The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-01-19
THE RAINS CAME
BY LOUIS BROMfIELD
Copyright. 1887 1898. 1899 by Louis Bromfeld
Distributed by Ledger syndicate

Yesterdays ACTION
After the first rainfall, Ransome
arises next morning and finds the
baked earth once more beginning 10
bloom and starts working In MS
garden when he suddenly remem-
due at the Smileys for the usual
Saturday afternoon with its big
meal Mrs. Simon. wife OF another
American missionary, waylays RAN
some and urges him to come TO tea
at her home. hoping that ne VIII
eventually marry one OF her usugh-
tiers Al the Smileys Ransome lis,
tens to Raschid discuss the old ana
new India. Major Safu and MISS
MacDaid are late IN arriving. ana 70
Ransome It is quite apparent tnat
what John the Baptist had told MIN
GO on WITH THE STORY
Across the drive Mrs. Simon
took short nap after lunch ana
arose feeling soggy and discouf-
aged and worried. There were
moments in her life. rare but ter
rifying when suddenly she would
ask herself, why do | make all
this struggle? What's il all FOR :!
Why don't I simply quit and be
lazy and enjoy myself? p But she
couldn't be lazy, no matter how
hard she tried.
Putting on wrapper she
crossed and opening the door
called Fern, Hazel" and a
voice answered her from far down
the huge hallway of the ancient
barrack. II was Hazers voice,
of course. Fern. she knew, would
not take the trouble to answer
her.
Put on your old tennis dresses
and go down and see that every
thing is ready not your ne"
frocks. or youn be sweaty before
the boys arrive
Her daughters We're at once
Mrs. Simons pride and cross.
Neither of them was perfect ana
neither of them was the instru-
ment she would have chosen TO
help her carry out her ambitious
plans.
Contrasting Daughters
Fern. who was nearly 20, was
the prettier of the two. She look
cd rather like her mother, ana she
had good deal of Mrs. Simon
willfulness and a great deal more
petulanee than her mother nae
ever had. In spite of her up
bringing. in spite of the fact tha'
she had spent nearly the whole oil
her life in India. in spite of hei
mothers ambitious plans for her
she remained stubbornly what she
was-an extremely pretty small
| town American girl.
Her sister. Hazel. with whom
she had nothing whatever In COM
mon. was plump and rather moon
/ faced, and, like her father, she
had that rather good-natured
corn-fed look which many Ameri'
cans from the middle west pos
sess. Unlike her sister, she was
docile and never complained and
never had 1.-THE sulks." but, alas
so long as Fern was about, the
bows" were unable to see the more
nOmclN virtues OF f1A1'i.
Mrs. Simon would think. ooh
if only Fern had Hszel's DISPOSE
ton and Hazel had Ferns looks.
She never gave either of the girls
any peace. Fern she was always
scolding for her i'll humor and hel
attitude Of superiority toward the
eligible young men of Ranchlpur
Hazel she was forever poking anC
/ prodding. ordering her to stsnC
up straight and not gisgle Sc
much. forbidding her to eat be
cause her figure was already
lumpy, forbidding her even to per
spire.
When she came downstairs a
last, dressed in a lowered sill
dress that with one eye still OF
the weather. il was after
o'clock and all the preparation
for tea were complete. She foun'
Fern alone in the living room. AM
said casually. Mr.. Rsnsome
coming for tea" To which Feri
replied suliIily. Is he >"
i hope you'll be nice TO him..
HE probably won't even looi
At me-"