The Washington times., 1937-04-21

pay for i'll"
Perhaps he'd better finish the
story. Tell her about the job, too.
And you may as well know, ne
said finally, that 1 quit my job at
the oil station. Go ahead, jump
on me! I'm giving you the first
chance. I haven't told the family
yet"
Jump on you! Darling-why
would 1 do that? If you gave 1t
I'D there was a reason! 1 didn't
like to say so, but honey, l didn't
like that mans looks. AND ne
wasn't paying you nearly enough.
I think you did right. And now
YOU can really find something bet
ter-I'm GLAD"
Her love, her faith in him, was
like ointment on the raw wounds
to his pride.
He expanded, he glowed. To-
gether they planned. He hardly
minded when. Mon az his
mother asked him about the Sec
ond weeks payment.
And then he read the paper
while she talked about it. Not
that she blamed him. She had
never blamed her children. She
always blamed someone else. This
time it was old Pete Singer, who'd
hired him and didn't appreciate
him-but he had schooled himself
not to listen. He really didn't
hear a word she said.
Bee, too, tried to be nice, but
one loud, exasperated sigh es-
capped her. She said, II wish
you'd never had the job, that's all.
Then Nom might have spared us
the ice-box installments."
"I told her not to buy 1t, that
I didn't know how long I'd have
the job. Pop ought to speak to
her"
"Pop!" Bee laughed. That's
funny! You do have quaint ideas,
Eddie! He could speak until he
was blue in the face, and she
wouldn't know he'd opened his
mouth. We all could. I don't
know what she thinks we are
millionaireS, I guess. Everybody
who comes to the door with q
patent button-hook, or fly-Swatter,
or new kind Of mop goes away
with an order. I've told her, and
I've told her. I don't know what
she owes the butcher over on the
avenue, and heaven only knows
what she says when she goes to
the bank to talk about the house.
Well-I'm not going to worry
about tive got worries enough
of my own"
Edward knew a lot about the
worries, but he didn't say any
thing.
Marie knew something about
them, too.
Little by little Bee had unbent,
told the younger girl of "the
things she was up against"
She had formed the habit Of
coming into the old sleeping
porch, when Edward was out, and
the others had gone to bed. Then
the two girls would lie on the
sagging old bed, in the dim light
of the rose-shaded lamp Marie
had bought, and talk.
At first Bee just asked ques-
tions. She couldn't ask enough
about Hollywood, and Julie, and
even Gram. She could hardly be-
lieVe that her own Sister-in-law
grew up with stage people, might
even have been on the stage her
self, had she wished.
Nom thinks it's an uncertain
life for a woman. Oh, no-She
wouldn't have opposed it-she Of
fered to help me, but I'm not
quite the type, I guess. I guess
haven't much ambition"
Il have" Bee said hotly. more
than is good for me. Eddie has
too. That's the trouble with both
of us, he says. We aim too high.
Do you think I could get in pic
tures?"
Anxiously she swept her curled
fair hair back from her face,
turned her upflung profile to
Marie-"My features are good.
They really are, don't you think?
And my skin-and I could easily
tighten my hair a little-Marie,
tell me HONESTLY-do you
think I'm pretty?"
"I've always thought so. I
thought so from the first minute
I saw you-though you didn't like
me much then, did you? But I
kept looking at you, because you
were lovely-like Edward-and
neither Of you look the least like
the rest of the family! You
must be fairy children!"
mo" we don't look like Nom,
or Pop, either" Bee agreed
pleased. "And of course you
understand how upset I was that
first day"
"Oh-I don't mind any more!"
II know. But things are pretty
hard, in the office and all, and
when two people have been going
together as long as Ritchie and
have-oh well!-"
Bee, can't you and Ritchie get
married? We did! And if we
did"
No, 1t can't be done"
But night after night she'd
come back, to talk about it again,
to go over and ever the same
thing, to talk about Ritchie and
their affair, to hint at things that
her lips wouldn't say.
And night after night she and
Ritchie sat out in the parked car,