The guardian., 1941-06-07
The Pest
By BETTY LAKEY
Mcclure Syndicate-WNU service.)

opened their place at the shore early
in May and kept it open until late
in October. Of course we couldn't
go bathing at the ends of the season,
but it was lots of fun being invited
before and after the crowds
swarmed down in July and August.
Anita and 1 were in college to-
gether-we'd been close friends be-
fore we went, even There was a
younger daughter, Sally, at boarding
school, and two boys, Tom and Bob,
away at college. So with four chill
dren away at school, Mr.. and Mrs.
Harper thought they might just as
well be at the shore, which they both
loved. There was a child-we called
her the Pest when nobody was lis
tening. She was ten-Joan. And
they just shifted her back and forth
from seashore school to town school
whenever they moved. She was
more or less dumb, anyway.
mean she never got very goodmarks.
Well, it was my first weekend for
the season at the Harpers'. College
was just over-we Freshmen didn't
have to stay for commencement.
Anita met me at the station.
There's a dance tonight at the
yacht club on the bay," said Anita,
buzzing along the beach road. cts
the first of the season. We're 60
ing"
Hot cha!" l answered.
"Bob'l be here at six. He's fly
ing home from college to get here
in time to take you"
giggled.
When we reached the Harper
place everybody was trying to talk
at once. There had been tele-
gram from Bob: "Plane delayed
for repairs. Arrive too late for
dance. Love. Bob." 1t was most
exciting. Bob is a perfectly swell
person, and though I was awfully
sorry he wouldn't be there for the
dance, it was fun to think he was
having all this difficulty just trying
to keep a date with me.
"Mother!" 1t was Joan-the Pest.
Mother, the butchers boy said
you know, mother, that fat one with
freckles. I met him down by the
beach and he said"
"Oh, Joan, do keep quiet" said
Mrs. Harper. you've been trying
to tell me about the butchers boy
for ten minutes. Can't you see
we're busy? Run along and play.
The butchers boy will keep"
"But, mother, the butchers
boy"
II know, l know, infant" said
Anita. But we've no time to listen
to the charmer's words. We've got
to collect another man for Betty
from none too big supply. So
many people haven't come down
yet. Let's see-there's Jerry Whar-
ton. How about Jerry, Bet? viii
he do? Or we might call in the
butchers boy"
'Jerry'u do,' | answered.
"All right. Well hop in the car
again and go ask him if he's looking
for a lovely lady in shaded gray
chiffon" s''
We found Jerry playing tennis.
He'd been looking for lovely lady
in shaded gray chiffon ever since he
was born, he said-if it was the right
lovely lady. He'd been planning to
go stag-because, he added, he'd
thought I'd be taken. Jerry's nice.
So with all that fixed up we went
home again and got dressed.
There was gang at dinner. We
had lots of fun. But whenever there
was lull in the conversation that
pestiferous Joan would start in
about the butchers boy. She was
well called the Pest.
81 don't see," said her cousin
Spafford Importantly, "why you in
terrupt all the time, Joan"
81 DON'T" she said. "But in this
house nobody never gives me a
chance"
"Oh, joan" Sally looked disgust
ed. Nobody ever!'
well, nobody not ever, then,"
said Joan sulkily. "But the butcher
boy said"
We all roared. We were lingering
over coffee and cigarettes-the des-
sert was done. Joan, baby" said
her father, you and your little
friend ask mother to excuse you,
and run out and play bit"
1t was about an hour later. Jerry
and l had just about stepped into his
car when one of those rickety sea-
shore taxicabs came rafting up to
the door. Out jumped Bob. l al
most hugged him, was SO glad
to see him.
Il made it, didn't II" he said.
I'm be ready in jiffy, Betty" He
looked as if he pretty much felt as
| did, Then he noticed Jerry Whar-
ton, acting as if he owned me. "You
got my message, didn't you? You
see, the pilot told us, when he
brought us down for refueling, that
there was a leak it would take a
long time to fix up So l tele-
graphed. Then, in a couple of
hours, he got it fixed, and told us
he'd start right away. l tried to
telephone-but l couldn't get you.