THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN, PORTLAND, SEPTEMBER 4, 1921
hiy Zona
Gale
II. IN WHICH LULU DUSTS
A PHOTOGRAPH
And Discloses Another and Unsuspected
Self to Dwighfs Brother Ninian, Tease,
Braggart, Unmodified Male, Who Wears
Diamonds and Has Fat Hands
(Copvrlcht by D. Appleton Co.)
LULU was dusting the parlor. The
parlor was rarely used, but
every morning It was dusted.
By Lulu. She dusted the black wal
nut center table which was of Ina's
choosing-, and looked like Ina, shin
ing, complacent, abundantly curved.
The leather rocker, too, looked like
Ina, brown, plumply upholstered, tip
ping back a-bit Really, the daven
port looked like Ina, for Its chintz
pattern seemed to bear a design of
lifted eyebrows and arch, reproach
ful eyes.
Lulu dusted the upright piano, and
that was like wight in a perpetual
attitude of rearing back, with paws
out, playful, but capable, too, of roar
ing a ready bass.
And the black fireplace there was
Mrs. Bett to the life. Colorless,, fire- I
less and with a dust of ashes. .
In the midst of all was Lulu her
self reflected in the narrow pier glass,
bodiless-looking In her blue gingham
gown, but somehow alive. Natural
This pier glass Lulu approached
with expectation, not because of her-
, self but because of the photograph
on Its low marble shelf-easel. A pho
tograph of a man with evident eyes,
evident lips, evident cheeks and each
of the six were rounded and convex.
Ton could construct the rest of him.
Down there under the glass you could
Imagine him 'standing, rounded and
convex, with plump hands and curly
thumbs and snug clothes. It was
Ninian Deacon, Dwlght's" brother.
Every day since bis coming had
been announced Lulu,-dusting the par
lor, had seen the photograph look
ing at her with its eyes somehow new.
Or were her own eyes newt She
dusted this photograph with a dif
ference, lifted, dusted, set it back,
less aa a process than as an expe
rience. As she dusted the mirror and
saw his trim semblance over against
her own bodiless reflection, she hu-
rled away. But the eyes of the pic
ture followed her, and she liked it.
She dusted the south window-sill
and saw Bobby Lark In come round
the house to go to the wood-shed for
the lawn mower. She heard the
smooth blnr of the cutter. Not six
times had Bobby traversed the lawn
when Lulu saw Di emerge from the
house. Dl had been earing for her
canary and she carried her bird-bath
and went to the well, and Lulu di
vined that Dl had deliberately dis
regarded the handy kitchen taps.
Lulu dusted the south window and
watched, and In her watching was
no quality of spying or of criticism.
Nor did she watch wistfully. Rather,
she looked out on something In which
she had never shared, could not by
any cbance Imagine herself sharing.
The south windows were open. Airs
of May bore the soft talking.
"Oh, Bobbyv will you pump while
I hold this?" And again: "Now. wait
till I rinse." And again: "You
needn't be so glum' the village sal
utation signifying kindly attention.
Bobby now first spoke: "Who's
glum?" he countered gloomily.
The iron of those days when she
Tnad laughed at him was deep within
hhn, and this she now divined, and
said absently:
"I used to think you were pretty
nice. But I don't like you any more."
"Tes, you used to!" Bobby repeated
derisively. "Is that why you made
fun of me all the time?"
At this Dl colored and tapped her
foot on the well-curb. He seemed to
hare her now, and enjoyed his tri
umph. But Dl looked up at him
shyly and looked down. "I had to,"
she admitted. "They were all teas
ing me about you."
"They were This was a new
thought to him. Teasing her about
him, were they? He stralgthened.
"Huh," he said In magnificent
evasion.
"I had to make them' stop, so I
teased you. I I never wanted to."
Again the upward look.
"Well!" Bobby stared at her. "I
never thought It was anything like
that"
,"Of course you didn't" 8Iie tossed
back her bright hair, met his eyes
full. "And you never came where I
could tH you. I wanted to tell you."
She ran Into the house.
Lulu lowered her eyes. It was as if
she had witnessed the exercise of
some secret gift, had seen a cocoon
open or an egg hatch. She was think
ing: I
"How easy she done It Got him
right over. But bow did she do
tha.tr
Basting the Dwlght-like piano,
Lulu looked over-shoulder, with a
manner of speculation, at the photo
graph of Ninian.
Bobby mowed and pondered. The
magnificent conceit of the male In
his understanding of the female char
acter was sufficiently developed to
f cause him to welcome the Improvisa
tion which he had just heard. Per
haps that was the way it had been.
Of course that was the way it had
been. What a fool he had been not
to understand. He cast his eyes re
peatedly toward the house. He man
aged to make the job last over so
that he could return in the afternoon.
He was not conscious of . planning
this, but it was in some manner con
trived for him by forces of his own
with which he seemed to be co-operating
without his conscious will.
Continually he glanced toward the
house.
These glances Lulu saw. She was
a woman of 34 and Di and Bobby
were IS, but Lulu felt for them no
adult Indulgence. She felt that sweet
ness of attention which we bestow
upon May robins. She felt more.
She cut a fresh cake, filled a plate,
called to Dl, saying: "Take some out
to that Bobby Larkin, why don't
you?"
It was Lulu's way of participating.
Xt was hen vicarious thrill.
After STJWpor Dwlght and Ina took
their books and departed to the Chau
tauqua circle. To these meetings
Lulu never went The reason seemed
to be that she neVer went anywhere.
When they were gone Lulu felt an
Instant liberation. She turned aim
lessly to the garden and dug around
things with, her , finger. And she
thought about the brightness of that
Chautauqua scene to which Ina and
Dwlght bad gone. Lulu thought
about such gatherings in somewhat
the way that a futurist receives the
subjects of bis art forms not vague
but heightened to Intolerable defl
nlteness, acute color, and always mo
tion motion as an integral part of
the desirable. But a factor of all was
that Lulu herself was the participant
not the onlooker. The perfection -of
her dream was not impaired by any
longing. She had her dream as a
saint, her sense of heaven.
"Lulie!" her mother called, "you
t:ome out of that damp."
She obeyed, as she bad obeyed that
voice all her life. But she took one
last look down the dim street. She
had not known it, but superimposed
on her Chautauqua thoughts had been
her faint hope that it would be to
night while she was In the garden
alone, that Ninian Deacon would ar
rive. And she had on her wool ehally,
her coral beads, her cameo pin. .
She went into the lighted dining
room. Monona was In bed. Dl was
not there. Mrs. Bett was In Dwlght
Herbert's leather chair and she lolled
at her ease. It was strange to see
this woman, usually so erect and
tense, now actually lolling, as If loll
ing were the positive, the vital, and
her ordinary rigidity a negation-of
her. In some corresponding orgy of
leisure and liberation. Lulu cat down
with no needle. v
"Inie ought to make over her de
tolne,"Mrs. Bett comfortably began.
They talked of this, devised, a mode,
recalled other delaines. "Dear, dear!"
said Mrs. Bett "I had on a delaine
when I met your father." She de
scribed It Both women talked free
ly, without animation. They were in
dividuals and alive. To the two pal
lid beings accessory to the Deacons'
presence, Mrs. Bett and her daughter
Lulu now bore no relationship. They
emerged, , had opinions, contradicted,
their eyes were bright
. Toward 8 o'clock Mrs. Bett an
nounced that she thought she should
have a lunch. This was debauchery.
She brought In bread and butter and
a dish of cold canned peas. She was
committing all the excesses that she
knew offering opinions, laughing,
eating. It was to be seen that this
woman had an Immense store of vi
tality, perpetual?y submerged.
When she had eaten she grew
sleepy rather cross at the last and
inclined to bold up her sister's excel-,
lencies to Lulu, and, at Lulu's defense,
lifted an ancient weapon.
"What's the, use of finding fault
with Inie? Where'd you been if she
hadn't married?"
Lulu said nothing.
"What say?" Mrs, Bett demanded
shrilly. She was enjoying it
Lulu said no more. After a long
time:
You always was jtalous of Inie,"
said Mra Bett, and went to her bed.
As soon as her mother's do6r had
closed, Lulu took the lamp from its
bracket stretching up her long body
and her long arms until her skirt
lifted to show her really slim and
pretty feet. Lulu's feet gave news of
some other Lulu, but slightly Incar
nate. Perhaps, so far. Incarnate only
in her feet and her long hair.
She took the lamp to the parlor and
stood before the photograph of Nin
ian Deacon, and looked her fllL She
did not admire the photograph, but
she wanted to look at it The house
was still; there was no possibility of
Interruption. The occasion became
sensation, which she made no effort
to quench. She held a rendezvous
with she knew not-what
In the early hours of the next aft
ernoon, with the sun shining across
the threshold. Lulu was paring some
thing at the kitchen table. Mra. Bett
was asleep. CT don't blame you a
bit 'mother," Lulu had said, as her
mother named the Intention.) Ina
as asleep. (But Ina always- took
off the curse by calling it her "si
esta," long 1.) Monona was playing
with a neighbor's child you heard
their shrill yet lovely laughter as
they obeyed the adult law that mo
tion is pleasure. Dl.was not there.
A man came around the house and
stood, tying a puppy to the porch post
A long shadow fell through 'the west
doorway; the puppy whined.
Oh!" said the man. "I didn't mean
to arrive at the back door, but since
I'm here "
He lifted a suitcase to the porch.
entered, and filled the kitchen.
It's Ina, isn't ltr he said.
I'm her sister." said Lulu, and un
derstood that be was here at last
"Well. I'm Bert's brother," said
Ninan. "So I can come In, can't I?"
He did so, turned around like a dog
before his chair and sat down heavily.
forcing his fingers through heavy,
upspringing brown hair.
Oh, yes," said Lulu. Til call Ina
She's asleep."
Don't call her. then." said Ninian.
"Let's you and I get acquainted."
He said it absently, hardly looking
at her.
"I'll get the pup a drink if you can
spare me a basin," he added.
Lulu brought the basin, and while
he went to the dog she ran tiptoeing
to the dining room china closet and
brought a cutglass tumbler, as heavy.
ungainly as a stone, crock. This
she filled with milk.
'I thought maybe . . ." said she.
and offered it.
"Thank you!" said Ninian, and
drained it "Making pies, as I live,"
he observed, and brought his chair
nearer to the table. "I didn't know
Ina bad a sister," he went on. "I re-
IW always Wtv
Kept?, rttteerv 4ein
Uvatt We lived ttv ika
coawuj . -
.. yr J 1 , t . 1
Yoor old Aw,
member now Bert said he had two of
her relatives "
Lulu flushed and glanced at him
pitifully.
"He has," she said. "It's my mother
and me. But we do quite a good deal
of the work."
."I'll bet you do,"- said Ninian, and
did not perceive that anything had
been violated.. "What's your tamer
he bethought
She was In an Immense and ob
scure excitement Her manner was
serene, her hands as they went on
with the peeling did not tremble; her
replies were given with sufficient
quiet But she told him her name as
one tells something of anotoer ana
more remote creature. She felt as
one may feel in catastrophe no
sharp understanding, but merely the
sense that the thing cannot possibly
be happening.
"You folks expect me?" he went on.
"Oh, yes," she cried, almost with
vehemence. "Why, we ve looked for
you every day."
"See," he said, "how long have
they been married?"
Lulu flushed as she answered:
Fifteen years."
"And a year before that tha first
one died and two years they were
married," he computed. "I never met
that one. Then it's close to JO years
since Bert and I have seen each
other."
"How awult" Lulu' said, and
flushed again.
"Why?"
"To be that long away from your
folks."
Suddenly she found herself facing
this honesty, as If the immensity of
ber present experience were clarify
ing hes. understanding: Would It bs
so awful to be away from Bert and
Monona and Dl yes, and Ina, for
20 years?
"You think that?" he laughed. "A
man don't know what he's like till
he's roamed around on his own." He
liked the sound of It "Roamed
around on his own," he repeated, and
laughed again. " 'Course a woman
don't know that"
"Why don't she?" asked Lulu. She
balanced a pie on her hand aad carved
the crust She was stupefied to hear
her own question. "Why don't she"?
"Maybe she does. Do you?"
Yes," said Lulu.
"Good enough!" He applauded
noiselessly, with fat bands. His dia
mond ring sparkled, his even white
teeth flashed. "I've had 20 years of
galloping about" he Informed her,
unable, after all. to transfer bis In
terests from himself to her.
"Where?" she asked, although she
knew.
"South America,. Central America,
Mexico, Panama." He searched his
memory. "Colombo," he' superadded.
"Myl" said Lulu. She had probably
never in ber life had the least desire
to see any of these placea She did
not want to see them now. But she
wanted passionately to meet her com
panion's mind.
- "It's the life," he informed her.
"Must be." Lulu breathed. "I"
she tried, and gave It up.
"Where you been mostly?" he
asked at last
By this unprecedented Interest In
her doings she was thrown into a
passion of excitement
"Here," she said. Tve always been
here. Fifteen years with Ina. Before
that we lived in the country."
He listened sympathetically now,
his head well on one side. He watched
her veined hands pinch at the piea
"Poor old girl," he was thinking.
"Is it Miss Lulu Bett?" he abruptly
Inquired. , "Or. Mrs.?"
Lulu flushed in anguish.
"Miss," she said, low, as one who
confessese the extremity of failure.
Than from, unplumbed depths another
Lulu abruptly spoke up.. "From
choice she said.
' He shouted with laughter.
"You betl Oh, you bet!" he cried.
"Never doubted it" He made his
Tf A -a. f A . rt f n-siafif- - I
y
h wis
palms taut and drummed on the table.
"Say!" he said.
Lulu glowed, quickened, smiled. Her
face was another face.
"Which kind of a Mr. are you?" she
heard herself ask, and his shoutings
redoubled. Well! Who would have
thought it of her?
"Never give myself away." he as
sured her. "Say, by George, I never
thought of that before! There's no
telling whether a man's married or
not, by his name!"
"It don't matter," said Lulu.
"Why not?"
"Not so many people want to
know." '
Again he laughed. This laughter
was intoxicating to Lulu. No one
ever laughed at what she said save
Herbert who laughed at her. - "Go it
old girl!" Ninian was thinking, but
this did not appear.
The child Monona now arrived,
banging tbe front gate and hurling
herself round the house on the board
walk, catching the toe of one foot
in .the heel of the other and blun
dering forward, head down, her short,
straight hair flapping over her face.
She landed flat-footed on the porch.
She began to speak, using a ridicu
lous . perversion of word's scarcely
articulate, then in vogue In ber
group. And, ,
"Whose dog7t she shrieked.
Ninian looked over his shoulder,
held out his hand, finished some
thing that he was saying to Lulu.
Monona came to him readily enough,
taring, loose-lipped.
"I'll bet Tm your uncle," said
Ninian.
.Relationship being- her highest
known form of romance, Monona was
thrilled by this Intelligence.
"Give us a kiss." said Ninian, find
ing in the plural some vague mitiga
tion for some vague offense.
Monona, looking silly, complied.
And her uncle said my stars, such a
great big tail girl they would have
to put a board on ber head.
"What's that?" Inquired Monona
She had spied his great diamond ring.
"This," said her uncle, "was brought
to me by Santa Claus. who keeps a
jewelry shop In heaven."
The precision and speed of his Im
provisation revealed him. He had 20
other diamonds ' like this one. He
kept them for those Sundays when
the sun comes up in the west Of
course often! Some day he was go
ing to melt a diamond and eat it
Then you sparkled all over 'in the
dark, ever after. Another diamond
he was going to plant They say-
He did It all gravely, absorbedly.
About It he was as conscienceless as
a savage. This was no fancy spun
to pleasure a child. . This was like
lying, for its own sake..
He went on talking' with Lulu, and
now again he was the tease, the brag
gart the unbridled, unmodified male.
Monona stood in the circle of his
arm. The little being was attentive.
softened, subdued. Some pretty, faint
light visited her. In her listening
look she showed, herself a charming
child.
"It strikes me." said Ninian to
Lulu, "that you're going to do some
thing mlgihty interesting, before you
die."
It was the clear conversational im
pulse, born of the need to keep some
thing going, but Lulu was all faith.
She closed the oven door on ber
pies and stood brushing flour from
her fingers. He was looking away
from ber and she looked at him.. He
was completely like his picture. She
felt as if she were looking at his pic
ture and she was abashed and turned
away.
"Well, I hope so," she said, which
had certainly never been true, for her
old farmless dreams were no Inten
tionnothing but a mush ofdiscon
tent. "I hope . I can-do something
that's nice before I quit," she said.
Nor was this hope now independently
true, but only this surprising longing
to appear Interesting in his eyes. To
i
dance before him. "What would the
folks think of me, going on so?" she
suddenly said. Her mild sense of
disloyalty was delicious. So was his
understanding glance.
"You're the stuff," be remarked
absently.
She laughed happily.
The door opened. Ina appeared.
"Well!" said Ina. It was her re
motest tone. She took this man to be
a pedlar, beheld her child In bis clasp,
made a quick forward step, chin
. lifted. She had time for a very jave
lin of a look at Lulu.
"Hello!" said Ninian. Hs had the
one formula. "I believe I'm your bus
band's brother. Ain't this Ina?"
It bad not crossed the mind of
Lulu to present him.
Beautiful it was to ase Ina relax,
soften, warm, transform, humanize.
It gave one hope for the whole
species.
"Ninian!" she cried. She lent a faint
impression of the double e to the
Initial vowel. She slurred the rest.
until the y sound squinted In. Not
Neenyun, but nearly Neenyun.
He kissed ber.
"Since' Dwight isn't here' she
cried, and shook a finger at him.
Ina's conception of hostess-ship was
definite: A volley of questions-
was his train on time? He had found
the house all right? Of course!
Anyone could direct him, she should
hope. . And he hadn't seen Dwlght?
She must telephone him. But then
she arrested herself with a sharp.
curved fling of her starched skirta
No! They would surprise him at tea
she stood taut HP compressed. Oh,
the Plows were coming to tea. -How
unfortunate, she thought. How for
tunate, she said.
The" child Monona maae "her knees
and elbows, stiff and danced up and
down. She must she must partici
pate. "Aunt Lulu mads three pies!" she
screamed, and shook ber straight
hair.
"Gracious sakes,"'sald Ninian. "I
brought ber a pup, and if I didn't
forget to give it to ber."
They adjourned to the porch
Ninian, Ina. Monona. The puppy was
presented, and ftawned. The party
kept on about "the place." .Ina de
lightfully exhibited the tomatoes, the
two apple trees, the new shed, the
bird bath. Ninian said the unsell
able "m m," rising inflection, and
the "I see," prolonging the verb as
was expected of him. .. Ina said that
they meant to build a summer house,
only, dear me, when you have a fam
ilybut there, be didn't know any
thing about that. Ina was using her
eyes, she was arch, she was coquet
tish, she was flirtatious, and she be
lieved herself to be merely matronly,
sisterly, womanly.
She screamed. Dwlght was at the
gate. Now the meeting, exclamation,
banality, guffaw . . . good will
And Lulu, peeping through the
blind.
When "tea" had been experienced
that evening, it was found that a
light rain was falling and tbe Dea
cons and their guests, the Plows,
were constrained to remain in the
parlor. The Plows were gentle, faint
ly lustrous ioik, eaeicueti mio "
rather lightly, as If tney were, say,
looking In from some other level.
"The only thing." said Dwlght Her
bert "that reconciles me to rain is
that I'm let off croquet." He rolled
bis r's, a favorite device of his to in
duce humor. He called It "croquette.
He had never been more irrepressible.
The advent of his brother was partly
accountable, the need to show him
self a fine family roan and host In a
prosperous little home simple and
pathetic desire. '
"Tell you what we'll do!" said
Dwight. "Nin and Til reminisce a
little." -
"Do!" cried Mr. Plow. This gentle
fellow was always excited by life, so
faintly excited by him, and enjoyed
its presentation in any real form.
Ninian bad. unerringly selected a
dwarf rocker, and be was overflow
ing It and rocking.
"Take this chair, del Ina begged.
'A big chair for a big man." She
spoke as if be were about the age
of Monona
Ninian refused, insisted on his re
fusal. A few years more, and hu
man relationships would have spread
sanity even to Ina's estate and she
would have told him why he should
exchange chairs. As it was she for
bore, and. kept glancing anxiously at
the over-burdened little beast be
neath him.
The child Monona entered the room.
She had been driven doxa by Dl
and Jenny Plow, who bad vanished
upstairs and, through the ventilator,
might be heard In a lift and faQ of
giggling. Monona had also been
driven, from the kitchen where Lulu-i
was, for some reason, hurrying
through the dishes. Monona now ran
to Mra Bett stood beside ber and
stared about resentfully. Mrs. Bett
was In best black and ruches, and
she seized upon Monona and patted
her. as her own form of social ex
pression; and Monona wriggled like
a puppy, aa bera
"Quiet, pettie," said Ina, eyebrows
up. She caught her lower tip In her
teeth.
Well, sir." said Dwlght, "you
wouldn't think it to look at us, but
mother had her hands pretty full,
bringing us up."
Into Dwlght's face came another
look. It was always so, when he
spoke of his foster-mother who had
taken these two boys and seen them
through the graded schools. This
woman Dwight adored, and when be
spoke of her he became bis inner
self.
"We must run up-state and see her
while you're here, Nin," he said.
To this Ninian gave a casual as
sent lacking bis brother's really ten
der ardor.
"Little," Dwight pursued, "little did
she think I'd settle down into a nice,
quiet, married dentist and magistrate
in my town. And Nin Into say, Nin,
what are you, anyway?"
They laughed.
"That's the question," said Ninian.
They laughed.
"Maybe," Ina ventured, "maybe
Ninian will tell us something about
his travels. He is quite a traveler,
you know," she said to the Plows.
"A regular GuHlver."
They laughed respectfully.
"How we should love It, Mr. Dea
con," Mrs. Plow said. "You know
we've never seen very much."
Goaded on, Ninian launched upon
his foreign countries as bs had seen
them: Population, exports, imports,
soil. Irrigation, business. For the
populations Ninian bad no respect
Crops could not touch ours, Soil
mighty poor pickings. And the busi
ness sayi Those fellows don't know
and, say, the hotels! Don't say
foreign hotel to Ninian.
He regarded all the alien earth as
barbarian, and he stoned It He was
equipped for absolutely no Intensive
observation. His 'contacts were neg
ligible. Mra Plow was more excited
by the Deacons' party than Ninian
had been wrought upon by all his
voyaging.
"Tell you," said Dwlght "When
we ran away that time and 'went to
the state fair, little did we think"
He told about running away to the
state fair. "I thought" he wound
up. Irrelevantly, "Ina and I might
get over to the other side this year,
but I guess not I guess not"
The words give no conception of
tbeir effect spoken thua For there
In Warbleton these words are not
ccmmonplace. In Warbleton, .Europe
Is never so casually spoken. "Take a
trip abroad" is the phrase, or "Oo to
Europe" at the very least. And both
with empreisement Dwlght bad
somewhere noted and deliberately
picked up that "other side" effect
and his Ina knew this, and was proud.
Her covert glance about pensively
covered her soft triumph. '
Mrs. Bett her arm still circling
the child Monona, now made her first
observation.
"Pity not to have went while the
going was good," she said, and said
no more.
Nobody knew quite what she
meant and everybody hoped for the
best But Ina frowned. Mamma did
these things occasionally when there
was company, and she dared. She
never sauced Dwight In private. And
it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair
Abruptly Ninian rose and left the
room.
The dishes were warbed. Lulu
had washed them at break-neck
speed she could not or would not
have told why. But no sooner were
they finished and set away than Lulu
had been attacked by an unconquer
able Inhibition. And instead of go
ing to tbe parlor, she sat down by
the kitchen window. She was in her
challle gown, with ber cameo pin and
her string of coral.
Laughter from the parlor mingled
with the laughter of Dl and Jenny
upstairs. Lulu was now rather shy
of DI. A night or two before, com
ing home with "extra" cream, she
had gone round to the side-door and
had come full upon DI and Bobby,
seated on the steps. And Dl was say
ing: "Well. If I marry you, you've sim
ply got to be a great man. I could
never . marry Jus anybody. Td
smother."
Lulu had heard, stricken. she
passed them by, responding only
faintly to their greeting. Dl was far
less taken aback than Lulu.
Later Dl had said to Lulu: "I s'pose
you heard what we were saying."
Luln, much shaken, bad withdrawn
from the whole matter by a flat "no."
Because," she said to herself. "I
couldn't have"neard right."
But since then she had looked at
Dl as if Di were some one else. Had
not Lulu taught her to make button
holes and to hem oh. no! Lulu could
not have heard properly.
"Everybody's got somebody to be
nice to them," she thought now, sit
ting by the kitchen window, adult
yet Cinderella.
She thought that someone would
come for her. Her mother or even
Ina. Perhaps they would send Mo
nona. She waited at first hopefully,
then resentfully. The gray rain
wrapped the air.
"Nobody cares what becomes of me
after they're fed," she thought, and
derived an obscure satisfaction from
her phrasing, and thought it again.
Ninian Deacon came into the
kitchen.
Her first impression was that he
had come to see. whether tbe dog had
been fed.
?I fed aim," she said, and wished
that she had been busy when Ninian
entered.
"Who, me?" he asked, "Tou did
that all right Say, why In time
don't you come in the other room?"
"Oh, I don't know."
"Well, neither do I. I've kept think,
ing, why doesn't she come along?
Then I'd remember the dishes." He
glanced about "I come to help wipe
dishes."
"Oh!" she laughed so delicately, so
delightfully, one wondered where she
got it "They're washed " she
caught herself at "long ago."
"Well, then, what are you doing
here?"
"Resting."
"Rest in there." He bowed, crooked
his arm. "Senora," be said his Span
ish matched his other assimilations
of travel "Senora, allow me."
Lulu rose. On his arm she entered
tbe parlor. Dwight was narrating
and did not observe that entrance.
To the Plows it was sufficiently nor
mal. But Ina looked up and said:
"Well!" in two notes, descending,
curving.
Lulu did not look at ber. Lulu sat
In a low rocker. Her starched white
skirt throwing her ehally In ugly
lines, revealed a peeping rim of white
embroidery. Her lace front wrin
kled when she sat, and perpetually
she adjusted It -She curled her feet
sldewlse beneath her chair, her long
wrists and veined hands lay along her
lap In no relation t tier. She was
tense. She rocked.
When Dwlght had finished bis nar
ration there was a pause, broken at
last by Mrs. Bett
"You tell that better than you used
to when you started In telling It." sbe
observed. "You get In some things I
guess you used to clean forget about
Monona, get off ny rocker."
Monona made a little whimpering
sound, la pretense to tears. Ina said:
"Darltag. quiet!" -chin a little lifted,
lower lip revealing lower teeth for
the word's completion, and she held it
The Plows were asking something
about Mexico. Dwlght was wonder
ing if It would let up raining at all
Di and Jenny came whispering into
the room. But all these distractions
Ninian Deacon swept aside.
"Miss Lulu." he said. "I wanted yon
to hear about my trip np the Amazon,
because I knew how interested yea
are in travels."
He talked, according to bis Tights,
about the Amazon. But the person
who most enjoyed the recital could
not afterward have told two words
that he said. Lulu kept the position
which she had taken at first and
she dare not change. She saw tbe
blood in the reins of her hands and
wanted to hide them. She wondered
if she might fold ber arras, or have
one hand to support her chin, 'gave
It alt up and tat motionless, save for
the rocking.
Then she forgot everything. For
the first time In years eomeone was
talking and looking not only at Ina
and Dwlght and tbeir guests, but at
her.
(To Be Continued Next Sunday.)
Parachute J umping No More
Merely Entertainment.
Tralalsar la Kw't.lnl to War-lime
Fliers and rack.; Prrferted.
PARACHUTE jumping was frlgl
nally a "stunt" pure and simple,
practiced from balloons for the
amusement of gaping multitudes.
Today it is an Important part of war
practice work, and as such hat been
scientifically developed.
When an observation balloon Is set
on fire by inoendlary bullets as often
happens in war the only chance for
the men In the basket (usually two)
Is to Jump. Their gas bag Is 1000
feet up, or higher, in the air, and
they must depend upon their para
chutes, which are strapped on their
bodlet all ready for such an emerg
ency, to land them safely on the
ground
To be disabled In full flight by
enemy fire la a mishap more or less
likely to overtake any fighting avia
tor at any time; but while bis ma
chine may burst Into flames or crash,
he hat a good chance of escaping
bodily harm if provided with a para
chute. Hence the practical value of the
training given to filers and balloon
men of the United States army at
McCook field, Dayton, O. It bat been
experimental as well at educational,
various contrivances for the purpose
being tried out; and, as a result
military authorities have definitely
adopted a certain kind of parachute,
together with a particular sort of
"pack" to contain it and harness to
attach It to tbe body. y
The 'chute (at It Is called) Is of
light and very strong silk. Tbe har
ness Is of straps that pass over the
shoulders and under the arms, and
which are supplemented by a waist
belt that has an Ingenious snap
catch. Tbe 'chute Is folded com
pactly In the pack, which is fastened
to tbe back of tbe wearer.
When be drops from aloft he Jerks
a "pilot cord," which opens a tiny
parachute that is on the outside of
tbe ptck. This Instantly catches ths
air, thereby exerting a pull which
yanks tbe big parachute out of the
pack.
On reaching the ground the man
releases himself from his waist belt
by a touch on the aforementioned
snap-catch. It la necessary that he
should be able to do this, because
otherwise, if a strong breeze were
blowing, be would be liable to be
dragged over the ground by tbe para
chute. From the straps about his
shoulders he is able easily to dis
engage himself by wriggling out of
them.
The history of parachute-Jumping
records a good many fatal accidents,
owing to failure of the 'chute to open.
In the air service of the American
army there have been such melan
choly happenings. But with the now
accepted "official pack" the cbance
of disaster Is almost negligible. In
3500 trial with it there bat been
not one mishap.
In experimental tryouts of various
kinds it is customary for the jumper
to equip himself with both the ap
proved apparatus and the pack under
trial. On dropping from aloft he lets
loose the trial pack and counts sec
onds one. two, three. By that time
he has fallen 400 feet. If tbe para
chute has failed to check his descent
be pulli the cord of tha atnar pack,