Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-09-20
DHiIy Short Story
'EIopement for Three
BY PAT ADAM
"CooD-BY" said Margaret

family lnteffnlndhIN iedGlDk lne
shocked disapproval beneath their
outward calm With an effort she
Etifled an impulse 10 remind
Betty all over again about her
hay fever and Mortimer 10 look
after the twins
I'm not going 10 be an
anxious mother any longer"
she reminded herself fercely.
81 haven't an ounce Of enthusi-
ssm left"
All At last the guard COM
manded tho platform
"Good-by, good-by" With
acstch in her breath she stepped
back into the corridor as the
California express slid smoothly
under way.
Free For the first time in all
her married life! As she saw the
familiar station slip away II had
the quality CT an exciting alG, o.
together impossible dream
The thought OF settling down
with book was intolerable She
paced down the car 10 the luXuri-
ously appointed Mushroom and
stared intently at her reflection in
the mirror
Thirty-nine years old The
new hat and suit were becoming
but there were crow s-tect round
her eyes. tired lines al the corners
OF her mouth.
Years of work and worry had
done this. Worry about money
and sick babies and Mortimer 5
job. For years she had been
carrying the whole weight OF the
family like a beast of burden
and all the time her sister Claudia
had lived on the West Coast with
her wealthy husband never having
10 do hands turn.
Claudia wouldn't have aged.
And the twins would enjoy Sum-
rner camp while 1S-year-old Betty
looked after her father.
But what a trip this was going
10 be! Every morning as she
stretched dreamily in her bed she
would think OF the bathroom at
home with Mortimer's shaving
mirror riding over a chaos of
trampled towels.
That mirror seemed TO sum up
the whole scramble of her mar
ried life. AS Mortimer peered
into il he would yell:
where's my blue tie?
"Have the kids been at my
things again." Sometimes
lately she had longed TO dash
the mirror 10 the ground and
chance the seven years bad luck
10 follow.
Margaret"
"Claudia ="
"FAlt she looks older than I
do" Margaret thought. startled.
Here were palm trees, blue
skies. the California she had
imagined, but could this beauti-
fully dressed. rather haggard
woman be her sister?
Darling" Claudia was smiling
through tears, after all this
timer
In a daze Margaret let herself
be tucked into car. but real con-
versation was impossible until they
had reached Claudia's dream of a
Spanish estancia. Then:
Tell me everything" Claudia
implored. Begin at the be-
ginning and don't stop for days"
Nothing doing" Margaret
grinned. ITS been family.
family. family for years. I want
TO forget the whole business Of
being n wife"
"Of course. How I envy YOU"
Claudia's tone was too heart
felt to be taken lightly.
Don't tell me I've walked
right into trouble" Margaret
smiled What could bother
Claudia, with Gerald 10 look
after her and only one debut
tante daughter Beau, 10 fuss over
half a dozen servants?
Meg. you don't know what
comfort IL is having you here"
The words came in rush.
"Im nearly frantic! It's Beau.
The old musical comedy
situation. Eighteen-year-old In
love with a bounder OF 40. We
can do nothing with her ..
absolutely nothing"
But surely :" Margaret
stared.
"Of course, she's not Of age,
but have you ever tried 10 argue
with a girl who knows she will
inherit 100000 from her pa
ternal grandmother 2" Claudia's
voice was ragged
"Oh. Meg. II you could see
the SNUG possessive look In
Austen Trent's eyes when he
looks at her =. The mans had
three divorces, and Gerald and
i have 10 take II, we're terri
fed n we are too firm she'll
actually elope with him. and
then just think Of the scandal"
Afraid 10 say no 20 their own
daughter
"Why. its fantastic, >" Margaret
felt like saying But al dinner
she understood better
In the well-dreSSed crowd Beau
stood out like young white
orchid beautifully cultivated but
NAVE