Evening star., 1940-02-23

A1lC II -LIN LIN " .
1t for q moment and slowly raped
his knuckles on the panel, "for
luck"
The door closed softly behind him.
Elaine Feels Doubts.
Elaine stood for long moment
before the door, faraway look in
her eyes. and then ran quickly
across the room to the front window
and drew sup the shade. Eric had
just tagged taxi and as she
watched it glide smoothly to the
curb lump settled in her throat.
Eric had not failed her! She
watched him climb into the cab and
as it drew away from the curb she
knocked her knuckles on the win
dow-sill. Softly, very softly, she
repeated his words: For luck!"
But deep down inside her heart
she knew tnat the gesture was a
futile one. Mrs. Reardon had made
up her mind that she didn't want
her as a daughter-in-law and no
incantations would alter this de-
cision. She would disinherit Eric,
that was as certain as the rising
sun, and Elaine wondered if she
should have consented to marry
him. With troubled sigh she
walked slowly back to the couch.
Did all girls have this same prob
lem to face when they fell in
love with a man? Was it right
for any girl to take a son away
from his mother against the moth
er's wishes?
The room seemed to have become
larger since his departure and she
walked restlessly about, trying to
get the whole matter straight in
her mind. Eric would be giving
up lot to marry her, but then
he was aware of this and had still
made his decision. And somehow
she was instinctively certain that
their marriage would prove bene-
1lclal to him. Eric had never had
any real problems to face in his life.
Rich, sheltered by a strong -willed
mother, he had simply gone through
the motions of living, growing more
and more dependent, weaker in
character as the years passed bv
Providing for her would teach him
few things, harden him, develop
his long-neglected sense of inde-
pendence, make a man of him in
stead OF just mothers boy.
"MOmma Gambino" Enters
A knock on the door drove these
thoughts from her mind and Elaine
rushed across the room to answer
1t, glad for the interruption. What
she most needed right now was
companionship and even a total
stranger would give her the time
she needed to straighten out her
emotions.
1t was light, swarthy Italian
woman who stood before the door
HALO" she greeted cheerfully. I'm
da landlady. I come upstairs choost
to leta you know I'm glad you come
tella that to all de peoples what
live in da house. I'm Momma
Gambino."
oh, you're the mother of the
little baby I saw this afternoon,
Elaine said, warming to the friend
illness of her smile. Would YOU
care to come in?"
I gotta go back downstairs"
Momma Gambino told her, shaking
her head. The little bambino, he'sa
all alone. He'sa gonna turn out no
good, thata one. All the time he
want to be played wit. When he
grows up I bet he'sa gonna be a
ladies' man. But sometime you
come down to see me, hap"
Elaine promised that she would
and was sorry when. with another
OF her flashing smiles, Momma
Gambino bid her goodnight. Once
again she was alone. Remember
ing suddenly that she still had her
unpacking to do, she walked into
the bedroom and turned on the
light. AS she opened her suitcase
sne became aware of how much
she missed Clara and Betty. She
sighed and supposed that was
always the way; when you were
near people you simply took them
for granted; it wasn't until you
had been separated from them that
you realized just how much they
meant to you.
AS she busi1y arranged her dresses
on the hangers in the closet she
wondered what had made her flare
up when Eric began talking with
her. Never before in her life had
she given vent to her feelings in
such a way. 1t was almost as
though a different person had taken
possession of her brain, driving her
on to say things she herself would
never have considehed saying. She
recalled the story of DR.. Jekyl and
Mr.. Hyde and wondered if it were
true that underneath the thin
veneer of civilization which almost
every one possesses there lies con-
cealed wilder, more bestial nature.
She heard the door to the apart
ment open and close, but before she
could drop the silken underthines
she was carrying to the bureau
drawer Jane came into the bedroom.
her arms filled with brown-paper
bags.
(Copyrisht, 1910, by William Newbauer.)
L.