THE OMAHA BEE.
THE FAIRY PRINCE AND
AN UNWILLING
CINDERELLA.
By LILLY WANDELL.
Herman Lamont puzzled over the
pink note. "Elizabeth Tyndale?" he
remarked interrogatively of his
friend.
"ft's the house party invitation
from Mrs. Tyndale, my future
mother-in-law. No backing out,
young man, I want you to meet
Marie. She's wonderful besides,
you're clown as best man and you
might as well get acquainted now
us later. And Marie has a little
Mster, a peach. 1 know your taste,
and you are going to fall for her I"
"Don't tempt niel" yawned Her
man, but he did show interest with
an uusuppressible, "What's her
name?
"Marie, I said oh, her sister? Jes
sica." At the end of the week they left,
Herman protesting and Webster,
the happy lover, predicting all kinds
of delightful recompenses. Herman
was obliged to admit that he was
charmingly surprised by the lovely
flowerlike Marie, but when he was
introduced to .the dark-eyed, red
lipped Jessica and felt the smooth,
cool pressure of, her slim fingers,
he wondered how Webster could be
satisfied with the pale beauty of the
sister.
"And this is my cousin, Barbara
Page." Jessica was saying and he
was forced to tear his eyes away
from her to politely -meet the gray,
calm ones of a demure little person
.standing in back of the dazzling sis
ters. ''I am glad to know you." Bar
bar' murmured in a low voice giv
ing him her hand. He felt the
roughness of her fingers and no
ticed that her plain gray dress
seemed more for service than beau
ty. "Please excuse me, I have a
few arrangements to see about," and
swiftly made her exit.
"Barbara doesn't care much for
society life," excused Marie in a
somewhat embarrassed voice.
At the delichtful little dinner par
ty in the evening Herman looked
in vain for the little gray cousin.
When he accidentally came into the
pantry he found her with flushed
cheeks busily cutting sandwiches
and supervising the making of a
golden punch.
"Why aren't you dancing with the
others?" he demanded almost stern
ly. ' She shook a smooth, brown head.
"Too busy. Besides I don't care
very much about dancing."
She seemed so embarrased that
he left, but not without a promise
that he could see her later. "It's
a miserable shame," he told him
self as he wandered back to the
patty," to make a girl into a drudge.
To think that Marie, that lovely
Marie and Jessica no it was almost
impossible to believe anything mean
of Jessica, yet the proof was there,
very plain, in the position they
placed Barbara."
He danced with Jessica because
he simply could not resist her. but
as soon as he could gather suffi
cient moral strength, he tore him
self a3y and searched for Bar
bara. It was later than -he had
imagined and she was not to be
found. Then from one of the maids
lie wrested the information that she
had retired.
The next morning, quite early, he
met her before at immense linen
closet, distributing towels to two
waV'ing maids. Very net and cap
able she looked in her fresh gray
totton frock. She gave him a calm
pleasant good morning, and vould
have gone on with her work had he
not been so persistent. No, she did
not play tennis, nor ride, and she
had no time for a motor ride this
morning. This afternoon? Perhaps,
if nothing unforeseen occurred.
He walked away filled with tu
multuous, utterly disagreeable
thoughts. Incensed with the injus
time that was being done to Bar
bara and thrilled with the idea of
spending the entire morning with
Jessica, i
He was quite aware that he had
the choice of all the society buds,
that a score or more of matrons
stood ready with eager, welcoming
mother arms. What if he disap
pointed them all and played the
fairy prince and turned the little
grav girl into a Cinderella? It
would teach those two beautiful
Tyndale girls a lesson they sorely
needed. He would make a dazzling
queen of demure little Barbara.
He played tennis with Jessica all
morning. He played a swift game
on purpose, serving her hard fast
balls as though his opponent were a
man. He had seen many a girl
wilt at a tennis match, but the warm
er Jessica grew the more her hair
curled fascinatingly at her temples,
and when he had her jumping from
one end of the. court to the other
the last hair pin fell and two thick
ropes of glossy hair dropped almost
to her kne.es. It was then that Her
man gasped and missed 'a ball, and
realized how adorable she was. '.
But after lunch' he found Bar
bara. She was in a little sewing
room mending a lacy frock. He in
iquired to whom it belonged and she
told him it was Jessica's. A rush
of anger filled him. "Why doesn't
Jessica mend her own clothes?" he
asked. . She gave him a surprised
look and went on calmly with her
wing. "I would not do this if I
did not wish to," she told him cold
ly. Herman could not help but ad
mire her. "She will not be pitied,"
he thought, "she does not want me
to see how they treat her, but. my
Cinderella, I am going to be your
prince in spite of your pride."
The Tyndales did not see the last
of Herman Lamont when the house
party ended. He was back inside
of a week and though everybody
thought it was Jessica who attracted
him, he really came with' the hope
of seeing more of Barbara Page. He
did not see very much of her; she
was always busy with some house
hold duty, but Jessica more than
compensated. She fairly bubbled
over with joy and good spirits, quite
unable to cover her delight of see
ing him again. When she asked
him to call aain he said very earn
estly that he surely would, and he
was thinking of Barbara.
He became a frecruent visitor at
Tyndales, and always on each, visit
he asked very purposely for Bar
bara. Dutifully. Jessica would call
her and Barbara would appear. But
somehow, before he knew it, she had
tlipped away again.
One day the unexpected happened.
A Page of Short Stories for Bee Readers
Herman drew his roadster up before
the Tyndale residence with the firm
resolution to hold Barbara with his
conversation and not let any fas
cinating Jossica distract his atten
tion. The maid at the door inform
ed him that Miss Jessica was out,
and he immediately asked for Miss
Page. The girl looked at him in
mild astonishment and ushered him
in.
Barbara appeared, a little flushed,
her pleasant calmness somewhat
ruffled, Herman noticed with delight.
"This time you cannot refuse," he
declared joyously, "you simply must
come for a ride. Now don't hesitate,
but run for your hat and let's be off."
She laughed. "Well, you are per
sistent!" she looked at her neat little
wrist watch, considering. "I sup
pose I can spare a Half hour. I'll
be right down."
Excited over his victory Herman
waited, fearful that any minute some
thing might happen- to prevent Bar
bara's going with him. Then and
there he determined to wait no long
er and be the fairy prince that very
afternoon.
On a lonely hill-top he stopped his
car ostensibly to show his com
panion the spreading valley below.
"Barbara," he began softly gather
ing all the courage he could muster,"
Barbara, surely you have noticed,
surely, you have guessed
She gave him her calm, pleasant
smile, "Of course, I am not blind.
Jessica herself confided to me that
she loves you and I wish you both
all the happiness that." she hesitated
and turned her face away then soft
lv "that I expect to have with my
J'iml"
"Your whatl" burst out Herman.
"My Jim," she answered simply,
and turned two shining, happy eyes
to him." You might as well know,
though it is a family secret. We are
going to be married in the winter.
He has a wonderful tig hotel in the
country Oh, can you imagine how
I, who detest parties and society, will
love that? Jim, has promised that
I can have full management. Oh,
you should see the linen room and
the pantries!" Her cheeks were
pink now with anticipated pleasure.
Herman gazed at . her in utter
astonishment. "Then you love thai
sort of thing managing, directing
all vou have been doing at Mrs.
Tyndales?"
She gave him an amazed look,
"Do you really think I would have
done that kind of work if I had not
enjoyed it?" Then as if she sud
denly understood, she put her head
back and laughed long and heartily.
"Were you sorry for me? Thougnt
they were imposing upon me? Per
haps a poor relation?" Miserably his
blushing confessed for him. "You
poor, kind, man, just to make you
feel perfectly easy I will tell you.
Dad left me enough to buy my Jim
two or three hotels, if I choose, and
as for dear Jessica, she tried hard
enough to make a butterfly out of
me, but I simply don't care for that
sort of thing!"
Herman took both her hands firm
ly in his and thanked her. In his
heart he thanked her again for he
was free to woo Jessica. -
Motor Digest
The Apache trail.- a road of 120
miles in length, leading from Phoe
nix to Globe, Ariz., is reputed to be
the "meanest road" in the United
States for motor driving.
Sentence of the horse thief in the
old days ranged from eight years to
hanging. In motlern days the au
tomobile thief gets a mild fin or a
short confinement in jail.
All tourists.entering California by
automobiles are required by law to
register 24 hours after their arrival.
There is no charge for this registra
tion, which is good for three months.
AH the national roads in France,
to the extent of 24,000 miles, are
lined with trees planted and cared
for' by the government. The min
istry of public works has more than
3,000,000 trees under its control.
One of the latest French passen
ger automobiles, recently exhibited
in' this country, is distinguished by
brakes on all four wheels, which it
is claimed will stop the car moving
at 65 miles per hour in 100 feet.
Every automobile driver in Chi
cago is required to carry a card bear
ing his signature, his" photograph,
the number of his,car and his quali
fications. Violators of this order are
subject to fines of from $10 to $200.
The State Highway department of
Pennsylvania will have use of 80
trucks, 60 snow plows, 60 road ma
chines and hundreds of men to keep
the hard-surfaced main highways
open for traffic during the winter
months.
Various departments of the gov
ernment of the 48 states in the union
have use of 30,000 passenger cars
and trucks. Twenty-three thousand
of this total are automobiles and
trucks used by the states for the
improvement of highways.
"The Tin Can Tourists of the
World" recently held their annual
convention in Tampa, Fla., with
more than 1,000 persons from 40
states. The organization is com
posed of tourists who live in their
automobiles and in tents on free
camp sites.
Records kept by gate attendants
at Yellowstone National park as to
the number of motor, vehicles visit
ing the park this season show Mon
tana furnjshed more auto tourists
than any other . state. The total
number of cars which entered from
all states for 1920 was 13,502.
Of the 112.376 passenger automo
biles exported from the United States
during the first 10 months of 1920,
the United Kingdom is listed with
18,154 cars, British India. 10,848;
Canada. 7,360; British South Africa,
5,510; Cuba, 5.286; New Zealand,
5.099; Brazil. 4.968; Sweden, 4,887;
Dutch East Indies. 3,439; Argentina,
3.372; Uruguay, 3.287; Norway, 3,000.
A "periscope" automobile danger
signal, which warns motorists of the
approach at night of cars or trucks,
around a curve or corner, is now
used in Ohio. The signal works au
tomatically. It consists of a nine
inch red lens with a mirror so ar
ranged in back of it that it catches
the rays from the headlight of a car
approaching around the curve and
throws them into the red lens, illumi
nating it
ACHILLES HEEL
By A. MARIA CRAWFORD.
He wondered why he was not
thrilling at the thought of going to
her. Perhaps age had denied him the
joy and agony of leaping pulse and
throbbing heart and brain. He had
loved her madly in the Rolden-hcart-ed
days of youth, thought of her far
too often and too much after he had
tried to forget her by marrying the
sweet, gentle woman who had borne
his name for so many yeais before
she left him to set out, uncomplain
ingly as always, on the last great ad
venture alone. He winced a little at
the thought that he could not have
loved her more. He had been kind,
attentive, considerate. He had no
regrets, for everything that money
and care could provide had been hers
to the very last. And now Rose, his
princess of happy, carefree days, had
been a widow for three years and he
was at liberty to tell her the old, old
story again.
He had gone once a year to see
her, just to be near her, all during
her husband's lifetime. He had been
a rich middle-aged man, more or less
an invalid, and there were those who
said that Rose had chosen him be
cause he was the only one of her
suitors able to pay the price she de
manded for her beauty and charm. '
After his own bereavement Rose
had written him a letter of condol
ence. In it he had seemed to read
between the lines that some day,
when a decent period of mourning
has passed, she would want him as
much as' he had once wauted her.
One wanted her? The thought was
a sacrilege. She had been the one
great passion of his life. It was be
cause of her that he had forged
ahead of his fellows, that he had be
come one of the few noted southern'
surgeons. As a rule, he knew that
scientists were not given to the idol
atry of ahy woman. They knew too
much about them.
He looked down at hi. square,
blunt fingers, steady as a lighthouse.
Once they had trembled with eager
ness to touch Rose. And he was
going to her, to once more ask her
to marry him. He knew that Rose
was expecting him. He felt that he
knew what he was going to say.
The train slowed down at a little
middle Tennessee station. From
the rear Pullman, where he was rid
ing, he looked out over the typical
little southern town. Idle, loafing
young men, who ought to be at
work speeding up production so
that the demand could be met and
prices consequently loweredl Silly
girls, flappers, rouged, powdered,
dressed in the varying colors of the
rainbow, who should have been at
home learning the simple duties that
Would fit them to be efficient wives
and mothers! Old men, run down
at the heel, rheu'inatic of limb and
brain, gathered in groups, uuin
telligently discussing the relative
merits of Cox and Harding when
they might have been still engaged
in usefu-l occupation if they had con
served their strength. Old women,
shrunken to the wrinkled state of a
dried prune, on their way to the
grocery store in quest of staples
and local gossip, gazing at the train
with fading eyes, eyes which had
somehow failed to catch a vision
that even age cannot destroy. LiK
was a complex thing, mused the sur
geon. ,
He was not aware that anyone
had entered the roach until he heard
a soft, sweet voice ask timidly,
"Please, may I share this seat for
an hour or two?"
He was up in a second, stowing
the girl's smart traveling bag under
the opposite seat, giving her his
place by the window.
"The train is so crowded I had
to impose myself on some one," she
told him.
"I am glad that I am the fortunate
one," smiled Doctor Will Hay
mond. "I, needed company just
now. I was growing unpleasantly
introspective. It does not pay
when the snows of many winters
rest upon one's head." He touched
his gray hair lightly.
"Gray hair is a bugbear only to a
woman," said the girl. "It makes a
man look so distinguished. You do
not only look distinguished; you arc
distinguished. I recognized you at
once from the pictures of you I have
seen in the papers. You are the
great Dr. Will Haymond, whose
skillful hands carry healing to so
many broken, suffering bodies."
When she left him, three hours
Inter, he felt that 'iey were old-time
friends. . He had been , vaccinated
with the virus of youth's subtle flat
tery and it had taken, miraculously.
Just before she had boarded the
train he had acknowledged to him
self that he was urquestionably old,
that life could never again offei him
a real thrill, but he had been mis
taken. When he. looked into her
gray eyes, misty with a girl's happy
dreams, he knew once more the urge
of life and visioned heights which he
had believed himself unable to scale
again. She was utterly dear. And
shesked him, adorably shy in her
manner, 4o come to see her if he
should ever stop in the little town
where she was going to teach domes
tic science that winter. If he only
could t
He was going to Rose to ask her
to marry him. He must not forget
that
He found Rose waiting for him in
her smart electne. Hatted and
veiled and clothed tn a stunning new
fill frock, she hardly looked her 40
years. But he had to admit that the
bloom was off the peach. He
thought of the girl who had traveled
beside him for three blissful hours
that were all too short. She was not
wise in the ways of the world as
Rose had learned to be. For her life
was still a fairy story book which
some man would be privileged to
show her.
All at once something Rose was
saving penetrated his brooding con
sciousness." "You know. Will, I've
been aching to -write you the news,
but decided to wait until you came.
I am going to be married again to
fudge Robert Fuller. It wijl be a
lovely way to spend my declining
years helping him dispose of his
millions." She laughed lightly,
looking at him coyly to see the re
sult of her announcement.
"And Will Haymond lightly
echoed that laughter. "Good for
you, little woman," he said heartily.
"Best wishes. By the way. I have
to send a wire right away. I want
to make an appointment in one of
the middle state towns for tomorrow
I night, at the very latest."
A ' Change
By Oney
The word "chautauqua" may mean
but an odd jumble of letters to the
resident oi the big city. But dur
ing the past 10 years the smaller
cities and towns throughout the
country have cume to think of it
as an institution that comes with
the summer.
The chautauqua tent is a big khaki
canvas affair that is pitched in the
tall grass on the edge of town. It
stays up for a week and the program
changes daily. Bryan has talked
there; Alice Neilsou has sung there;
Reno has performed his tricks of
magic; Weber has played there with
his big hand. One night a lecture,
next night a band concert, the fol
lowing night an operatic production.
The tents are so pitched in a
series of towns and the 'circuit so
arranged that the "talent," is obliged
to make what the old trouper used
to call "one night stands." ' Madame
Trethio, booked out of Pittsburgh,
was making a jump, between con
certs, and was scared amid the red
plush of a late train with her man
ager, Joe Klinki.
It was noontime of a hot day that
Stood for "great corn weather."
Most of the passengers were nap
ping, their heads thrown back, their
mouths open. Traveling men had
removed their coats, displaying their
silk shirts, and their collars . were
unbuttoned in ''front, and their ties
disarranged. Even the political dis
cussions were being carried on in
languid sort of fashion. The con
ductor, alpaca coated, passed down
the aisle to collect the fare of the
woman with the baby who had got
ten on at Garden City, stuck a slip
of pasteboard in the shutter window
opposite her, and returned to his
scat near the oranges and magazines
of the indifferent train butcher.
Traffic continued but it did so list
lessly. The corn was being made.
Joe Klinki seemed to be the only
alert human on the whole train. He
had nervously doped out the time
table for the day, when he turned
sharply to the prima donna beside
him.
"No, I'll tell you, Cora, you'll have
to put more pep into that 'Oh, That
I Could Be With You Always' solo.
I was in the back of the tent there
at that town what was the name of
it last night There's a great
chance for you on that love song,
but you don't quite put it over."
The prima donna, startled out of
the beginning of a siesta, gave a jerk
of her shoulders at being brought
suddenly back to be surroundings
c.f the train and the waving corn
fields. "Every morning you kick on that
song, Joe. You know how much
sleep I got last night making that
early connection at Cedar Falls." -
"It's for- your own good I kick,
Cora. You who could be the great
est singer in America if you would
only feel right here at your heart
feel. Your notes they come out a!!
right, but they .just come out of
your mouth, not from the heart. And
I am thinking of the seasons ahead
when 1 could manage you if you
would only do as I say.' Three
weeks since we started now, and that
big solo always the same just
words. Like this vou should sing:
O, That I Could Be With You Al
ways.' You see. Like you meant
it"
"I'm tired. Joe. No sleep the last
two nights with those train jumps."
"You sing that song right this aft
ernoon, understand. The train is
slowing down. What was the name
of that town we're to get off at?
Look at the name on the depot,
Cora. Yeah, that's it."
On the way up from the depot,
the prima donna had noticed the
chautauqua pennants flung on a wire
across the street and the posters of
the various attractions of the week
BEATING TEMPTATION
TO IT.
By SAM HELLMAN
This world of ours is getting wiser
every day and more suspicious. Tell
a 4-year-old child about Santa Claus
and she will probably inform you
that "the tradition concerning Kris
Kringle lacks all the basic qualities
of realism." A 10-year-old boy
nowadays can make his father say:
Sh! Your mother is in the next
room."
Maggie Holmes came to the Peer
less department store in the big city
from one of those places where all
the vote is in by 8 a. m. and the
judges and clerks have counted the
other six. True, she was only a
country maiden, but she had read
the Sunday papers and heaps of
books and from the time she board
ed the mixed accommodation at the
Junction she had kept a wary eye
open, No city man was going to
offer her a magazine, sit down be
side her, fall in love .with her, take
her to the great city, marry her by
fraud and then abandon her with
the child. Not Maggie Holmes.
Maggie knew just how these vil
lains operated and she would give
them no chance.
The train arrived at the city with
out anyone having spoken to her ex
cept the conductor, who said:
"Get your baggage out of the
aisle. Do you want me to break my
neck?"
A taxicab chauffeur at the station
who tried to lure her into his ma
chine she passed by with a smile of
scorn and an inward feeling of tri
umph. It was easy to avoid these
city pitfalls if you watched yourself.
Maggie got a job at the Peerless
right away. She was assigned to the
notions. That was a bad sign. All
the girls she had read about had
started their dissolute careers from
the notions. She said something
about it to the superintendent, but
he wasn't much of a reader and gave
her the choice between the notions
and the broad highway. Maggie
took the notions.
While Maggie is taking an inven
tory of the notions we will take one
of her. She is not pretty. Her hair
is the kind of red that even a gentle
man hairdresser couldn't call auburn,
and her hands are redder than her
hair. Her eyes are muddy and her
face heavy. She undoubtedly has
wrists and ankles, bat it is difficult
to tell where they end and the rest
of the limbs begin. Her complexion
well, Maggie has finished her inven
tory, so let's be fair and end ours.
At noon, a girl in an adjoining, de
partment shouted to Maggie:
"Cm on out to lunch with us, kid,
and get acquainted."
of Program
Fred Sweet
posted against the telephone poles.
By the time Cora Tretino reached
the tent the crowd had already be
gun to gather.
Cora Tretino had been me attrac
tion that had drawn the countryside
together, but not the entire attrac
tion. . There was a buzz of conver
sation in the tent retired farmers
talking politics, mothers keeping
their children in tow, fellows taking
their girls some place lor the first
time.
But all was quiet when Madame
Tretino sang. And when she s3ng,
"Oh, That I Could Be With You
Always," Joe Klinki hurried to the
back of the tent to congratulate the
niadame as she came off the plat
form.
"I knew you could do it," he en
thused. "Vou sanji just like I told
you from here, the heart.
"And they are coming back to tell
you how well they liked it. See! I
will get their names and introduce.
You see the difference it makes
when you sing that number right?
What is the name, mister?
"The name doesn't make so much
difference, brother," remarked the
man in line. "Just wanted to shake
the lady's hand. Always said 'Silver
Ihreads Among the Gold was my
favorite, "but I've got a new one now.
I was jes wondering if she wouldn't
like to take, an automobile ride be
tween now and the evening con
cert." One of the big cars parked out in
the street belonged to him and he
helped the madame in. They whiz
zed through Main street and were
soon out where the corn waved.
"Corn looks all right, but we
need rain," he told her, after they
had ridden some time in silence.
"That's my place over to the left
where you see the big red barn.
Ain't much of a house, but she could
be fixed over. S'pose vou get kinda
tired jumpin' to a new place every
day. How long you been singin'-"
"Ten seasons. But Joe said this
was the first time I ever put over
that 'Oh, That I Could Be With
You Alway' number.".
"Well, you put it over., Guess you
remember lookin' right at rue when
you was singin it."
"Did you like it?"
"Well, I ain't much on fancy
singin', lady, but I liked the senti
ment. This here Joe he don't mean
anything to you, does he?"
"My manager, that's all."
"'There's 300 acres in this place,
in all," he pointed out. "Just re
fused $300 an acre. Thought some
of sellin' out, but I thought that
say, you meant that ong this after
noon, didn't ya?"
It was some time before she
spoke. She asked him what time
the train left after the concert that
night.
"Goin' west?' Two o'clock in the
morning."
He had slowed the car defwn and
they were in the shadows of the
maple windbreak. She saw the
peonies blooming in the yard, the
garden back of the house with its
green onions. She did like, geen
onions when chey were pulled fresh
out of the garden.
They wondered at the hotel what
was the matter with Joe Klinki as
he yelled "what, what, whatl" in
answering the telephone.
"That was a fine solo the lady
sang this afternoon," remarked a
traveling man, glancing up from
the writing desk where he was mak
ing out his report. What was the
name of it O That I Could Be
With You Always!' She sarig it as
if she meant it."
"Yeah," blazed Joe,, "and like a
darned fool that's what I've been
trying to get her to do for 10 sea
sons." Maggie refused. Why, in one of
Fanny Hurst's stories that she re
membered vividly, a girl went out to
lunch with another girl who intro
duced her to a friend who was a
plumber, who married her, and then
beat her because' she wouldn't go out
in a blizzard at 8-a. m to buy him
a bucket of beer. It's pretty hard to
tell in this sentence which girl mar
ried the plumber, but the fact re
mains that he was a brute and girls
can't be too careful about whom they
meet at the lunch hour. Maggie was
playing the city safe.
, That eyening Maggie found a
boarding house where men were not
permitted -to light She knew all
about the dangers of these co-educational
boarding houses. The man
across the hall was always 'some
starving artist who so appealed to
your pity that you married him, and
when he got rich and famous he
threw you over to marry the daugh
ter of the banker who "understood
him." Maggie was going to stay
married when she got that far.
The next day the blow fell. Mc
Call, the floorwalker he had a black
mustache and a diamond on his fin
ger passed by her counter and
smiled at her. Maggie at once knew
her dilemma. She .must either suc
cumb to the floorwalker or lose her
job. McCall passed her several
times during the next few hours and
each time smiled. Maggie's heart
trip-hammered while she waited for
McCall to say the words she could
already see forming on his lips.
"Meet me out in front after the
store closes and we will go to a
cozy place that I know of for supJ
per."
If she refused him she knew he
would have her discharged either by
putting a bolt of lace in her jacket
or having a customer make a com
plaint. By 4 o'clock Maggie's mind
was made up and she was milling
around in her head several crushing
replies to make to McCall.
At 4:30 the floorwalker leaned
over Maggie's counter.
"If it is convenient, will you
please remain a few moments after
the store closes. I would like to
speak to you."
White and cold, Maggie waited
near the elevator for McCall. He
approached with a smile.
"Oh, Miss Holmes, 1 have a Sun
day school class made up of girls
from the store and I should very
much like to have you join. Will
you?"
One of the replies that Maggie
had been rehearsing hurst from her:
"No, I will not. I'll quit first
I'm an honest country girl and you
can't make me do anything that's
not right" '
! WALL PAPER AND
BROKEN ICE.
By MABEL RUTH JACKSON,
"Walter, what you waiting for?
You'll be late at the office I"
"All right, Mother, I'm off. See
you tonight."
Closing tht door behind him! the
young man lingered for a moment on
the small front porch, ostensibly ex
amining the ivy which clambered
over the rail. A close observer
might have noticed, however, that his
attention was elsewhere. For, be it
known, and generally speaking, Mr,
Walter Bond was interested in the
laniuy next aoor. specmcaiiy
speaking, he was more than interest
ed in the merry, little blue-eyed girl
who constituted a part of the afore.
said family. He was hoping that he
might catch a glimpse of her some
where about the premises. Failing
that, he strode off down the walk.
reflecting gloomily that he seemed as
far from becoming acquainted with
her as 4ie had a couple of months
ago, when she had first appeared on
the scene.
The Martins had bought the rath
er quaint, Queen Ann house next
door to the Bond's two-flat building
and moved in the first of May. There
was a son, a little younger than Wal
ter, and about the last of June, the
daughter. Bertha, arrived. She had
been tearhmg in a country school
and was glad enough to have a va
cation after dealing with a bunch of
refractory youngsters all winter
This was over-the-back fence gos
sip, via Walter's mother. Mrs. Bond
described Bertha as a friendly young
person, full of fun and good spirits.
Walter knew that she was remark
ably easy to look at. He had been
introduced to her and had exchanged
a few wards at different times, but
he couldn't seem to get any fur
ther. He wished something would
happen to break the ice. If he only
had one of those dashing, compell
ing sort of personalities, he was sure
they would have become good friends
by this time.
He was thinking of her again that
afternoon as he sat at his desk. He
was conceited, but he knew, well
enough, that he had experienced
little difficulty heretofore in getting
on easy terms with girls. Some
of them, perhaps, were inclined to
meet him more than half way. But
this little country girl, with her sure
enough rosy cheeks and tip-tilted
nose, was provokingly independent.
Perhaps if he had seen the glint
of mischief in her blue eyes, he
would have known sTie was not so
unaware of his existence as she
seemed, but in the few times he had
met her, she had been demureness
itself.
He was suddenly forced to recall
his wandering thoughts when he
found an invoice made out to "Miss
Bertha Martin, 7042 Union Ave."
Such an entry, if discovered by his
office associates, would expose him
to general ridicule, and he hastily
but tenderly erased it and substi
tuted the more business-like name
of "Jonas Finkleburg, Goshen, Ind."
It was early autumn, the loveliest
season of the year in the big city by
the lake, and Walter was thinking,
as he walked home, crunching the
dry leaves underfoot, that the
weather seemed made for twosing.
He longed to ask his fair neighbor
to accompany him on a hike the
coining Saturday. He had learned
again trom his motner that
Bertha was not going to teach this
year. He felt confident that she
was an out-of-doors girl.
The Bonds were just finishing
dinner that evening when the back
door buzzer sounded.
It was the young man from next
door.
"Have you folks got a stepladder
you'd lend us this evening?"
Sure thing, responded Walter
heartilv. "Wait a minute till I get it
and then I'll help you carry it over."
Thanks, old man, but I guess my
feeble muscles are equal to the task,"
responded the young man with a
grin.
Walter repressed an inclination
to choke him
"We're going to paper sis's room,"
Arthur volunteered further, blissfully
unconscious of Walter's wrath.
"Dad's an old hand at it"
Walter watched him go, carrying
the stepladder, and hoped he'd fall
and skin his ankle, or something, but
nothing happened. He sat out on
the back steps as the twilight deepen
ed into early evening, his gaze turned
frequerhly towards an upper room
in the house next door. ' The shades
were drawn but there were chinks
of light along the sides and he could
hear the sound of voices.
Suddenly the lights in the Martin
house, vanished.. Feminine shrieks
and masculine voices, admonitions
sounded in helpless confusion.
Walter jumped to his feet and
sprang over the fence into the next
yard. Just as he got to the back
door, it opened and disclosed the
disheveled figure of Arthur Martin.
"What's the matter? Can I help?"
asked Walter anxiously.
"Gosh, we're in an awful fix. The
chandelier came down and the gas is
pouring out to beat the band. I took
hold of it to steady myself and the
darned thing came right out I'm
goin' down to see if I can turn off
the gas," 'gasped Arthur halfway
down the basement stairs. "Go on
up," he called back.
Walter groped his way into the.
front hall and up the stairs. As ne
came to the top step someone call
ed. "Is that you, Arthur?"
"No, it's Walter Bond. I thought
maybe I could help you."
"Oh, this gas is awful. We're all
ncarty sick. Dad's standing on the
table holding his thumb in the hole,
but he can't stay there very much
longer."
Walter took another step forward
and his foot struck against a heavy
object on the floor. It was the
chandelier. He picked it up and ex
amined it as best he could in the
dark.
"Mr. Martin, if you'll let me take
your place I think I can get this
business in again."
"Go to it," said Mr. Martin huski
ly. yielding his place.
With comparatively little diffi
culty, Walter located the hole in the
ceiling, then; inserting the end of the
chandelier, he screwed it easily into
place.
"It's all right now," he announced
"You're a friend in need, young
man," said Mr. Martin.
"It was nothing,' disclaimed Wal
ter, modestly. "I just happened to
know how those things went up."
He heard a little chuckle near him. ,
"Isn't it funny to be standing around
here talking in the dark," said a girl
ish voice.
"I guess I can strike a match
now," said Dad, suiting the action to
the word.
The light revealed a scene of
chaos. The house looked like the
loop district on the day peace was
declared. The floors and stairways
were decorated w ith strips of paper,
and paste was over everything.
Arthur appeared in the doorway,
a sheepish grin on his face. "I fell
in the paste pan when I was goin'
down stairs."
"Oh, my goodness," gasped Mrs.
Martin, "if you could see yourself!"
cud she sank back into a chair,
speechless.
"Mother, darling, if you'd look
in the mirror," suggested Bertha,
.glancing mirthfully at Walter.
He smiled back, wholeheartedly,
happily conscious that the sun of
wholesome humor and camaraderie
had melted the frozen areas of re
serve. "After all this I think we need
some refreshment," said Bertha. "Do
you want to help me make some
cocoa, Mr. Bond?" '
"I sure do," responded Walter
fervently. "By the way, Miss Mar
tin, do you enjoy walking?" he asked
as he followed the young girl down
stairs.
"Walking? I should say I do.
Whv?"
"Oh, I just wondered." said Wal
ter, smiling, and to himself he added,
with a deep sense of satisfaction, "all
things come to him who waits
and acts."
From International ? Hfrvlce, Inc.
MEET MISS BEBE
ANDREWS.
By ELLA RANDALL PEARCE.
He was in a most unusual stale of
mind as he pursued his way toward
the home of one whom he had re
fused to meet friendily, and was now
approaching with all the war ban
ners flying. Bebe Andrews even the
ii3me was distasteful to him.
The owner of that name had been
already visualized by Jay Bessemer.
A slim, sinuous, chattering girl, a
gamin by instinct, pert, bold, defy
ing all the rule of polite society.,
A veritable pest I
A meek young relative of his who,
in .some strange way, seemed to be
fairly hypnotized by this other girl
of impudence and audacity, had tried
ineffectually to have him meet Miss
Bebe Andrews. Instead he had taken
great pains to avoid any such meet
ing. Then came the day when Miss
Bebe, having sent a challenging
announcement of her intentions, de
scended upon the bachelor apart
ment of Jay Bessemer, accompanied
by the meek young relative who was
like putty in the hands of the other
girl.
Bessemer was not at home, tie
thought that fact would carry re
buke; but the two unwelcome callers
had procured a key and invaded the
sacred precincts ot his nome. h
was unspeakable:
He recalled now with an inward
shudder the vision of that topsy
turvy apartment as it appeared on
his return. The hitherto artistic and
orderly scene had been transformed
into one of the wildest, most absurd
disorder.
Pictures hung awry or upside
down. A dummv dressed in his
bathrobe occuoied the easy chair
beside the hearth. A row of boots
and slippers adorned the top of the
oiano. Chairs were tilted over and
ornaments disolaced.
Burnt cork comically decorated
the sober bust of Shakespeare, -and
the laughing, marble Bacchante wore
a golf cap jauntily perched over
one ear. while between the lips was
thrust a half smoked cigarette.
On the library table were the
remnants of a feast. Bottles and
boxes emotied of their dainties;
grape stems and olive pits; half con
sumed sandwtcnes ana canes; several
cigarette ends all these things were
hearted toeether and on lop lay a
small card bearing the name of the
invader and vandal, Miss Bebe
Andrews."
"The little pest!" growled Jay
Bessemer. ' She cannot make me
the butt of her malicious jests, and
get away with it. I'll have an
understanding with this young
woman."
It had been a tedious task to make
the apartment presentable again,
and Jay Bessemer's face was dark
and prim as he went out to a late
dinner. Stiffly uncompromising, he I
vaited in the home ot the young
woman he detested. Whether she
were a frivolous simpleton or a wiser
but more culpable member of the
vamp cult, he was in a mood to
read her a severe lecture.
A tall, graceful girl came quietly
into the room. She was a blond of
the pensive type, a trifle shy and
still well-poised.
Your card was brought to me,
Mr. Bessemer." she said. "My
cousin, Bebe, is away, and I shall
be Klad to do the honors in he'
absence. My name is Andrews, too.
I have ijeard of you, Mr. Bessemer.
"I should be delighted, began the
young man impulsively. I Then his.
smile taded. Vou might not care
to act as Miss Bebe's substitute, if
you knew the nature of my errand.
I did not come to make a social
call."
His companion gave him a sweet
ly puzzled glance. "I do not under
stand,' he murmured. "As a rela
tive of Bebe's, I am used to meeting
her friends. And, of course, I thought
you were one of her friends. Is there
any message you want to leave with
me?"
Her ouestionincr look was clear
and artless as a child's. Jay Besse
mer melted visibjy as he spoke with
gentleness.
We are not friends, your cousin
and I. We are enemies. And now
that I have defined my position, you
may not fnd me a welcome guest."
His fair hostess looked at him
with understanding back of her shy
smile: yes, and with sympathy, also.
Jay was sure of this.
uruc 3 enclitics dIC tllfl nunc,
Bessemer. I am afraid that incor
rigible girl has gotton into mischief
again. ihe is a great trial to me.
She shook her head sadly and sighed.
"I hope she has not made you the
victim of one of her practical jokes
She spares no one. And her jokes
are not always in good taste."
She sat brimlv with her Densive
lips pursued. Thus led on Jay final
ly told the whole story. His fair
listener was plainly shocked. She
agreed with the story teller at all
points, and denounced such an exhi
bititon of forwardness. .
In the meantime don't interrupt,
"It was Bebe's worst prank," she
sighed. "What must you think of
her? Will you come to lecture her
some other time?"
"No. . I have changed my mind,"
answered Jay. "I do not care to
quarrel with Miss Bebe now. I
have even forgiven her."
His companion blushed prettily.
"And you are willing to be friendly
with Bebe now? That is very kind
of you."
Jay Bessemer spent a delightful
evening. They conversed on va
rious topics and Jay thought he had
never met a woman so charming and
so companionable.
"Merely say to Miss Bebe that I
came to return her call," he cau
tioned at parting. "For your sake,
I will, bury the hatchet. But do
you think she ever will receive me
on friendly terms?"
"Bebe is very forgiving. And I
will use what influence I have."
Jay carried away a glowing mem
ory of a shy", engaging smile; a
tender, lingering glance: a softly
spoken good-bye. For the sake of
seeing that lovely girl again, he
would humble himself to a dozen
Bebes.
He wrote a discreet note to that
young woman apologizing for his
absence from home the day before.
And he received a reply inviting him
to call with his meek young relative.
But the latter could not go when ht
desired to call at the Andrews home;
so he went alone.
It was his hostess of the other
evening, demure and charming at
ever, who greeted him.
"You have come to see my cousin
again? Is this a friendly call?"
"Kntirely so," smiled Jay. "My
heart yearns for Miss Bebe'a
society."
A peal of mocking laughter
answered him. An instant and a
bewildering change took place in
the personality of the young woman
before him. Her eyes sparkled with
malice; her lip curled in a smile of
impish satisfaction. She dropped
her Quaker-like pose and dipped into
a bow of serpentine grace.
"Oh, Mr. Bessemer, Bebe is deeply
grateful for your social attentions,
she jeered. "You said you would
not call on that awful young person.
But you have done so a friendly,
social call. She faced him defiantly.
"Meet Miss Bebe Andrews, Mr.
Bessemer!"
Jay Bessemer flushed darkly. He
was staring incredulously at her,
this girl with the face of an angel
and the spirit of a witch. He was
overcome with disappointment and
chagrin.
"There is nothing more to be
said," he began, harshly. "You have
fooled me yes. I have fooled my
self. The honors are yours, Miss
A J.
He started for the door, but she
put out one hand to stop him. Sh
was again the gentle, lovely girl he
admired.
"Wait," she pleaded. "You may
remember I told you Bebe is for
giving. The honors are even, I say.
Let's forget and be friends."
Newest Notes
of Science
By exposing them to radium a
French scientist has succeeded in
changing the colors of sapphires and
other precious stones.
For railroad use, a snow plow has
been invented that is equipped with
steel chisel-like teeth to cut the hard
est ice or frozen snow.
An electric motor drives a new
machine which forces screw piling
into the ground with a rotary motion
instead of hammering it.
Beer barrels and casks are being
sterilized in a few seconds in Ger
many by inserting quartz lamps that
radiate ultraviolet rays.
The cultivation of poppies in Tu
nis has been forbidden by the gov
ernment and the destruction of the
wild poppy plant decreed.
Made of metal tubing, a French
inventor's crib for children can be
extended to form a couch or a sin
gle or double bed for adults.
A monoplane has been developed
at Prague with the wings attached
to the lower part of the body, thus
increasing the flying surface.
; British engineers ae advocating
rigid precautions to prevent the
spread of dry rot in timber with a
view to its eventual eradication.
A process has been patented for
heat treating steel tubing by its own
resitance to an electric current of
high amperage and low voltage.
In France a motor truck with a
large glass lined tank has been built
for collecting wine at vineyards and
conveying it to a bottling plant
For table decoration an electric
lamp has been invented which throws
its light upward through a bunch of
flowers, either real or artificial.
A Tialent ha rin rantH far m
hand fan resembling the electric af
fair, but which is revolved by pull
ing a cord wound around a shaft.
A Frenchman is the inventor of a
chemically treated paper for a num
ber of uses which disintegrates and
falls to pieces after a -certain time.
. For use in training oarsmen a Cale
scientist has invented a device that
measures and registers the pressure
exerted at every stroke of an oar.
A Kansas farmer is the inventor
of a hay rake to be mounted in
front of a motor truck and con
trolled by a lever back of the driv
er's seat
In a thermometer of French in
vention that can be read by blind
persons ascending mercury depresses
a balanced tube along a scale with
embossed marks.
There were about 7,565.000 tons of
merchant shipping under construc
tion throughout the world on Sep
tember 30 as compared with 8.050,
000 tons at the same time last year.
An extensive plant to be built in
England for the production of syn
thetic tmmcnia from nitrogen and
hydrogen will use a French process
employing a pressure of 15.000
pounds as compared with American
processes using only 2,500 pounds.
