanced at Jim.
Have you ever been connected
with circus?" she asked, walk
ing toward him across the terrace.
'Never-until now," he replied.
"You win!" she said amicably.
''We are pretty awful, aren't we?
A private menagerie. Parker is a
startled doe and Susies wild cat.
Tommy is a donkey and Fathers
the big bad wolf. I" She paused,
smiling down at Jim from the arm
of wicker chair.
"Yes?" he asked, neglecting the
hedge. 'In the menagerie, what
are your"
II don't know" A shadow clouded
her gaiety. I'D like to think of N.Y.
self as something magnificent, a
white peacock, a bird of paradise,
a mythical creature with wings and
wisdom and glamour" She smiled
ruefully, a little embarrassed, lit
tie sad. Really, though" she con-
tinued, I'm afraid I'm just the tor
toise-shell cat who thought she was
a ion."
The words, lightly spoken, gave
Tim now irppracciOn of Caci1v
Was her arrogance a defense? I'm
der her surface manner of self
assurance was she unhappy, rest
less, confused? At the moment he
felt drawn to her by something
more intangible than her beauty.
A dangerous moment, filed, for
him, with disturbing magic. His
heart beat with an accelerated
rhythm. There was a singing sound
in his ears.
The moment passed. Cecily
laughed, a clear gay sound, un-
acquainted with sadness or regret.
"Can you tame donkeys?" she
asked teasingly, land ambitious
tortoise-shell cats? Father would
give you a Croix de Guerre. A
shining gold medal" she added,
moving away from the arm of the
| chair. Think how magnificent it
would look with your six medals for
swimming!"