The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-02-16

|. the housekeeping. He and Edns hadn't minded, nothing, that Is, ex- cept the dread full day when Jetfrey Bowman, Jr., gave up the struggle The flat had never been the Sarnl since that day.
 Jeff served fried chicxen and whipped potatoes and cream gravy and buttered peas from the head oi the table. Edna poured tea at the foot. Susie sat between them, eat ing a tremendous meal. Edna mar veled at her capacity, Jeff urged one more piece of chicken on her, know- ing full well, if Susie didn't, that it was possibly the last real meal she would see in many a long day, Dog gone, 1t was a shame. He hoped the Chief would see fit to leave a little flesh on her bones. The girls were like dressed-up hairpins these days Susie wasn't so bad just as she was -sort of comfortable.
 Susie found herself conversing easily with the BowmanS, laughing at Jeff's nonsense, looking often and worshipfully at Edna. She forgot her shy reticence, forgot the firm con- viction that she could say nothing worth lisening to. She actually told an amusing tale. It was when Jeff remarked that a pert young thing had stopped him on his way to meet Susie and asked for a lift.
 T went right on with my nose in the air" he elaborated. "A smart guy doesn't pick up cuties on the corner"
 why not, Jeffp" Edna asked, Seems to me it would be only courteous"
 You don't know life, Edna, my gal. I'd rather pick up a highway man with his gunsticking out ot his pocket than one of those curb stone racketeerS." ...
 Susie said, T thought the men did the picking up."
 Jeff and his mother laughed. well that's done, too. Wolves of Sheridan Road, they are called. Don't ever let me hear of you step- ping into a mans car"
 It was fiattering. Susie flushed with pleasure, forgetting that no wolf, no matter how tame, had ever accosted her and very likely never would.
 "Oh, I'd know how to handle them,' she said with ponderous airiness.
 You would-how9" Jeff asked, interested.
 That was when Susie launched her story. She'd overheard 1t in the Waffle Shoppe.
 Well" she began, gaining con- f1dence from their rapt attention, the first time a man stopped I wouldn't notice him at all. If he went around the block and stopped again-they do that sometimes-no one ever did it to me, of course" furiously. Well, the second time I'd say, No thank you very coolly."
 And then what, Susie?" Jeff was much amused.
 "If he persisted, and they do sometimes. l understand, I'd take 8 pad and pencil from my purse, pret- ty girls carry pads and pencils just In case, you know, and I'd walk around in front ct his car and pre-. tend to take his license number. They say it's . sure method, they say the men scoot away faster than t,.-.
 Jeff and his mother were appre- ciative listeners. They laughed and made much of the tale. Edna thought the idea clever, Jeff pro- nounced it darn smart Susie, f1ush- ed with her first conversational ef- fort, accepted a second portion of cream pie.
 After dinner Jeff washed the dishes. He did this every night for Edna. Susie insisted upon wiping them. Edna brought her knitting and sat on the kitchen stool. Susies cramped soul expanded in the pleas ant atmosphere. Forgetting that she was to be placed under a microscope on the morrow, she exulted in the new feeling that these nice people liked her, almost enjoyed her. With a light stp she carried dishes to the cupboard with bursting heart she offered her most prized possession to Edna, her waffle recipe, including the trick.