China Chief by Virginia Harris Everyone knew it from the house boy to the cook; Ivy Hall was losing one of its star boarders tonight, for at exactly ten ten, Kathy Potter was flying to the coast to be married. Even the new girls were excited. That was nothing new, as Kathy had a way of making everything she did exciting, but for the first time she, herself, was dropping spoons and twisting sentences. Since five-forty-five when Mrs. Sisks called her from dinner to take a long distance from Frisco, she'd been dancing about as if her veins were filled with soda water. It was good to see her smiling again. This was the old Kathy we used to love before the Japs bombed the Harbor and Paul's Christmas leave was cancelled. We had her bags all packed in the trunk by fifteen of ten and the goodbyes said when Kathy dashed back up to our room. She had a funny little bag under her arm when she returned. We'd checked and rechecked everything but I guess you always forget something. However, I didn't have time to find out just what we'd overlooked before Mrs. Sisk called her to the phone again. Kathy opened the door, but paused a moment. Curiosity and intuition were waging a war curiosity won. Some of the twinkle in Kathy's eye had vanished when she returned some fifteen minutes later, but I didn't take time to quiz her just then. I raced the Ponty down State for we would have to be pretty lucky to make the airport in that traffic. But Kathy had me turn off on Washakie. I demanded an explanation and got it. Now she had decided to go by train. The kid must be wackie. There wasn't another west bound out till five-fifty tomorrow. But she wasn't going West. "Kathie, are you crazy?" I said. She nodded. "Yes, matie, I guess that's what you'd probably call it." Then she explained. "You know Aunt Jennie's girl, well, she is expecting a package via storkage pretty soon. She is scared stiff. Steve got a transfer last week and the Doc won't let her join him until after Junior arrives. Poor little kid, she's all alone and ..." Here Kathy faded out so I finished it for her. "She wants you to come pace the floor with her." She nodded. The more I thought of it, the madder I got. "But you did tell your cousin about Paul, didn't you? He only has three days, and heaven only knows, the next time they dock for repairs it will probably be in the Jap's half of the ocean." Kathie was silent for a long time, then softly, "You don't understand, matie, I can't explain it. I just gotta go. I don't know why, I've just got to, that's all." And believe me I didn't understand. "Just because they sink a couple ships I don't see why you have to call off an age old feud, and a beautiful one at that. It doesn't make sense to me." But there was no use arguing, Nick was a stubborn one, once she put her mind to anything. Page Ten The ten-thirty-seven was just pulling in as we left the ticket office. Kathy was still carrying that funny little bag but she dropped it in the basket as we went out on the platform. I asked her about it but she laughed and said she guessed she wouldn't need it any more. She seemed relieved now and the twinkle came back. If the red cap hadn't brought the baggage checks just then, I would have found out what that mysterious something was, but I was still too confused to think quite straight. I stood on the platform a long time after the train had pulled out. If I know Paul Manners, he'd be making the water hot between here and Frisco until he found out why the plane landed without her. Somehow, I'd have to make him understand. That wouldn't be easy unless I understood it myself. One minute you're humming Lohengrin's wedding march and the next you're flashing S. O. S.'s to the stork to the tune of "Bye Bye Baby." I don't get it. Even that wouldn't be so hard to understand if the kids were pals but they weren't to hear Kathy tell it there is no kid on earth as little and mean as this Irene. The way Irene was frightened into admitting she was the one that broke the china center piece was one of my Kathie's favorite stories. Unless I'm mistaken that was the year Kathy turned nine that Irene spent her first summer with the Potter's. She was an only child, skinny and pampered, just a few months younger than Kathy. Even at that, everything would have been all right if Irene had been a torn boy, but she turned green at the sight of legless frogs and one - eyed rats. Kathy despised sissies, even if they were girls. Mom Potter didn't seem to understand how it was between Irene and Kathy. It wasn't that Kathy didn't like Irene. She just didn't want her around, especially when Mrs. Potter reminded Kathy she always wanted another girl. Before Irene came she used to tell Kathy how she always wanted a girl. When all three of her brothers came along, Mrs. Potter prayed for just one girl, but the time Kathy got around to making apperance, Mom was so used to having boys she didn't care when they taught Kathy to catch spiders and climb trees. But now she wanted to dress Kathy up in little pink dresses with blue bows down the front and that did not set so well with Kathy. You can't turn into a lady over night, not when you'd been a tomboy all your life. The whole thing got on Kathy's nerves, but it wasn't until after Irene broke the center piece and kept Kathy out of the base ball tournament because she lied about it, that Kathy decided to swing into action. Up on the top shelf of old Tom's curio shop there was a perfect china model of an Indian warrior; war paint, tommyhawk, and all. Tom let his prize go for an old watch and a pair of rattlers, and sixty-seven cents. Kathy put Ponto, that's what she named him, on the top shelf till a nice moonlight night came along. Then she waited until Irene was asleep. Quietly she got the little chief and placed him on the table up over her head and gave a war whoop. It worked. Irene sat up in bed, gave a scream and ran out of the room crying bloody murder. Kathy grabbed Ponto and slipped him back on the shelf. In a moment, Mr. and Mrs. Potter came in to prove to Irene she was just dreaming. Kathy was sleeping so peacefully, but not for long as the chair was still by the shelf, and it didn't take Pop Potter long to find the china dummy. From then on they waged an undeclared war. Perhaps it was luck the summer was nearly over and Kathy went back to school or there is no telling what might have happened. Kathy was a junior in high before they met again. That was the year after Irene's mother died, so she spent the Christmas holidays with the Potters. Irene hadn't changed much, but Kathy had. Phil and Dannie were married and John was going steady, and Kathy sorta got the idea there might be something to this lady business after all. Irene semed to have all the answers with a half smile and a sweet little "yes sir," so Kathy tried to call off the battle, but nothing doing until Ponto was banished. Kathy hated to drop Ponto in the waste basket, since he had been her mascot for so long, but anything for the good of the cause She really intended to rescue him when Irene's back was turned, but somehow it slipped her mind until after the New Year's ball. As quite an accident, Kathy overheard Paul and Johnie talking over her revolution. They didn't like it and Kathy didn't either so she rushed home to rescue her banners. She sifted the ashes but not a sign of the little figure. Pop Potter caught her in the act and broke into a jolly laugh and sent her back to her room. There on the top shelf keeping a look for the enemy Ponto stood in all his war garb untouched by false armistices. Kathy smiled when she remembered the expression on Irene's face when she saw the brown chieftain. (Continued on page 18) Page Eleven