Show 7 OM e u a t a ca CU P by florence bingham livingston copyright by georg george H doran company 1 HAPPY LORENE SYNOPSIS living in a barn converted into a dwelling mrs penfield Is manager ot of an apart ment building known as the custard cup originally cluster court her income Is derived from laundry work her chief pa tron being a mrs horatius Horat lus fus weatherstone whom she has never seen hying laving with her are crink and I 1 had homeless email small boys whom she has adopted they call her penzie thad tells penzie a strange man w was s inquiring for or her under her va maiden name A tenant mrs I 1 bussle bosley induces penzie to take charge ot of a package which she does with some misgivings r searching a refuse dump tor for things which might be ot of value crink veteran at the game en counters a small girl lettle who proves a toeman foeman worthy of his steel lie he takes her to and lettle gets adopted into the family the stranger proves to be mrs s uncle jerry he announces he Is going to r re main in the vicinity of the cus cu tard cup uncle jerry arranges to occupy the loft above mrs penfield s abode CHAPTER VI continued i t 11 living iving or getting ready to ile hes s r just moved in my landl land I 1 mrs bopple who had been standing in the doorlay door ay leaned 4 S against the jamb as if it props in her system had bad suddenly given way ay IN well ell if he hes s coln to try to live up there be he must be awful poor 1 I dont know replied mrs P pen en field calmly 1 I haven t asked him guess there aln aint t no need sniffed mrs 11 opple actions Is good nough bough 4 evidence at his time of life he must be a failure if be hes s willin to hang A out in a place that nobody ever thought of allvin tn in me rm glad I 1 in well connected aint nobody in my fam camly ly but what lives betters better n I 1 do and rm pretty comfort comfortable ble nice commented mrs pen field cordially aint nothing so sat as being satisfied there you go laughin again said B mrs bopple with a touch of exas beig A pera pe flon I 1 s spose pose in another min 1 6 ute you 11 be tellin me you like failure AV v A better n success mrs penfield was kas amused rather t than offended no I 1 shan shant t although f sometimes there aint slat much diff in em depends on what kind you mean there theres s some kinds of success that I 1 id d be glad to head straight tor for but I 1 expect you meant money cause that s whit uncle jerry ain t giving many symptoms of having sure I 1 meant money way it with me I 1 hain t got no respect for a fans pan that cant make money 1 r Is that so mrs penfield s 4 1 ton was vias purely rhetorical also cire vire fully impersonal albl ough mentally she glanced for a moment at the man ho was kas mrs bopple s husband with the selfish inquisitive eyes and the selfish grasping hands I 1 money aloney success Is something ive ISAM na spec bout considerable it its s te one of the e queerest things I 1 know of ait pears like it aint slat anything in itself its it s just something that you can use if any way you like exactly put in mrs bopple nod ding 1 vigorously I orous ly that a why say carline car line where in thunders your hammer and you got any old tin the mouse I 1 oles Is as thick the N voice oice growing nearer I 1 abruptly as uncle beriy jen entered the kitchen and perceived an unknown neighbor mrs penfield introduced hip pleased to meet you I 1 in sure ac t mrs bopple ir reproach ably I 1 hope you re goin to enjoy yourself vours elf in mis ills penfield s loft her voice was ac lly ily sweet k jerry winston s ees tul twinkled tilled z thank thanks I 1 im in going to s prise i ou ba b doing ti atit it N ery thing to mis penfield Pen fields s amazement they looked steadily at each other through a mo tnt cut of tacit appraisement more signi nant ilant n ant than speech and it was ns as if each felt the decision of the oti oil er and acted upon it for mrs Iv opple flushed and departed with ed leave taking and when el 0 e I 1 ad gone jerry winston laughed sweet little darnel damel he murmured pepper up an icicle and aou ou got her duplicate eh ell bah ish h uncle jerry begged mrs i penfield in a whisper here s per L dennial prue coming and I 1 t have her hear you I 1 chos she inquired uncle jerry in a corresponding I 1 guess III get out yon you will aill not mrs penfield caught his hand she ashes s ne of the nicest she broke off prudence Il apgood was mas standing tan ding in the doorway she was of delicate build daina with a pretty air of belf possession that resulted from the consciousness of family background no longer young she had haa et retained n any of the elements of youth like a flower that has been tipped in wax max if I 1 in intruding nonsense my dear interposed mrs penfield youre you re always wel s come besides I 1 want you to get acquainted with my ray uncle jerry prudence hapgood acknowledge 1 the introduction with rith a grace that was unusual in the custard cup but derry winston betrayed embarrass ment most surprising most unlike b assurance A flush L i rose under his heavy tan he mum bled incoherently I 1 ive ve heard about you said pro pru dence and sometime I 1 want to hear about the lumber and the camp and the woods and everything I 1 make pillow tops and I 1 need some new dez designs igns I 1 im in looking for an in inal why now look here that Is artistic things ain aint t in my line I 1 she smiled at him gently I 1 should do the designing sir mr winston but I 1 need a new motif I 1 ve been using flowers and black cats and holly I 1 need some ideas for landscapes something primitive wilder ilder oh ohl I 1 oh never mind grinned jerry win ston his composure restored now that he could laugh at his own ex pense but think of making a pil low top out of my experience I 1 I 1 guels it its s going to be a wild one all right oh dear me you understand I 1 dlan didn t mean she w rung he her hands in n distress mrs penfield perceiving that her guests had unexpectedly run aground of personalities undertook their res cue with brusque but effective meas ures uncle jerry if i ou re going to get them mouse holes stopped fore dark 3 ou got to hurry and I 1 dare say miss hapgood Hap goods s got impressions nough bough fo to make mahe a pillow top rigl rigi t now aull find a hatchet over by the wood in the kitchen lettle brought in some pieces of tin yesterday you see if it they aint in the bard ard somewhere v oh h I 1 hope I 1 didn t offend him sighed prudence when they were alone 1 I viann t meaning it per bonal don dont t you worry mrs penfield resumed her mending uncle jerrys good nature Is so deep that you can drop a let lot of 1 I ml mistakes stakes in it t without ever hitting his feelings t all yes he seems rather rather ruther mrs penfield gave her a quick glance but made no comment they drifted into innocuous chatter of many things items of news in the custard 11 vt jerry winston betrayed embarrassment cup the weather the price of butter the best way to make indian pudding between them there was ivas a close bond of affection so far beneath the sur face that it ran clear of their radical dissimilarities in experience and tastes mrs penfield s activities were rigidly practical but prudence main tallied a fastidious economy in the two rooms which she reserved in her flat for her 0 nn use she rented the other rooms and occupied herself with hand stitching fine embroidery and the making of pillow tops to help out her income she vas that strange geographical anomaly a nev englander set down in california the most untrammeled state of all the free and yet the transplanting had occurred so late that she showed the least possible ef feet of the change as if her roots had been amply protected by the accod panning soil of her native nathe section three thousand miles from the land of her birth she lived in an atmos phere w m aich she I 1 ad brought with her as her grandmothers clock ticked off the davs ds s under the glass glas dome that shut out the rude breezes of a wider world she had I 1 lad ad a romance I 1 she had had a lover she had been engaged but the lover had gone to sea had sailed aa away ay to the isles of spice he may not really have had that th la t bajec 01 live tive but when he did not return he be was em eloped with that that descends most easily upon the lover ioner who ships for those languorous isles to bring for his bride fragrant chests of treasure rich silks and filmy Us sues wrapped in the warm odors of the far east he ile had ne never cr come back and fr pru u dence had never forgotten NN ith un falling failing loyalty which had given her the sobriquet of perennial prue she had kept his memory had kept her little candle of devotion ever burning before his shrine in her faithful heart if he had returned her mist of lo 10 love e would rould have been displaced by tie ile mingled colors of everyday living perhaps transcended but inevitably changed As it was the mist diet etui still nib tu back there on the bills hills of her ber youth and the focus of her vision kept it ala always aa s in view I 1 trudence Iru dence sitting quietly in the stiff guest chair watched mrs penfield s busy fingers shuttling yards of thread into worn korn stockings setting patched into a small faded dress lettle makes 3 vou ou a lot of work K ork doesn t she I 1 es sl e does but I 1 don t mind it cause I 1 love tl tie e child fate kind 0 pitched her into a clump of nettles and she s got a heap of prickles stick ing to her but the 11 come off after a while and so long as the lord I 1 let me work kork for folks thit I 1 lo love loe e 1 I consider that hes giving me a vaca tion all the time oh ves indeed I 1 but say continued mrs penfield laughing can aou ou imagine a harder job than ft ashing dishes three time a day after folks that dont dent 3 ou a mite my sympathy Is with the women omen K that do it they sure have to have hae a trained spirit I 1 in afraid they do agreed pru dence gently why I 1 declare I 1 most forgot the gossip the gossip happe happened nedr why mr riding roand in a new nev car A new car les five passenger mrs bosley says he represents a big eastern con cem cern nas a very responsible position with a fine salary H in I 1 rejoined mrs penfield debbe his work Is sending air mes sages hours he keeps would kind 0 ind cate it she looked up as the sound of footsteps turned into the alley lorene percy came into sight come right in honey just for a alving minute lorene dashed into the room in a whirl of javous excitement good afternoon miss hapgood my you look happy I 1 said mrs penfield studying the girls glowing cheeks and shining violet eyes what nice thing has happened lorene paused a moment in evi dent uncertainty before a caller then threw herself on mrs penfield s neck oh oil mrs penzie I 1 came to you first because I 1 want mant somebody to be happy with me and you re the only one her breath caught she stopped lorene dear ain aint t anything I 1 like better n to be happy with you she drew the girl around gently till she could look into the flushed face I 1 know what it Is dear you re en to that nice mr chase lorene s clear eyes turned upon her for assurance iou lou do think bee he a nice don dont t you I 1 want somebody to feel that way my stepmother says 4 mrs penfield drew ber her closer poor dear child 1 she said softly yes it if I 1 know anything bout human beings you re two lucky young get each other oh I 1 I 1 love you choked the girl her high tide of joy broke on the rock of cold opposition which she would presently encounter at home unable to control herself she turned quickly and went rent out without another word my gracious I 1 breathed airs lire pen geld do aou ou spouse the time 11 ever come when lettrell Let Lett lell cry like that cause ive made her so Rr wretched etched that she can cant t stand the shock of being happy lorene s a sweet girl and I 1 like that 3 oung chase too yes said faid prudence softly its it a very beautiful CHAPTER VII what can you see in H m lettie lettle was in the midst of a finan caal enterprise mrs chatterbox Catter box a leader in penny prodigality had of the job of watching her two children till dinner time I 1 at one cent per head lettie lettle had not only accepted but had used this as a lever with chich to pry of of further gain whatever other qualities might be debatable or in abeyance lettle s trust worthiness was mas generally conceded successfully therefore she had inter viewed tired mother until she had assembled nine youngsters in the each representing a cash value of one cent when mrs alm pen field entered they were kere about to bs b conducted to the back yard there to be vigorously and conscientiously en pertained tor for an hour we were re going to play animals an bounced lettie lettle vastly excited animals uh huh out of that albry boob book you been reading us lettle called mrs penfield as the child danced akad remember not to play too hard you re big and strong compared with lettle pirouetted momentarily while s she he quieted this misgiving huh trust me I 1 its it s just little animals we were re going to play mi s penfield went on into the house houm uncle jerry wis w is there before her also frank bosley I 1 thought you would rit mind car carline line if we e walked into your by ing room for a minute your wife brought it in for me to keep while she was gone TO BE CONTINUED |