Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-16

Va Oil iiti Oiis dNdi iilCs
IT was a very successful din
ner.
Vicki would have felt at ease
and pleased with the service.
from the papaya-juice cocktails
with little jewel-like slices of
lime that George carried around
to the camembert on curly strips
of rye toast and the coffee that
was perfect, with a drop of old
rum in each cup.
AS she liked to remind them.
George had cooked for the NAL
lard family when they had been
important people in New Orleans.
Sugar people, rich and proud.
The Holsters had little false hearts
of chopped pepper and anehe-
vies. and pearl onions in odd hol-
lows of their shells, the broccoli
came In hested like green nose
gay with a ruffling of cucumber
stewed in oil and garlic. and
pollen of some dry cheese sauce.
favored like a miracle.
The candles burned with just
the right light for Lorna Pat
ftckis snow-white hair. her dark
eyes, her sun-golden. unlined
face How old was she. Rose
mary wondered Not much past
forty obyiously-and she herself
had been salving her unease.
overlooking her mathematics,
counting on meeting some serene.
grandmotherly old lady. bland
and comfortable.
The talk was as bright and
sophisticated as il would have
been at Vicki's own table. or at
Haynes house-party. except that
there was no shrill. alcoholic
overtone. There was Georges
guava wine in the funny old shoe
peg glasses but nothing else. and
Lorna Patrick left her glass I'M
touched. turning IL sometimes in
her slim brown fingers, letting
the candle light shine through it
TO make patterns of yellow radi
ance on the table cloth. but she
drank none of 1t, though David
finished his glass with a little
hooking toast.
To the landlord and / still
insist that the roof leaks"
Roofs always leak in spring
in Florida" Mallard declared. 1T
will stop as soon as the shingles
get soaked. Anyway you got
up there and walked around on
it. / saw you"
There was a mango we want
ed to save from the squirrels and
got up there to tie paper bag
over it,"
But. will it ripen inside a
bag >" Rosemary asked Wont
the rain rot il. and the palmetto
bugs eat it up?"
They save the grapes that
way in France" Lorna Patrick
said. Il love France, but a work
ing woman mustn't wander too
far from New York. And Paris
is for young people. The older
ones I've known who went there
seem always 10 end by being
foolish"
My mother took me over. 4"
Rosemary tried to make CONVEX
sation, but all the people we
met weren't foolish-just dull
I saw million statues and ca
thedral windows and clothes.
But that was ALL"
mo left bank? No women
selling daffodils under the chest
nut trees ?" David Patrick's Vik-
ing look persisted even when he
grinned.
Il was being ducated-prop-
erly" Rosemary said. pleased
with her control, the cool caden-
ces Of her voice. Even Vicki
could not have done better. And
all the while her heart was cry
ing like something lost and tor
mented and afraid in the dark.
Don't look at her like that,
Please don't look at her like that /.
1t was all so lovely-what we've
had-don't spoil it!
Not that Lorna Patrick was
making possessive gestures or
putting on the animated show
& of being a good sport. a mans
woman as some women did
around the Sergeant. Mrs. Pat