A Romance of the
Commonplace
Ea
By Frances
Parkinson Keyes
WNU Bervice
Copyright by Frances Parkinson Keyes
——
SYNOPSIS
Motoring through Vermont, near
the village of Hamstead, Philip
Starr, young Boston architect,
meets, in unconventional fashion,
Blanche Manning, girl of seventeen,
with whom he is immediately enam-
ored. In conversation, he learns
something of her family history.
Starr is convalescing from a serious
illness, and it being a long distance
to Burlington, his destination,
Blanche suggests, the small village
not boasting a hotel, that he be-
come, for the night, a guest of her
‘ousin, Mary Manning.
CHAPTER 11
—
Lady Blanche farm lay a mile or so
south of Hamstead, stretching on one
side of the road back to the foothills
of the Green mountains, and on the
other, .In broad, sweeping meadows,
straight down to the Connecticut river.
Two big houses, one of brick, with a
small, semi-detached brick building—
the lawyer Moses’ office—the other of
wood, white-painted and white-pillared,
with a large flower garden, stood on
it. Across the road was a smaller
house, brick with a wooden ell, less
true to line, and decidedly less pros-
perous in appearance.
As they came in sight of all this
Philip Starr brought his motor to an
abrupt and turned to Blanche,
who had unhesitatingly accepted his
invitation to “help him find the farm,’
by riding back with him.
“Is that where you live?"
“Yes, the big brick house Is ours.
The big white one is Cousin Jane's.
The one across the way is where Mary
lives.”
“Good Lord !™
“What's the matter?
“Matter! It's the most
place I ever saw in my life,
tell you,
stop,
beautiful
1 didn't
did I—I'm an architect. 1
mean, that's my regular job. ut on
the side, I can’t help dabbling in other
things—sketching, modeling, carving—
1 was four years in Europe while |
was growing up, and went back to
Paris for a course at the Beaux Arts
after 1 got through Harvard, And
I've never—" his turned from
the landscape and swept over the face
and figure of the girl him—
“seen the Elysian flelds and one of
the nymphs before!”
“It’s pretty, but | don’t see why you
should think it's so remarkable. And
it's so deadly dull!—Perhaps we had
better hurry a little, or Mary may be
through supper.”
They stopped beside the least
tentious of three houses,
walked up the cobblestone path,
on the huge granite slab that
front doorstep, sat a small boy, who
was engaged in eating an enormous
plece of lemon pie with his fingers.
“Hello, Moges”
“Where's Mary?’
“She's putting Al
plied the small boy.
excla
eves
beside
pre
and
Here,
formed the
the
sald }lanche.,
gernon to bed” re
“Algernon!”
voluntarily.
“Yes,” inter Manche, a trifle
impatiently, “Cousin Laura—his moth
er, you know, that died-—said she was
so tired of the same old family names,
that when he came along, she felt
she'd simply got to have a change.
She found that in a book called "The
Wicked Duke’; Algernon was the duke.
It wasn't allowed In the Hamstead
library, but It was a great story, just
the same. Come In, Mr. Starr, and
I'll eall Mary, Mary—!—M-A-R-Y-"
“Yes,” floated down a volce from the
upper story. “Coming, honey. Did
you have a good time?”
“Yes, lovely.
company.”
A door opened and shut quickly,
there was the sound of swift footsteps
coming across a hall, and a girl, with
another golden-haired child-—presum
ably the namesake of the wicked duke
—in her arms, appeared at the head of
the stairs. In a flash, Philip remem
bered and understood the quick re
sentment Blanche had shown when he
asked her If her cousin were plain.
For if Blanche were lovely, Mary was
certainly beautiful, with the tall, su-
perbly formed, quiet beauty of a Greek
statue. And yet, it was not of a
Greek statue that he almost Instantly
thought, The blue cotton dress that
she had on, dulled and faded from
frequent washing, had turned to the
soft color in which the painters of
the Middle ages loved to clothe thelr
Madonnas; the little boy, apparently
snatched from his bath to answer
Blanche's summons, was cuddled,
pink and plump and sturdy against
her shoulder. Mary! The coincidence
of the name, too, seemed almost
startling. What sort of a man could
the Indifferent Paul be, he wondered.
The younger girl's explanatiébn of his
presence broke In upon his silent
admiration.
“This is Mr. Philip Starr of Boston,
Mary. | met him by the brook. He's
an architect, He's been sick with
typhold fever, and Is on his way to
Burlington In a motor to make a visit
while he's getting strong, but he got
lost. | told him | was sure you'd
take him in for the night”
“I'm afraid I'm dreadfully intro.
sive,” interrupted Philip, smiling up
at Mary, but she In turn Interrupted
him,
ima# Philip, In
posed
Hurry up-—we've got
“Of course not. Father and I'll both
be awfully glad to have you. Will
you put your motor in the shed while
I get Algy tucked in? Blanche will
take you. I'll be back In a minute,
and show you where the guest-cham.
ber and bathroom are.”
She was already downstairs when
they returned from the shed, bending
over the gullty but contented Moses.
“I'm afrald you won't have any des-
sert for supper,” she sald, laughing,
“Moses seems to have cleaned out the
pantry while I was busy with Algy.
But I can open a jar of preserves, and
there are cookies, You go upstairs
and turn on the water, Moses. I'll be
there in just a minute-—Hello, Paul!”
Her voice, soft already, softened
perceptibly at the last words. Philip,
turning quickly, saw a boy who seemed
to be simply a larger and masculine
replica of Blanche—there wns an al
most astonishing family resemblance
between all these Mannings !—coming
up the walk towards them.
“Hello,” he sald leisurely. “Hello,
Blanche, you're going to catch it for
running away. Hello—"
“This 1s Mr. Starr of Boston" put
rine
“Then Say You Hope I'll Have It,
Like a Good Girl”
had been able to give her about him.
“My cousin Paul, Mr. Starr—Blanche's
brother.”
“How do you do?" sald Paul, with-
out much enthusiasm, Giad to see
you-—Mother's gone to bed with a sick
headache—all used up after cleaning
the North parlor. So 1 thought 1 bet-
ter come over here for supper.”
“Of agreed Mary warmly.
Mr. Starr where to go
Moses settled? Come,
course.”
“Will you show
while 1 get
Moses.”
She disappeared up the stairs again
Philip picked up his bag, which Paul
had ‘made no effort to take from him,
and followed. Little as he knew of
the customs of New England farmers,
he thought it unlikely that there were
many who looked like this one, or who
were at leisure to appear In white
flannels at six o'clock on a May eve.
ning. He resented both the boy's
beauty and his clothes. Paul stopped
at the open door of a small room and
motioned him to enter.
“1 hope you'll find this fairly de
cent,” he said, depreciatingly. “Mary's
not much of a housekeeper-—there's
probably some dust about. That's the
bathroom at the end of the hall—
there's only one.”
“Thanks—have 1 time for a shave
before supper?”
“1 guess so—Mary'll walt for you
anyway.”
The family was waiting for him
when he went downstairs again
3lanche had gone home and changed
her dress for another white one,
softer and filmier than the one she
had worn in the afternoon. Mary, ap-
parently, had had no time to freshen
up, and had simply tied a crisp apron
of generous proportions over the faded
blue gingham; while a tired-looking.
elderly man, without a necktie and
with a shabby coat slipped on over his
khaki shirt and trousers, came for.
ward to welcome PHnp.
“Pleased to meet you,” he sald with
the same unquestioning cordiality
that Mary had shown. “Blanche has
been tellin’ us how she happened to
find you and that you've been sick.
I'm real sorry. but 1 guess our good
Vermont air'll fix you up. Come and
set down to supper. It's all ready—
such as ‘tis, I understand Moses has
et up a good share of it.”
There was, however, no scarcity of
supper. There was, on the contrary,
a good deal of it—two big slices of
ham, with a quantity of clear, golden.
brown gravy, fried eggs, baked pota-
toes, dandelion greens. Philip thought
he had never been so hungry, that
nothing had ever tasted so good
“Want to smoke?” asked Paul at his
elbow as they rose from the table,
Philip hesitated. He had not vis
ited in many families where “they did
their own work” but he had a vague
feeling that he ought to offer to be
useful,
“Don't we help with the dishes
first?” he asked.
“Mercy, don't you think of such
a thing!” Seth exclaimed. ‘Mary
have ‘em done In no time, while |
finish milkin’, You and Blanche and
ful go and set on the front porch
and take it easy.”
“I'm going to Wallacetown, to a
show,” sald Paul briefly,
“Oh, don't tonight I*
Paul turned on his cousin Impa.
tiently, “What are you so down on
Wallacetown for?” he asked crossly.
“I've got all my plans made-—I didn't
know we were going to have company,
did 1? I'd have asked you to go
with me, of course, only I knew you
wouldn't cure for It anyway, even if
you weren't too busy-it'lli be nine
o'clock before you get the dishes done
and the bread set.” Then, seeing that
Mary's face was still clouded, he add-
ed, more pleasantly and very per-
suasively, “Mary--you like me to have
a good time, once In a while, don't
you?”
“Of course 1 do. But—"
“Then say you hope I'll have it, like
a good girl"
He slipped his arm around her, rub-
bing his head against hers, and kiss
ing her cheek. She smiled and re-
turned his kiss,
“All right, run along,” she
cheerfully. “Blanche, you can
Mr. Starr amused, can't you?’
“Of course she can,” sald Philip
hastily, But he stood still, looking at
Mary with a slightly puzzled expres
sion. Was It possible that Paul-—en-
gaged-—he had the boy's sister's word
for it—to this wonderful creature, was
going to Wallacetown, wherever that
might be, to a “show,” his privilege
to do so practically unquestioned, leav-
ing her to wash dishes and make
bread?
Customs of chaperonage in Ham
stead are simple, not to say primitive,
AS a rule, however, they work out sur.
prisingly well. Seth, coming in after
dark from the barn, lighted the kitchen
lamp, and read the Wallacetown Bugle
and his farm paper. Then he took
off his shoes, and tiptoed up the stairs
to bed, Philip, going up to bed about
eleven, found Mary in his room, turn.
ing down his bed,
“I say, Miss Manning-——may 1 speak
to you for a minute?
“Of course,” answered Mary, turn-
ing to him with a smile. “What is It?
“Your cousin Blanche—
gaged, is she?”
Mary flushed. “What makes you
say ‘too’? she asked quietly.
“Why-—she told me about you and
her brother. I hope you won't think
I'm fresh if 1 tell you I consider him
awfully lucky.”
“It's 1 that am lucky,” returned
Mary slowly. “Paul's the dearest boy
in all the world, after you get to know
him. I feel much older than he Ia
though as a matter of fact, we're al
most exactly the same age jut
we're not exactly engaged, We've a
sort of an understanding-—"keeping
company’ it's called, here in Hamstead
Jut-—Paul isn't bound at all”
“Well, 1 should think he'd
be,” said Philip with visible
tion. “But now, about his
Has she got an ‘understanding’
thing awkward like that
body ™
“No,” sald
very young
seventeen.
sald
keep
she isn't en-
too,
want to
admira
sister?
or any-
with any-
Mary, smiling.
yet, know
Why?"
“Because,” Wi ip
fallen in
“She's
you barely
burst out, “I've
her-head over
haven't told her
nk she's the lovel
love ith
course |
But I thir
—the most
*Yes, 1 Know™
want— 7"
“I'm twenty-four years old, and I'm
a fairly decent sort” on Phill;
plunging as usual straight to his pol at.
“1 haven't any ancestral like
this—in fact, one of my ancestors
was an Irish immigrant, and all of my
family were very plain people—there
weren't any town written
about them! But ¢ always been
honest, as far as | know, and
prospered and risen in the world
lots of friends. I've Inherited some
Honey. and I'm earning more. ['ve got
a pretty good job, for my age
Davis and Hamlin’s office"
*Gale Hamlin, the are chitect
“Why, yes! m™
Do you know his
*I've—I've met him His
80 yet. jest
© xqul
said Ma ary “So you
went
home
histories
we's
we've
I've
niece,
mates at boarding school, |
visit her, sometimes,
you are in his office I"
“Yes,” said Philip excitedly
tremendous luck! He can
about me-—RBlanche's
brother, you know-and you, for that
matter! And you will help me all
you can with Blanche, won't you?”
Mary picked up her lamp. “1 don't
believe you'll need an awful lot of
help with Blanche” she sald, whim-
gically. “But I'll say a few things to
Cousin Violet that might mnke a dif:
ference. Good night.”
“You are good! And you don't
think I'm an awful chump going at
things this way?
“1 think you're rather nice” sald
Mary, still whimsicaliy—"if you must
know
She was closing the door gently be.
hind her, when Philip pulled It open
again,
“Mary,” he sald, “1 may call yon
Mary, mayn't I-tell me the superstl
tion about Lady Blanche—about all
the Blanche Mannings.”
“Well,” sald Mary, hesitating a lit-
tle, “all the Blanches so far have
fallen In love at first sight, and mar
ried strancers—and gone away from
their own homes to live. Their hus
bands have adored them, and they've
been rich nnd bemmtiful and—"
“Is that all of the story?"
“Is there anything,” asked Mary,
suddenly, “that | could tell you that
would make you want her any less?
Anything that would make you-afraid
to try and get her?”
“Anything in the way of an old
superstition, you mean? Good Lord,
no!"
“Then,” sald Mary, “1 think that's
enough for tonight, And good enough
for any night, too, lant it? Especially
for a man who has just said he was in
love with Blanche--it ought to make
you feel as If the sult were half won
already! Good night”
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
“What
tell you
mother
Hemi
HAT fun brims and
eyes will be having
playing hide-
You see, it is this way,
fashion insists that brims take a most
thrilling dip-over-one-eye slant, and
what happens?—see for yourself in
the picture where most of the brims
pose at such a perilous angle they
almost, If not quite, obliterate the
right eye. Which Is exactly the way
the new hats are supposed to be worn
success of the
the “tricky”
tice, for much of the
new hats depends on
wearing thereof.
Not that the new hats are In any
way lacking in comeliness within them
selves. No, indeed! On the contrary
the bewitching chapeaux which are
flocking In by the thousands just now
are about as fascinating & lot of mil
linery as ever Joined in a midseason
it is not only
that en
the
the jauntiness of t
thralls but there is that appeal of
truly ine in their ribbons, thelr
flowers 15s flower trims are “in"),
their airy straws and their dainty fab
rics which make them Irresistible,
There's no mistake about It,
iy interesting things are
in the realm of mill
them is the revival of taffeta as a me
dium for hats to wear now and hats
to wear whew gtime giladdens the
earth. One of the dramatic plays
which milliners are making with taf
feta is to stitch it intricately and de
signfully. The “derby”
stitched pean d'ange taffeta shown at
the top to the left in this group Is a
striking example of this It is pulled
down over rakishly, as racy
as even the youngest deb could desire.
The next hat (centered at the top)
is also of taffeta—navy blue woire taf
heir pose
intense.
now going on
sprin
one eye
CAPES AND CHECKS
By CHERIE NICHOLAS
FEE ER eT
Here's two important hints in re
gard to the new spring coats—capes
and checks. Most every coat has its
cape, for capes have gone on parade
for spring. Capes that come off and
capes that don’t, capes that are furless
and capes that are fur-trimmed, they
each and all grace the season's smart.
est coats. Then as to the popularity
of checks, it matters not whether the
cloaking material be of fine sheer
woolen of sturdiest weave or of gray
and white silk, as is the material
which fashions the model pictured, it
is almost sure to be checked, for
checked fabrics are the rage for
spring. You'd love the material in
this cont. It Is a sort of soft heavy
cling-silk mixture which you are sure
to like better every time you wear it.
The gray fox bordering satisfies the
eye with a delectable color blend.
feta, with crown and taring |
brim which laps over at the front In |
a most flattering manner. The three |
tone cluster of velvet flowers placed
to the fore is Its only decoration. One
eye, is entirely ob-
melon
you will observe,
scured,
The new for the most
are flat and The model to the
right at the top is a representative
type. Small wreaths of velvet flowers |
encircle the crown. Velvet Sowers el-
ther In multi-color or in solid tone
adorn fabric and straw hats alike this |
season,
Again, In the of the
worn by the print-frocked lady,
brim quite conceals the right eye. The |
interesting thing about the charming |
outfit is its trimming touches of velvet
in the wreath of flowers
which enhance the hat and ax they ap
pear in the belt and buckle. Design
ers are about adding a
velvet to the new costumes
so, they are beat
and
with
Crowns part
low,
hat
the
instance
as expressed
keen dash of
80 much
itifying the
and
intriguing
velvet scarfs, girdles,
sorts of enhancing de
new spr
prints crepes matelasse
wenves most Acres
sories including
bows and all
talls
Three outstanding trends are pre
sented in the smaller sketches below
high built turban reflecting
ns shown to the left is
in | The plaid taffeta
neck also Convers an fm-
The felt fedora in
the center worn by swagger |
tailored folks With toques and small |
brims wee crisp veils, as {llustrated to
the right, are inevitable,
© 1531 Western Newspaper Unlon
COs
‘aris
bow at the
portant message
is being
WOMEN NOW PREFER
DOUBLE-DUTY DRESS
Two dresses have always been bet.
ter than one, but now women prefer,
above all, the single dress that is
really Transformable clothes—
originally an experiment to test out
the possibility of thrifty fashions
have become hig successes i
The fine feature of the :ransform-
able clothes is the fact that there
is hardly an evidence of their double
duty background.
Time wns when a transformation
dress showed its taking-apart qualities
at first glance; nowadays hardly a |
dress goes by in any fashion parade
that doesn’t look as if it might be |
taken apart and transforssd—hence
the dress which has this as its purpose |
is not set apart from others in any
way.
two
Designers Making Much
of All-Beige Costumes |
Designers are making much of the
all-beige costume as an advance spring
fashion. Introduced in mid-winter,
the first beiges planned for 1033 were
of a darker tinge than usual. Many
of them had a greenish cast, or were
crosses between beiges and Zrays,
The current popularity in beiges
leans toward lighter, paler shades,
Many of the beige costumes shown In
the better dressmakers are actually
a deep, cream color, or lean toward
pale yellow. One of the favorites ie
a very light beige that approximates
the most delicate tones in baby Iynx
furs.
Black Chiffon Is Being
Revived for Evening Wear
Black chiffon, an old favorite eve
ning fashion, is being revived Many
smart women, tired of bright red
crepe and black satins are taking up
a fashion that has always had big
geasons of success, and are adapting it
to 1033 silhouettes
Many of the newest evening dresses
appearing at fashionable theater open
ings are either entirely of black chif.
fon, or are of chiffon combined with
lace or with satin
WHEN SEASONS BEGIN
The dates of the equinoxes—that
is, the dates of the sun's crossing of
the equator — are approximately
March 21 and September 22. The
dates of the solstices—when the sun
is farthest, north or south, from the
equator—are approximately June 21
and December 21. These positions
of the sun are considered to mark
the boundaries between the seasons,
The time varies a little from year to
year, and the season may begin a
day earlier or later than the dates
given. This year spring begins
March 20 at 8:43 a. m., eastern
etandard time. Summer will begin
at 4:12 p. m,, June 21; autumn at
7:01 p. m., September 23; and win-
ter at 1:58 p. m. December 22,
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LL women at
some period of
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strengthening tonic
Jike Dr. Pierce's Fa-
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Read what Mrs.
Ethel Shoesmaliet of
233 Paca Cum-
be rland, ne says:
il tired out and
able to do my
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mig 1 bad taken only half a bottle
when noticed a great change, but kept on
taking it until I was not only the p icture of
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Weite to Dr. Pleree's Clink, Buffalo,
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yey nervous
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One Soap
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Ree of blemishes, your
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sand glistening, your
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Use
Glenn’s
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Contains 33V3 7% Pare Selgher. At druggists
Bohland's Styptic Cotion, 25¢
Toilet
Bath
Shampoo
Query
eyer
ith organ?
Was there
played a mot
What SHE TOLD
WORN-OUT HUSBAND
HE could have reproached him
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