The Washington times., 1938-05-26

was In the business.
OF course, Peter could hav,
bought q brand-new care If h
would go and make UP with hi
father. But Peter would be boileC
in oil before he would do such 1
thing.
OF course the Flea was too BIZ
for them, but Peter had one fault
He was stubborn. He was so per
feet in every other way that i
would have been perfectly ridicu
lous If he hadn't one fault.
1.-TWO hundred and fifty dollars,
said the brother Of the friend o:
Peters friend.
"WEu TAKE HER"
Peter and Elena looked at eacl
other in rapture.
"Weu take her." said Peter.
To see them on Q late autumn
day with perhaps a friend or two
in the back seat, you would have
thought they were millionaireS
Elena learned to drive.
And then Elena almost los
Peter.
She spent the greater part o!
those black days while Peter wa
in the hospital after an emergency
appendicitis operation, Shuttlinf
the Flea back and forth.
During those awful hours before
Peter had been brought to the hos
pital, she had telephoned Peters
father. In O lull between hi
spasms Of pain, Peter had yelled
at her:
Don't call himl A lot he cares
whether live or die"
Whatever Peter said was law
But it wasn't right.
LONELY OLD MULE
When Peter was well enough tc
sit up, Elena brought UP the sub
ject again.
mo matter what he's said about
me, Peter, he's a lonely old man.
Lonely old. mule He won't
step inside our home until he
offers an apology for saying you
were. -"
"A mercenary, doll-faced mill
stone around your neck. I know he
said that, Peter, but"
And he sticks to it in spite Of
hell and high water. Once he
gets an idea, he'd never admit
he was wrong in a million years. u
"But I don't care what he
thinks Of me, Peter. It's SO aw
full . you're having cut your
self off from your own father
because Of me :"
What did you think 1t did to
me to have you insulted? Who
does he think he is? Wrapped
UP in his money and hds dig
nifty -"
"Peter, he loves you'll That's
why he hated to see you marry
somebody who couldn't help you
socially someone with good
connections like Marion Ed
wards"
"Mrs. Rumsey, you're exciting
the patient!" the nurse from the
doorway warned Elena. YOU'D
better CO."
FLEA HAD TO GO
Elena's chamois passed over the
Flea's spacious windshield with
q satisfying squeak, but when
Elena realized that this might be
the last bath she would give the
Flea, her heart swelled with re
bellion. But much as she loved
it, the Flea had to go.
The $40 a week that was
needed to keep it garaged, IN
sured, license-plated, oiled and
gassed could not be squeezed from
Peters and her combined wages
because Peters operation had tc
be paid for. So she had put an
ad in the paper the day before
For Sale-Eight-cylinder Lew
len sedan, 1885 model, maroon
chromium trim. Sacrifice.
That night after she had come
home from the hospital, the door
bell rang.
II saw your ad about selling
your car" he said.
Elena flushed uncomfortably
Peters father. He always made
her feel stiff and awkward like a
puppet doing and saying stupid
things.
"Would it be too much to ask
why you are selling the carp"
1--WE don't don't neeo q
big car in the city"
BUYING HIS CAR
"Poppycock!" said Mr.. Rumsey
"T suppose that my son, like all
men who marry too young, Is try
ing to shoulder too many eXpen
sive responsibilities. And now ne
finds that he had to rid himself
of one of them" His gray eyes
lighted on Elena, as if he wished
that 1t were she, instead OF the
Flea, who was being disposed ol
by Peter.
"Is Peter homer"
mo" said Elena. She put hel
hands behind her as her father
in.law took q check from his wal
let. Peter won't take it, Mr.
Rumsey."
I'm not here to offer that stub
born young mule charity. I'm
making a purchase buying
his car. Where Is it? Might as
well see if I can sell it for some
thing besides Junk"
Elena led her father-in-law tt
the adjoining garage, where th(