Indianapolis Times, Volume 48, Number 28, Indianapolis, Marion County, 13 April 1936 — Page 15

APRIL 13, 1036-

Today's Short Story DOUBLE HOUSE By Alma and Paul Ellerbe

w* _ wyHHk yMSBn

WHEN old Daniel Ruffin built the red brick double house for his two granddaughters, the east side for Elizabeth and the west side for Harriet, he hoped to put Elizabeths husband, Michael Sherlin, on his mettle, to make him measure up to Harriet's husband, Felix Wayne, who would always present to the world the same conventional authentic front that his side of the house presented. Daniel Ruffin couldn’t be sure about Sherlin—a fellow like that who, before his marriage, had wandered about over the world writing books for boys, a pipe between his teeth and an Irish setter at his heels. “He couldn’t be sure about Mike, and maybe he wasn’t so very sure about Elizabeth, either,” Harriet Wayne said to her husband. ‘ She used to give him a good deal of anxiety, you know.” Their parents were dead and iheir grandfather had brought them up. Harriet had never given anybody any anxiety. Even as a child she had been a round, sober-eyed, slightly dull, conscientious person with a quiet go-aheadness that would take her somewhere. And Elizabeth seemed to be where she wanted to go right then. Her enjoyment of life had begun after awhile to seem to her grandfather purposeless. He wanted her to settle down to the serious business of living. Then less than a year before his death she married Michael—not exactly the kind of husband to help her do it. a a a “TJUT now' that we’re going to live here beside each other, It’s going to be all right,” Harriet Said. Harriet was seven years older than Elizabeth and behaved almost as if she were her mother. “The set-up will sort of force them to pattern their lives after ours, don’t you think? "And goodness knows they need something sensible and forehanded to pattern after. When we get awnings in the spring, they’ll have to get some, too, to match up with them. And it will be the same way about porch furniture —and other things.” But it wasn't. The Felix Waynes bought expensive awnings, and the Michael Sherlins did without. They said they liked the sunshine. “So inexcusably home-made lookinc" Harriet said to Felix. "Elizabeth has a good color sense, but precious little sense of the fitness of things. You'd think they’d have pride enough to get new things for their new house." The Michael Sherlins didn't seem to have any pride at all. They didn’t seem to think people needed it. They got along without an incredible number of things that the Waynes considered essential. a a a Their heads didn’t go down. even, after Felix had found out about the silver and he and Harriet. had gone over—they felt that it was absolutely their duty to do so —and, at last, expostulated. The Sherlins knew something was going to happen as the two of them came through the door. Felix went to the hearth and took his place there somewhat like —Elizabeth thought—a coroner at an inquest, his legs a little spraddled. his bands behind him. Michael Sherlin disliked nearly everything about his brother-in-law, but away down at the bottom of himself he rather liked Felix. He gave him a conversational push now because Felix always needed it. "Anything wrong?" Mike said. “Well, yes—yes, there is. Mike.” “Spill it,” Mike said disconcertingly, trying to help. “Well, the fact is—er—l was In at Olidden's today, and ” Mike and Elizabeth both laughed. ‘ “And the Sherlin skeleton came out, and did a step or two for you, eh?" aa M , HARRIET’S cheek grew pink. "Mike,” she said earnestly, “I do think you might have given Felix a chance to help you before you began selling your wedding presents. I really do.” “I'm afraid Felix wouldn’t have been very keen to do it, Harriet, if he had known what we were going to do with the money." "What are you going to do with it?” "Buy a car,” Elizabeth said. “In fact, we’ve bought it." Her sister stared at her. “But you can’t afford it, can you,” “We couldn’t if we paid for it any other way.” “But really, Elizabeth, haven't you any sentiment?” “For a che6t of silver given to us by a stranger?" “By an old and esteemed friend of your grandfather's.” "Whom we never saw in our lives.” Mike said, “and almost certainly never shall see." “It isn’t likely,” Harriet said: “but it’s quite possible. And if you do see her, then what will you do?” "Make her see. I hope, that she's given us all outdoors instead of Just something to be locked up in a Joset." m m m TOU,” Felix said with an accent of finality, "don’t know Miss Cooftyer.”

r “No,” Harriet said, “and we do. She’d never forgive you. And, after all, you don’t need a car, you know. Townsend can drive you anywhere you want to go, in ours. It’s always at your disposal when we are not using it—which we seldom are for mere pleasure, as you know.” “Listen, Mike,” Felix said kindly. “If you’re going to get anywhere in this troubled old world, you know ” “We are somewhere,” Mike said gravely. “We’re pretty much where we want to be. These boys’ books I do bring me in an income that’s as certain as a salary. It wouldn’t do for you and Harriet, but it’s enough for Elizabeth and me—including a small steady margin we’re sticking away in the savings bank every time I get my quarterly check. It’s not how much you earn; it’s how much you need. “You and Harriet want to keep up appearances, but Elizabeth and I don’t. But don’t think we don’t appreciate your concern, though. And for God’s sake don’t be sorry for us because we haven’t got any silver.” “Well,” Harriet said, “maybe Fate will be good to you and keep Miss Conover in Europe, which”— Harriet had always been a little resentful about this —“she seems to prefer to her own country.” a a a BUT Fate wasn’t. It popped Miss Constance Conover back into the old home town inside of the next six weeks. “And she hasn’t been here for thirty years,” Elizabeth said when they heard the news. “Not since I was born. Mike, we’re on the spot. “She’s staying with old Mrs. Maybrick Johnson, she’s only going to be here two days and she’s sent us word that she particularly wants to see us.” “My God!” Mike said. “For ‘us’ read ‘the silver’! Where do we go from here?” “To see her. Right now. And tell all. Mrs. Johnson is one of the few people who doesn’t know what’s happened about the silver. There’s a chance Miss Conover won’t find out before we see her. We’ll throw ourselves on her mercy, invite her to dinner, and take her to ride in the car.” When Miss Conover came she looked a gorgon. She was a short, stout, formidable looking old woman, with a firm jaw, a firmer mouth, small bright-brown eyes that bored into you. a clipped manner of speech and extraordinary good clothes. ELIZABETH had invited the last half dozen of the town's Old Guard—Constance Conover’s contemporaries. Miss Conover, who arrived last, looked them over with only the faintest flicker of hope, and Elizabeth though she saw that expire. She then looked Elizabeth and Mike over, popped a few incisive questions at them about this and that, was interrupted by .Mrs. Maybrick Johnson, who was quite deaf, got pretty lame answers out of both of them; and subsided within herself to wait, Elizabeth felt sure, for a sight of the silver. When she saw it" she raised her salad fork and with the sort of single-heartedness possible only to the real aristocracy, stared at it. The gesture punctured what little conversation there was, and the table stared with her. It was, unquestionably, a moment. tt tt tt MIKE got mad. With a reckless glinting gaiety he hoisted his conversational banner and went Into action. Fixing Miss Conover’s little bright-brown eyes with his blueblack ones, he talked abbut the things that interested him, and told her with his manner that she could either listen or go home. He, infused some life into, at least, his wife, who rallied to his defense. The old lady sat there and watched them, until at last there was no one left but herself and Mrs. Maybrick Johnson. And then as Mike came back from seeing the last of the other guests to the door, a change took place in her. “My dears.” she said. "I think you are a couple of peaches! When I came I thought you were like your sister and brother-in-law—-nice people, but I can’t abide them! They have a terrible effect upon me: they make me as dull and conventional as they are. It was they, I suppose, who told you to invite all these museum-pieces?” “We—we thought they were your best friends here," Elizabeth said. _ a a a THEY are. But they’re fossilized. They haven’t had an idea between them for twenty years. I'd forgotten what they were like. I love them, but—we speak two languages—without a word in common. whereas you But do tell me. what did you do with the silver?” “We—we couldn’t live up to it,” Elizabeth said. “We—we wanted a car!" Mike said. "And so ’* said Elizabeth. * The old lady emitted the kind of chuckle they hadn’e dreamed she had in her. and rose to her feet. "Thank God there are two people in this town anyway with minds of their own! Come on. Euphemia” to Mrs. Maybrick Johnson— “it’s time for you to go to bed. Couldn’t you come by tomorrow and take me to ride?”

OUR BOARDING HOUSE

|ft>Ays UUTIL. X SHALL W S^J rH ' /CbLI f-RECEIVE A LEGACV-FROM \ STRIKE A §> MV UMCLE JULIUS' ESTATE—# MATCH OM T pHE " , MY COUSIW MICHAEL. WAS Jgg^w^ ISTX>6<3lK]<3 It SUMMOMETD “TO I_OKTDONI, J 'BRIUXaE ( 1 VOLTR ‘PLIPPI^f; % IMIHE -DEA-D OP MkSHT, I UMSO/WWO W V ( -gy THE L.EA”DIK>i<S CLAiME'D / ( POkET> MIS > OP /sdfll? CAPETOWN ) \ BEEZET2. )U g AjSAIN.

FRECICLES AND HIS FRIENDS—

''did-rfeu HEAR V-'-pIf IF ™ AT WAS IKI- j ( A HD AS SOOM AS THAT. I | (/[ I DOWT kMCW BUT IF THEY' DO WHAT~ WT NUTTY COOK yes! fe KJOCEMT OF the CHARGES n-LL GO HARD with was DOME THE kid PIS- f V -njev rt! I/-LTT L Utn , n.--DISAPPEARED / AND TT I ASAIWST HIM, HE HAD M e GOOSEY',"]DO. HE HAS APPEA p ED '. fy ■ I CSfT" ® J‘ FROM THE LOOkS |NO REASON “JO BE KNOWN THE BOY FOR LIKE CONSPIRACY / wHAr ■' fcl SCENERY STRAYED THRU y M c GOOSEY HOME ) BAD, IF J AFRAID/AW INNOCENT YEARS...HE EVEN WENT so ME. r I THINK C WILL v 7 IRON BARS l! ' THE OTHER ASK - PERSON DOESNT RUN ID JUVENILE COURT M c GOOSeY IN >*THFY //f V />' PBOM " n ’ e TS ENTRUST- TEWED TO

WASHINGTON TUBBS II

'f OH HO? HE'S AWAKE:. BUT HE'LL NEVER C( REACH FOR >T, MUC? f ) N ' * ‘j 11 H.liuiwy

ALLEY OOP

Having ! cyvt thf (HEY - D7A WEAN TSAY YOU'RE ( YOU SA!D IT, SAP ■' CONTROL OF DINWV ID GONNA HAVE ME DUMPED IN ( JUS' BEEN WAITiM' J THE HV'PNOTIC POVUFP PlT ' WOW THAT TH ' GRAND \ FOR THIS M

BOOTS AND iIFR BUDDIES

| fB _ S&W BOOTS-L CANT ' ft i 1 ! PtACE ,COtAFORT mo RE* | I ipUil I | I ! L_ LAKAT\OKi ,YOU COOLO

THE TARZAN TWINS

When the cannibal warriors leaped out from ambush, the four fugitives were thunderstruck. It. was Doc who first recovered his wits. "Shall we fight?” he cried. “Yes!” answered Dick as he turned to his two black comrades and asked: “Will you fight with us?”

Always Choose &£AL Stockings, 69c Pr. ('SUBSTANDARDS) for QUALITY-Tor BEAUTY-for ECONOMY! DOWNSTAIRS AT AYRES

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

“If they capture us. we die,” Ukundo replied; “if we fight we die. All same die; but nicer to die by arrow as cooking pot.” The giant Bulala nodded agreement, and now the brave little company of four prepared for battle against the three score Bagalla warriors.

With Major Hoople

OUT OUR WAY

f /nearly BREAK. MV NECK. ON A FLOOR. \ > / FULL OF B-B ‘SWOT/ NEARLY SCARED I \\ ' ’f | TO DEATH! WT-lENJ I TIP ©VER A CAN 7 M/ V OF FISHING WORMS, BEWINDA \\V/ m. SDOOR-A PET FROO IN THE BASE- \ W/l A CRIPPLED BIRD IN A YSCC * B BASKET— ME WAY BE IN SCHOOL A N LOVE' 4-/3 - " WHY MOTHERS GET 6RAY

6 n ( LIKE HECK I*" ~) 1 [ GLORY 66! WOT’S UP 1 HURRY! JAIL DELIVtRV.I

DOWN, DIRTY, /SIZED PICTURE OF YOU S LY ~ 13 0 1936 BY NE* SERVICE U. S. PAT. OFF.

CM NOVai I ~AN>O VOAAT 1 o\o GET 1 VOELL. ,o>\ THAT ‘bWE ONONT 6E.T I TVWNiGS THAT CASE. .R'EAuNS' -"YOO S\AD\NEO

Doc fitted an arrow to his bow and shot It at the oncoming blacks, but, sped by an unaccustomed hand, the arrow only described a graceful curve and stuck upright in the ground a few feet from the boy’s feet. The warriors shouted in derision and rushed forward.

—By Edgar Rice Burroughs

Then Dick shot, but the string slipped from the notch in the end of the arrow and when he released the missile, it fell at his feet. It was a foregone conclusion that the cwo white boys and their loyal African comrades could not long resist the cannibals!

COMIC PAG*

—By Williams

—By Blosser

—By Crane

—By Hamlin

—By Martin