The Bismarck Tribune

Rosalie shook a playful finger at Cecily. "My dear! Indeed he did not. He has none to wear, I'm sure. That horribly overdressed, rather common Mrs. Wagoner glittered her hands about, ungloved, you may be certain, all during the service. To say nothing of her ears. Large red ears, absolutely unsuitable for diamonds. It was most distracting. Grand spoke of it, too. She sat in front of us. We were discussing that very thing when Miss Lane caught up with us--"

Ann stopped ironing. Cecily turned from the shelves. Miss Lane was one--and the girls felt the most interested and important--of Mary-Frances' teachers.

"Of course," Rosalie went on, "Grand and I know that Miss Lane was--well, at least, overly pessimistic. These old maids, you know. One does hate to be censorious--particularly on Sunday--but Miss Lane--of course, never having married--"

"Rosalie," Cecily interrupted firmly, "what did Miss Lane say? It was about Mary-Frances, I suppose?"

"My dear! Have I worried you? I shouldn't have called it bad news--really. She began by asking after Mary-Frances' health. And then she did go on to say that Mary-Frances' school work of late had not been--well, entirely satisfactory."

"Did she say how it was unsatisfactory?" Cecily asked.

Ann questioned, "Was that all she had to say?"

"Practically all, yes. She talked rather long. We got so weary, so very weary, standing in the sun. She praised Mary-Frances, you know--um--all that. Charming, really--or, rather, you understand me, she tried to be, though of course she had no real personality of any sort. It is no wonder that she hasn't appealed to gentlemen, is it? She is so sort of--well, unwhimsical, So sort of--"

"Did she say Mary-Frances' work had been unsatisfactory in her department only? Or did she know about the other departments?" Cecily insisted.

"Well, as to that, she did mention that she had talked with the other teachers. She said that until this term Mary-Frances had been so unusually brilliant. She wondered about her health. Grand and I think it might be wise to take her out of school for a time."

Ann and Cecily spoke together, with one voice, "No, no, we'll not do that."

"We'll think it over, of course. We must allow her to finish this one term--it is only a month now, isn't it? And then we'll see whether her strength can be built up during the summer. And now for the good news. Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael have invited Grand and me to spend the first week in July with them in their beautiful new home at Seaside. They are going to have a small house party--to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Mrs. Carmichael's charming sister and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Day--her name is Deborah--Deborah Day--isn't that utterly quaint and delightful?--are also to be their guests. Our first thought was, as you may know, that we couldn't leave our little girls. We said as much, and frankly. But Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael were so charmingly insistent. They quite overpowered our every objection. As they said, we see so very little of you now, either of you since you both have your sweethearts--"

Cecily put a stop to that. Of course you must go. It will be splendid for both of you. Won't it, Ann?

Ann agreed as wholeheartedly as a person whose mind is fully occupied with two other subjects at the same time could be expected to agree.

"I fancy," Rosalie said, "that our Ann may be wondering how we are to return such hospitality, Grand and I. considered that, dear, you may be sure. We discussed it, alone together, after we left the Carmichaels. Grand says that with his affairs as they are at this time he feels reasonably certain--rather more than reasonably certain--that within a year we shall have a country home of our own--or, at best, two years; those places we are informed take rather long in building--in which we can return this hospitality and many others.

"We plan to do as the Carmichaels are doing. We intend to fill our home with our friends throughout the season. And if you darlings are married by that time, as I hope you may be, it will be the place where you and yours will spend your vacations--always. Grand rather favors the mountains for a location. But we love the sea. It will be a difficult decision: the mountains or the sea. Though, as Grand says, both are possible: a few months in the mountains; a few months by the sea. We need more vacationing. We need more playtimes. All of us. And Grand and I hope and intend to see that we have them: long, lovely, happy playtimes together, and soon now. You darlings will, of course, marry. Grand was saying this morning, in that connection, that he hoped shortly, very shortly, to be able to help both of your sweethearts in a material way....

Ann was busy with her ironing. Cecily was busy with her shelves. Rosalie talked on for a while before she pulled herself out of her chair and went away, moving slowly through her perfumed vicinity.

(To Be Continued)

1931, by Doubleday, Doran and Company, Inc. All rights reserved--printed in U. S. A.