Evening star., 1939-10-22
Il Short Story Complete in This Issue


"Sparrows" was covered with honey
- suckle and winter jasmine, and had red
blinds. Lamplight shining through them gave
it very cosy and comfortable appearance.
Miss Anstey and Miss Stuff dwelt there
together, but not in unity, on account of
Miss Stuff's temper. Miss Stuff was rich,
rheumatic, and incredibly old. So old that she
forgot sometimes whereabouts she had got to
in time, and said that 'the Kaiser ought to be
put in his place, upsetting everything like
this" 1t was with colossal effort that she
tore herself from the conviction that Queen
Victoria was still on the throne.
This made her difficult to live with. When
the wind blew from the sea and the rain came
over the Downs like clouds descending, Miss
Ansteys heart went into her boots, for she
knew what she was in for. Then it was that
the rheumatics tweaked Miss Stuff badly, and
she took it out on Miss Anstey What else is
companion for?
Not that Miss Stuff was always disagree
able. She had, at times. sort of Puckish
humor, and unexpected bouts of kindness of
heart. But they got rarer as she got older.
Virginia A stey must have been beautiful
once. She still had a Dresden china COM
plexion, and her eyes were blue and slightly
surprised, as if to this day life took her aback
little Her lips were still red as the lips of a
girl. though her fortieth birthday was in sight
just over the hills!
GO upstairs and take the paint off. Go
upstairs" Miss Stuff would fume insultingly.
Its ridiculous for a woman of your age to
paint herself up - it's disgusting. You are
figure of fun, Virginia >. You have been
blacking your eyebrows again"
Virginia would go to her room obediently,
though there was nothing she could rub off.
God had been kind to her in little ways. and
she had her bright color and her penciled
eyebrows straight from Him. 1t was useless
saying that to Miss Stuff, who for some reason
thought all God ever gave you was varioose
veins and disabilities.
Virginia was by nature honest as the day,
but living with Miss Stuff had driven her to
subterfuges. She never argued or reasoned, or
she would not have been there. Lady COM
panions had whizzed through the house at the
rate of three month - until Virginia came.
She remained because she had this golden
gift of silence When Miss Stuff said, do
this, Virginia departed and pretended to do
it. instead of pointing out how impossible it
was to write a letter to Disraeli, dead these
many years.
Miss Stuff was worth three thousand pounds
year. "Sparrows" was hers and all that
therein was. She also had a seaside bungalow
called "Foxholes," Though mouse-holes would
have been more to the point and fiat in
town to which they sometimes went for
dismal frolic.
She also had a large Daimler, and little
runabout, and chauffeur. Cupboards full of
rare china she had, and safes full of silver,
and holdings in practically every company
that paid ten per cent. She came of long
line of good providers, who had scavenged
about the world and left their fortunes to
their female heirs forever.
Virginia was sorry for her, though, and
always thought of herself as rich in COM
parison. For Miss Stuff had not got Ronald.
No one had ever loved her. She said so herself,
proudly She did not hold with such goings on.
Love-" she said disgusting! Pah!'
So Virginia was sorry for her, and con-
sidered her very poor and thought of herself
as rich, on sixty pounds year. Because she
had Ronald, and he loved her.
They still hoped that one day they would