Evening Star Newspaper, June 18, 1933, Page 74

Pepper Puts One Over By Lillian Taft Maize Just a Bit Too Keen for the Others, This Girl Springs a Real Surprise—but That’s the Story. RANNY looked up from her sewing as the gate-latch clicked. It might be the boy from the Baby Shoppe to take away the half dozen tiny dresses she had just finished; it might be the mailman leaving some mdvertisements, the only kind of mail Granny received nowadays; or it might be—Pepper! The thought that it might be Pepper lighted a spark of happiness in Granny's eyes as she watched the bend in the path. If it should be Pepper, Granny would take precious care not to frighten her away again. It was nearly a week now since the girl had Jast come up the path. And she was not coming now. It was only the mailman. Granny sighed as she went on with her sewing. She had so hoped it would be Pepper. She was a mystcwy, was Pepper. She had been dropping in for a daily visit ever since the morning, 'way back in the early Summer, when she stopped at the little house on the edge of town to ask for a drink. She was from New York, she worked at something or other in the Winter, she had traveled a good deal and she was staying at a rather cheap hotel down by the lake. That much Granny knew, but no more, She didn’t even know Pepper’s last name. “Just call me ‘Pepper,” the girl had said, “and Il come a-runnin’!” And straight into Granny’s heart she had run, slang, rouge, lipstick and all. There was something wistful and appealing under the pert sophistication. Maybe she was lonely, too. Seemed funny, though, that she should leave the hotel, where there were other young folks, and come to see an old woman. But it was wonderful for Granny. Then, in a moment of weakness, Granny had spoiled everything. She had given way to a longing to talk about her troubles—the lone- liness of age, with family and friends all gone; her fear of the time when she could no longer work; her horror of ending her days as a charge upon the community. Pepper had listened intently, a thoughtful pucker on her brow. She had expressed her sympathy in a style all her own, slangy but sincere. Then she had uncoiled her silken legs and whisked away; and she had not come back. “No way to treat sunshine,” Granny told herself wretchedly. GAIN the gate-latch clicked. Again Granny looked up, hopefully, eagerly. And this time she gave a glad cry. It was Pepper! She waved her hand as she passed the window, and Granny got up so quickly that she upset her basket. Her heart was beating fast, her hands were trembling as she hobbled to the door. Pepper had come again! The cutest” girl, she was. Perched there in her old place on the lumpy sofa, her red curls gay against the faded cushions, her big eyes shining, a new spattering of golden freckles across her saucy nose, she made such a pretty picture that Granny just sat and looked at her and forgot to sew. And it wasn't because of Granny’s tale of woe that she'd stayed away, after all. She’d been on a long hike up in the mountains and only just got back. Granny’s relief was profound. She was a silly old woman, imagining all kinds of things that weren’t true. She smiled fondly at Pep- per. “The trip’s done you lots of goed, child. Ycu've lost that sort o’ peaked look you had.” Pepper did not answer, She leaned closer, her elfin face curiously excited. “Listen, Granny! I've got something to tell you!” Granny nodded happily. She always felt grateful when Pepper called her by that dear pame. “Remember what you was tellin’ me the other @Gay?” the girl began. “About that nice home for old ladies, up on the hill, where you'd go #f you only had the money; and if you just had a room there, you'd be so happy, and not have to worry any more about goin’ to the poorhouse?” Granny flushed. It sounded terrible, spoken ht out in plain words like that. “Why— hy, of course,” she stammered. Pepper caught Granny’s hands, work and all, #nd shook them vigorously. “Congrats, Mrs. Bush!” she caroled. “You can take a walk up o that home and pick you out a room, when- pwer you're ready!” Granny stared at the girl. Surely she Wwouldn't joke about anything like that, but what in the world . . . “You see, it was like this!” Pepper was say- g, the words fairly tumbling from her eager Mips. “I was lyin’ up on a cliff this morning, punnin’ myself after my swim, and a bunch of poung fellas came and parked right below me on the beach. They'd come out there to hold Rn important meeting, and I'll say they used B lotta words. But I was half asleep and their Bhatter didn’t register any until I heard ’em falking about the prize, and then I sure $@d tune in.” *“The—prize?” Granny queried. *You c=2id it! Five hundred berries for the &ost p ar girl in the town of Lorendo!” Grani_ :nit puzzled brows. “For—canning?” she asked dubijously. Pepper emitted a joyous hoot. * ‘Canning is good! And you’re the one that's going to ‘can’ 'em!” HE slipped to a bassock at Granny’s feet, lowered her vode mysteriously, “You see, @ranny, the merchants of this town are put- tin’ on a popularity contest. For every dol- lar’'s worth of merchandise anybody buys, they get the right to put in 10 votes. Now, these young fellas had been savin’ their votes, see? Keepin’ ’em to dump in at the last minute and put their candidate in the lead. She’s a high school blond that they're all kinda sweet on. I mean they were, up to last night. Then she queered herself, all right. She turned the leader of the bunch down cold and and went to a dance with a ritzy chap from the Big Town.” “Dear, dear!” Granny clucked. *“And what will the boys do now?” “Well, that’s what they were holdin’ that meetin’ for, tryin’ to figure out what to do with those votes. Ome thing they knew, and that was they weren't goin’ to vote for that girl. You see, Granny, these boys are through with girls, forever! And just then was where I slid down the bank and right into the middle of the meetin’. After the first shock, they were glad I'd come, because I brought ’em a swell idea. I told ’em how they could get a kick out of it and do some good at the same time, and they're comin’ over in a few minutes to talk it over with you.” “With—me?” Granny questioned blankly. “What for?” “They're goin' to make you their candidate! And you're bound to win because one of their fathers has just furnished a biz apartment house and they’ve got votes enough to run you miles ahead of every one else.” “But—1I don’t understand!” fluttered Granny. Pepper fixed her with a stern eye. “Haven’t you been listenin’ to my spiel, Granny? They're comin’ to see their candidate, to get your full name and so on. That means that you're the one who’s going to win that big prize!” Granny’s head was swimming. “You mean— the berries?” she asked uncertainly. “The prize, dear heart, is five hundred dol- ars! Five hundred big round dollars!” Five hundred dollars! Granny’s lips moved soundlessly, framing the words. They would give all that money to an old woman, just to get even with a girl! “Why, that ain't right!” Granny said flatly. “It ain’t fair!” “Now look, Granny!” Pepper said earnestly. “I'm straight, myself! And you can take it from me that there’s nothin’ crooked about this, If they don’t put you up, they’ll prob’ly get some other old lady, now that I've given 'em the idea. And you might as well have the money as some one else. Ain’t that right?” Granny murmured assent, only partly con- vinced, but under the spell of Pepper’s plead- Ing eyes and cajoling voice. “The contest closes at 3 this afternoon,” the “But I lit out before they got to me!” Pepper said gleefully, between wipes. girl went on briskly. “At 8 o’clock tonight the boys’ll come for you with a car and take you to the open-air theater in the park, where the grand wincd-up of the contest is goin’ to be held with 2 pageant and all kinds of doings. All you’ll have to do is to walk out on the stage when they announce the winner and ‘make your little bow.” “Me? On the stage?” There was infinite horror in Granny’s tone. “Why, I'd no more do such a thing——" “Not for five hundred dollars?” Pepper de- manded severely. “Not to get into that nice home, where there’d be kind people to take care of you long’s you live?” “Oh, I don’t know!” moaned Granny. “I couldn’t get up there ’fore all those folks, like a sort cf comic valentine, when they’d be ex- pecting a Pretty young girl. I just couldn’t.” “Ssssh!” hissed Pepper, “They’re comin!” She darted to the door, then back again. “Listen, Granny!’ she coaxed. “Here’s your chance! Say ‘Yes’ when they ask you! Keep thinkin’ how rotten it would be to live in the poorhouse! Keep rememberin’ how happy you'd be in the home! And if you refuse,” she tddeg passionately. “I'll never speak to you again! A rap sounded on the door. Pepper flew to open it. ALF a dozen young faces looked in rather sheepishly from the porch; half a dozen tall boys grinned and shuffied their feet when they met Granny's frightened gaze. Their leaaer took an awkward step forward, but Pep- per caticipated his speech. “YI've told Mrs. Bush about your proposition, geutlemen,” she said formally, “and she’s willin’ to act as your candidate. Ain’t you, Mrs. Bush?” Granny starea helplessly at them. 8She wanted to say she wouldn’t do it. but how could she, with Pepper’s beguiling, threatening eyes upon her? “Y-yes!” she quavered. The instant the word was spoken, Pepper whirled out to the porch, closing the door upon herself and her accomplices. The window was THE. SUNDAY STAR, open and Granny eould hear their volces. Once Pepper popped her head in to ask for Granny’s full name. She could. hear them spelling i out: Bessalena Butterfleld Bush. And then Pepper's voice again, talking the slang jargon that was almost like a forelgn language: “Can’t you put 1t over without havin' her come into the spotlight?” she was demanding. “Aw, gee! They want to se® the winner, don’t they?” “You remember what I said! She's old, and she ain't goin’ down there to be guyed! If there's any chance of any rough stufl belng pulled, I want to know it now!” “Aw, there won't be anything like thatl All she's gotta do is walk on, take her check and walk off again if she don't want to stay.” “She don't!” Pepper said crisply. “And you see to it that she gets off quick, before some- body starts something!” There was a chorus of “Aws” and “Sures,” much shuffling of feet, the click of the gate— and Pepper was back in the room, running over to Granny, hugging her excitedly. “I knew you'd do it!” she exulted. “I knew you'd be a good sport!” Granny was clasping and unclasping her trembling hands. “I can’t do it, child!” she whimpered. “Face all those people. All those eyes starin’ at me! I just can’t!” “You can, Granny!” Pepper said firmly. “You're goin’ to lie down now and have a long nap. When you wake up, I'll have a nice supper ready for you, and then I'll help you dress.” The girl’s strong arm was around her, lifting her out of her chair. The girl’s strong will was carrying her on resistlessly. Granny made one more plea, “I haven't got a thing to wear! All my clothes are as old- fashioned as the hills.” Pepper chuckled. “Don’t let that worry you any! I wouldn’t let you wear new clothes if you had ’em!” Tucked neatly into her bed, the shades of her little room drawn and the door closed, Granny was supposed to drop off at once into a restful sleep. But for a long time her eyes were wide open, her white head shaking a ceaseless nega- tive on the pillow, as she visualized the fan- tastic thing,they expected her to do. “I can’t!” she was murmuring, when sleep at last over- came her. “I just can't!” HEY were the first words she spoke when she awakened, and Pepper, standing at the bedside looking down at her, nodded sooth- ingly. “All right, Granny,” she agreed. *You needn’t!” Granny gasped. “You—you mean—I don’t have to do it?” she asked. “You're not going to—make me—get up on—that stage?” Pepper shook her head. “I'm afraid to lJet you. I've been thinkin’ about it all afternoon, and I got cold feet myself. No tellin’ what'll happen, and I'm not goin’ to take any chances with you, Granny. But you're goin’ to get that prize, just the same, believe me! I've got one grand and glorious idea, and it’s goin’ to work!” Granny didn’t understand about the cold feet or the glorious idea, but she did under- stand that she was not to get up and dress the wide-skirted old black silk gown, the bead-trimmed bonnet and the black mitts Pepper had carefully laid across a chafr. sat up in bed and thankfully ate the that Pepper brought her, and from so much excitement, was sleep almost immediately. She roused once or twice to smile at Pepper, who was busy with a large box that she 1 opened on the dresser. She was daubing thing on her face from a jar out of the box. A later squint, from eye, showed that she was st on Granny’s dress and bonnet and was drawing the silk mitts on. ‘just putting on Granny’s ¢k the child look old. Seemed white instead of red under The old lady in the mirror turned long and searchingly at the old lady in the four