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Show WAS SORRY FOR TOM By EUQEME LEITCH. "Well, I'd like to 1-now why not!" Oltheis paused in tho doorway, tha picture of amazed protest. In one band he held tho evening paper and a magazine, and In tho other a cigar. On his feet wore slippers, around his form was a smoking Jacket. A straight line drawn to tho nearest object from him would have ended at the easy chair comfortably turned upward toward to-ward the eloctrlc lamp on tho tnblo. It was a chair that dithers had sat In after dinnor for more evenings than ho could count. "Why." ho repeated, "can't I go In thero and read? What do you mean, mother?" Mrs. Olthers approached him and picked a thread off his sleovo. "Wouldn't you Just as soon sit upstairs up-stairs with mo?" sho asked brightly. I'm going to sow." "What pt It?" demanded her husband. hus-band. Don't you usually ew downstairs down-stairs here? Don't wo always sit down-talrs? down-talrs? Why " I "My goodnoss, John!" exclaimed his wife Impatiently. "Wouldn't you like a change?" "Elralra," said Olthers, firmly, . "you'ro hiding something roll mo at once!" "Simply nothing," said his wife, "Only Grace Is going to have a caller , this evening and I wanted to let tho ' child havo the living roomoh, Its ono , of the boys in her class and It's all right, so you needn't glaro. Sho's seventeen and must havo friends among the boya as other girls do. Not that she wouldn't Just aa soon have us there, but we'd embarrass them!" "What the dickens!" growled Cithers, Cith-ers, turning toward tho stairs. "Pretty "Pret-ty state of things when I can't uso m: own chair! Callers at her ago! Umph!" Mrs. Olthers got him nicely arranged ar-ranged in her room and as sho reached for tho mending basknt she paused, hand In air. The front door had slammed and a vast whistling herald- (' ed the entrance of tho son and heir of the household. Mrs. Cithers went , and leaned over tho bnnisters. "Rob!" sho callod in dulcet tones. "Hullo!" came tho Inquiring answer. an-swer. "Whore are you? Where Is tverybody Who's Blck?" "Como up," said his mother. "Wouldn't you like to sit up hero with father and me?" sho wheeled as he ar rived at tho door. "Ifero's a nice comfortnbra chair and " "What's tho mst'or w Ith tho living ' room?" ho demnnded in amazement. Why" ; Mrs. Olthers sighed. "I never saw such stupid men folks!" sho declared. "Why can't you do things without having them all explained. I'd like to know? Grace has a caller coming I and " I j "Whoopeo-e-e!" shouted Grace's I brother, making a dart for hor door, j "Who's your beau, sis? Who'vo you got a crush on " "Mother!" came Grace's Indignant volco. "Mako Rob step! I think no's perfectly horrid1 I haven't got a crush on nnjbodv nnd you know It. Bob Glthcrs, nnd I perfectly hate you. j so thero now!" "Children!" cried Mrs. Cithers "I'm surprised nt both of you Stop It nl , once'" I "Well, I'd like n look nt tho chump i who's so Important thnt I'm barred out I of my happy homo," protested her son. "Geo! Thero Isn't nn thing to do up ' hare! I'm going out!" "No, please don't!" urged his dls-tracted dls-tracted mother. "I'll read' cut loud to you nnd dad!" i "Mother!" called her daughter, Iran- I tlcallv. "Como nnd tell mo how my i hair looks." Loft to thomsolves Glthcrs and his 'on stared dismally at each other. "Somo doings, eh?" queried young Olthers. "Tommyrot, I call It! Will els bo doing this every night forover'n ever till Bho's mnrrled offT rn gnlnjr to movo If Bho does!" I "This chair." said his father Irritably, Ir-ritably, "was built for a boa constrictor, constric-tor, not a man. And whero nro tho matchos?" Mrs, Glthcrs camo back and Grnce floated downstairs Sho played a ploco on tho plnno oxnetly as though sho expected no ono and then Bho wolkod nbout. Tho men folks fidgeted. Then tho telephone- rang. Presently Grace called dolefully upstairs: up-stairs: "Tom can't como! He's got an nvfl ccld' Isn't thnt hor-r-Id'" Olthers nnd his son reached tho bottom bot-tom ct the stairs simultaneously. "My but I'm sorry for Tom!" said Glthors aa he grabbed tho easy chair. |