I J
I
THE rKK: OMAHA. SUNDAY, r KHKUAKY 2i. 1922.
5 -B
y
TlhieSir Tireasoires Heire IBelow By Elizabeth Jordan
They Were Not Used to
Giving, So They Practiced
Jy Giving Away
Everything They Had,
MI33 DEBORAH WARRCN flied her
browa ys unswervingly upon tb
face of br slater Abo. m4 Miss
Abb Warren, afur an obvious effort to avoid
th g, finally raised her own eye Bad met
tt wtta a look of hutnbl appel.
But Deborah, though sbs had thus far IrV
tmpbed la th contest of wills, ni not ur
of ber ground. Drborah ni lb sctlv ul
kuatilnc typ of New England spinsier,
plump, brisk, high colored, and, as sh was
fond of proclaiming, "modem" la bar
firmly xpraaed viewpoints. Anns, two years
younger Bod tghty pouoda lighter la weight
than Deborah, waa aa unlike ber sister la
eixsrsctar as la appearance, Deborah's grsy
tnf hair had bea dark, Uk her eyes; Anna's
area a pal ash; Deborah's snspplng, birdlike
glano aaw everything la Id Una of vUlon;
Ann' faded gny gmae waa aa vague aa ber
gentle expression, her alow, Indeterminate
movement, Deborah bad never known a
day's irtneaa Bad shamelessly bragged of the
fact. Ana waa a cbronlo aufferer from bron.
ehltia,
Xa the big old houa la which many genera,
tlona of Warrens bad lived and died and
where the sisters now dwelt alone Deborah
pre the moving spirit and apparently the
ruling and Irresistible force. But occasion
ally that fore came up against aa obstruo
tloo which shattered It and this obstruction
waa a surprising and deep rooted oppoeltlon
fa Ann which manifested Itself la varied
forma.
Aa a rule Ann followed willingly enough
where her active slater led. The lead waa
Usually wise, and Deborah's brisk decisions
saved Ann th ' mental effort of deciding
things herself. At long Intervals, however,
Ann discovered that It waa no trouble to
make a dedal on that. In some Strang way,
the decision bad been made for her In th
, mysterlou receesea of the possession to
which ah ' respectfully referred aa her
'"mind." When this phenomenon occurred
another promptly followed It Anne, the gen
t and the yielding;, became Ann th man.
' ager or Ann th Immovable. Of such a con
dition Deborah stood in dread now. If Ann
bad " on of her stubborn streaks " th proj
ect oa which Deborah's heart waa aet waa
doomed.
As yet Anne' wavering Impulses bad not
piardaned Into decision. She was playing for
(time, listening to Deborah arguments, un
certain, bewildered, and subconsciously panic
'stricken. The last fact was the one thing
ah was sure of. She was afraid of Deborah'
plan.
What ah was most afraid of waa Its final
ity. It meant complete uprooting and trans
planting. It meant, moreover, that If the sis
pars mad a mistake In this transplanting
they could hardly hop to retrieve it. They
would, ao to speak, have burned their bridges
behind them. Most of all, she waa appalled
by th knowledge that this waa not an issue
to be settled by "a stubborn streak." One
could npt carry a stubborn streak throughout
one's future life, and this was an issue which,
unless it waa settled once and for all by some
drastic method, Deborah would certainly re
open and reargue year after year.
" All I got to say." Deborah now defiantly
declared, " is that it's for your good and you
know it. I ain't sayln'"I wont enjoy th
change, for I will. I alnt sayln' I wont be
glad to drop the burden of housekeepin' In'
' these times, for the Lord knows it would be
th biggest kind of a relief to do it. Vm wore
I out by it. But 's far as I'm concerned I could
Itive and die in Warrensville the same's all
! eur foika has done. It's you that suffers
j from these New England winters. It's you
that needs the climate of California. Tet
here you be, lookin' 'a if I was doln' some
thing against your interests when I say we
got to move to California and live there."
, Ann fetched an abysmal sigh. It was a
sad sound, which should have evoked the
sympathy of a loving heart; but aa she beard ,
It th snapping eyes of Deborah brightened.
There waa still bope then. Anne did not sigh
;;.when her mind was made up. She merely
sat still and tightened her Hps into a straight
line. In th relief of her discovery Deborah
spoke more gently.
" Tou feel you ought to go, don't you?"
" I a'poae ao." The other's vote was flat
fwith th distaste of th admission. " But I
'cant see why we need to go for good," she
quavered before her sister could pick up the
words. " I don't see why we dont go Jest for
a spell, till we find out whether we like it,
an' then come back if we don't like it"
" Tea, you do, too, Anne Warren," Deborah
coldly reminded her. " Tou sea it all aa clear
e I do, only you aint willin to look at it.
Tou know we got the best chance we ever
had to aell the place. Tou know if w leave
' It vacant two years It will go to rack and
ruin and well sell It for lesa'n half what we'd
get cow, not to speak of bavin' it on our
minds th hull time and worryin' about
what'a happenln' to it. Tou know another
winter ber,' If It's anythln Ilk this last one,
alnt goto' to do those tubes of yourn any
good. So wbat'a the use of setttn' there and
trytn' to act like yoa was bain' abased?"
But to m'J th old plane wber w was
burn and br father was bora f Asa
gulped childishly.
lloms. Sweet Horn.
DtliORAU'8 ys turned to th broad
window of th big alt Mag room and
th reaiful pajorem that lay beyead
them th long, wUa aweep of old fashioned
garden before th bouae, th 1 lira dm of opea
blgb road la th distance, th mania of blue
hills shouldering on soother' toward th
borisoa Line, and th glory of early spring
aunsbln flooding the entlr picture. Her
spreealon softened.
peed. Sgala wtla Steady bad guess
they slot goia' to ne4 any four poster for a
xl lung time to coma"
Tb criticism was so UneipeeUd that Dsbo
rah stared st bar gentle auter with aa much
eaoere anoysac.
" What Robert ought I do la to get out of
this town," beon44. " Tbre ainl muck
thane fur a young ma ber anyesy. But
sne be th only relation bla old miser of
aa unel be got and soc bla unci won't
1st blm tear town and wont pay him enough
to support a wtf vea bare, X don't but
Jennie must keep oa tearhln' school sad
eatln' her heart out for Bob UU h drops.
But on thing' sura, It ain't ber fault aa' It
bom sine lb days, mor thaa twenty year
go, bea th staler ltd lured aim, a lonely
and mother) youngster of even. Into
their kitchen to feed Mm with hot cookie.
Sine then b bad don them many a oeigV
borly turn, but a)wa so easily and una.
WnUtlouiiy that neither sister realised th
iteot of ber cVpeadene upon blm. Now
th sam m fleet ton cam la th Mm mo
rn act to each. If they went to California
they would sadly ml Robert
"Janel promised to meet m ber St
two," beaipLalnrd as be elerted a rocking
chair facing th garden. " We're going for
a tramp, as we always do Baturdiy after.
Boons, Sho'a Ufa."
. , i r - wru ir i ) r mi in i 1
o; Wk Was
" fm goin fo gfi you grandmother' i rinif sun imlt, mnnouncmj Ann.
" I ain't sayln' it wouldn't suit me to live
and die here," she admitted, " if we could do
It together. But It wouldn't suit me to lay
you In the cemetery an' llva on here alone,
Anne Warren, and that's flat."
" I guess I ain't 's bad off 's all that." Ann
poke with a sharpness designed to hide emo
tion. " I guess I got a few years left in me
yet."
Deborah made no reply beyond a alight
sniff, and Anne's thoughts took another tack.
" It'll seem funny to sell oft all the furni
ture If we go," she mused aloud, " and to tee
the neighbors lookin' over our things to de
cide what they want" At a change in Debc-.
rah's expression a sudden memory came to
her. She went on with the hardness a gentle
nature can show when aroused. " Susan
Rose wants your four poster," she mentioned
dispassionately. " She asked me yesterday
to see that no one else got it."
The plump jaw of Deborah took on a firm
line. "Susan Rose ain't goin' to get my
four poster," she announced. ,
" What's the difference who you sell it to?"
The voice and manner of Anne were casual.
She resumed the hemming of some napkins
she had dropped when Deborah began her
attack. Her thoughts seemed to have turned
away from' California.
"I ain't goin' to sell it to any one. Tm
goin' to give it to Jennie Chaser
" C" For a moment Anne was dazed. Hef
needle remained suspended in her Angers,
" So you got it all planned," she said at last
in a new tone.
Deborah, who was seated opposite her at
the room's second front window, seeding
raisins into a small wooden bowl she held in
her lap, picked up a fat raisin and critically
regarded it
" I planned what I'll do with one or two of
my own things," she coolly admitted. " I
guess I got a right to do that, ft I've a mind
to. And you can't complain. Tou like Jen
nie Chase 'a much aa I do."
" Tour four poster won't do Jennie Chas
any good." Anne spoke with a regret that
waa half for Jennie and half for the four
poster. Things were moving rather too fast
for Anne. If Deborah had already reached
th point of giving away one of her most pre
cious possessions the exodus from the old
home seemed assured. Ann felt dizzy. In
an effort to divert her sister mind from the
main issue she added a comment Deborah
waa sure to resent
' " If Robert Warick had half aa much spunk
aa Jennie's got he'd make his uncle pay aim
what he's worth. An' then perhaps be could
marry ber some day, As tin V-eh pUd her -
ain't Bob's. An I'm goin' to give her nsy
four poster anyway," Deborah ended with In- ,
creasing heat
Anne's expression brightened, as if she had
suddenly thought of something pleasant In
her Interest she again suspended the opera
tlon of the needle and leaned forward., In her
chair.
s Why, Deborah," she declared warmly, " I
think it's a good idee. It kinda startled m
at flrstr it was so sudden. Why dont you
give her your sewin' table, too, and Aunt
Hannah's davenport and Aunt Jane's little
rockin chair? They'd Jest about furnlah a
bedroom for her. And sence we cant carry
'em with us if we go," sbe hastened to
Interpolate, " I feel jes'.the way you do. I'd
rather give than sell."
Deborah looked startled. Her slater's con
version to her viewvoint was gratifying, but
this whole souled giving away o effects was
in the nature of a shock, especially as all the
effects mentioned were Deborah's. But Debo
rah Warren was no-ftuitter.
" Mebbe I will," rfce said noncommlttally,
and carried the war into the other's camp.
" What you goin' to give her?"
Anne considered the question.
" I'm goin' to think about It," she eagerly
promised, " Of course, If we go to California
I'll give Jennie some things. I'd rather give
my best things away to Jennie and Robert
than aell 'em to folks I dont like. But we
aint decided yet that we nre goin', you
know," she guardedly qualified.
Young Romance.
THE sisters fell Into a brooding silence In
which, while they worked, their house
hold goods mutely ranged themselves before
them. Both were conscious of sn odd depres
sion, shot through with excitement Sudden
ly a cheerful voice came to them through th
open window. "
"Hello!" it crivd. "Visitors welcome?"
The spinsters locked up, startled, and the
young man out on the veranda who stood
smiling in at them, bis arms resting on th
window Bin, chuckled over their surprise.
"Tou were both thinking so hard you
wouldn't hav heaid Gabriel's trumpet" h
laughed. " Jennie Tiers yet? "
'"No. Come In, Robert."
Toung Warwick swung himself easily over
the window sill, bringing into th tig, rather
prim room a surprising effect of vitality
and som of the atmosphere of the Jocund
day. He was a line, upstanding chap, with
a smooth, boyish, likeable face and a lov
able nature.
H had run In and out of the Warren
" Tou had your lunch? "
Miss Debdrah's ton was maternal and
eager. He smiled at ber.
" Tou bet I had an hour ago. No chanc
. to fill me up today."
"W got some dried apple pis and fresh
doughnuts."
The visitor shook a regretful head.
"How you love to watch a hungry man
eat Miss Deborah! But I filled up on corn
beef hash at my boarding house and topped
off with a piece of Indestructible prune pie."
"It's a shame to let Amandy Slmpklns
keep on cookin'," Deborah reflected aloud.
" She don't know no more about it than a
cat, and shell never learn. She Jest ain't
got the knack."
"She's had a lot of practice on me," th
young man cheerfully pointed out. " Unci
James likes her cooking, you know. He's
willing to chew a mouthful of pie for ten min
utes. He says he wants to feel something
between his teeth when he's eating." He
sprang to hla feet - "Here's Jennie!"
The girl had opened the door after a light
tap and now cam in rather wearily, but
her face brightened as her eyes fell on th
group of three. With a sigh of relaxation
she dropped into the chair her lover hastened
to vacat for her. "
"I've spent the whole morning over ex
amination papers," she explained. "Ther
is no end to .them. That's why Tm late."
"Have you et your dinner?" This was
Deborah again.
Jennie laughed. "Tes, Indeed." She
leaned her head against the chair back and
as if unconsciously, closed her eyes. " A lot
of the papers were arithmetic exams," she
went on, " and the figures are dancing before
me yet I had to work over them late last
night too. It's lovely and restful in her
and I love the smell of those hyacinths and
narcissus." v
She spoke cheerfully, but young Warwick's
face clouded.
" Touts tired out," he said abruptly.
She pulled herself together. "Indeed I'm
not I'm just glad to rest my eyes for a
moment Otherwise I'm fresh as paint."
"Not too tired to walk?" He was anx
iously studying her face. ,
" Not a bit of it Walking is what I need."'
"Then s'pose you walk upstairs and s
some things Deborah's jot for you."
7L Division of Treasure.
A NNB WARREN rose with Unusual d-
claton. There waa something In the ex
pression of those two young faces that pulisd
st br heart string, Ph fait e arrant lm
pulM to banUh th look, snd st one.
'Deborah snd I bsv shout mad up our
minds to go to California." sits snoouooaj,
disregarding th dasad louk bar slater's pink
fee took on at th words. ' So got to
dacld what to do with soras pet fumltur
w cent Uk with u snd don't want to aalL
Tb7r thing that bsv mmTla snd as
sociation, an' you know bow on feale "
Tbey ware following ber up th stairs now,
sad s'h was glad to obaarv that Deborah,
though still somewhat stunned, was st tb
tall of tb tittl precession,
Tsk 'era In her ft rat and show 'em what
you got. Db," ah warmly Invited, (topping
St th door of bar slater's room. Deborah
almnat stumbled arroai th threshold snd
tbsn recovered herself,
- "It jvt cam to m when I waa Uyin'
swabs last night," shs said, addressing Jen
ni, " that whan you and Robert get married
you could o a coup! of my thing real
wall." 6b waa absently leading them acroas
th big room toward th four poster, 'but
on a sudden reflection ah turned aside, while
tb pink color In her fresh cheek deepened.
"I'm going to giv you thle old davenport
an' on of my sewin' table," ah ended.
The young couple exchanged an eager
glancs, and then looked delightedly around
the room. It waa a big squar corner cham
ber, through whos four wid and open win
dows th spring breexe-bor th perfume of
th hyacinths below. In Its prim way th
room waa aa fresh and lovely aa the garden,
and the eyea of the lovera glowed apprecia
tively as tbey took In th polish of it old
mahogany, th luster of Its brass, snd ths
susters dignity of Its atmosphere.
" Xv never been In your room before. Mix
Deborah," Jennl said Impulsively. "It'
lovely, and some way It's Just like you Just
ths kind of room I should havs expected yoa
to have." 1
Robert added his word. "How can you
bear to leave it?"
Th pink cheek of Mis Deborah grew
pinker. " Anne's room la Jest across the hall "
he said, leading the way to that retreat " I
think It's prettier n mine."
In a way It was, for Mies Anne Warren had
" gone In " for chintz and old china and a
few unusual pictures. Her room had the
immaculate freshness of her sister's, with
the added charm of color and variety. Both
the guest exclaimed over It and wandered
around In it like happy children, pausing b
fore pictures and book shelves and touching
bits of china,
"Think of having rooms like these!" said
Robert with unconscious longing, while Jen
nie repeated her first refrain.
" And think of having to leave them!"
And now Deborah Warren's brown eye,'
which took in everything, saw the shadow
her slower but more sympathetic sister had
already observed In the faces of their friends.
It was an oddly pathetic shadow, for beneath
it lay a look of hopelessness. It brought a
moment of realization such as Deborah had
not known before, of the tragedy of the two
young hives that in these past years bad be
come dear to her. Tbey loved each other,
Rob and Jennie, and they wanted each other.
For live years they had drudged and wattad,
and the five years had brought their mar
riage no nearer. Everybody knew why. OH
James Warick waa not only a miser but a
woman hater as welt At heart though he
could find no fault with his nephew's choice,
he did not intend that Robert should marry.
He would defer that marriage as long as he
could. If not by fair methods, by unfair one.
It was a tragedy how great a tragedy Miss
. Deborah had not realized till now, when she
saw that look on their faces and heard the
hopeless note in their voices. Every one loved
the young couple. Half a dozen leading citi
zens of Warrensville would have given Bob
Warick a betterJob than his miser uncle
offered him; but every one knew that Robert
had promised his dying mother to " stand by "
her brother and the bank during the miser's .
lifetime. And "old Warick," as he waa called,
was only a little more than sixty, and hail
bragged that he would see eighty at least
That Miss Anne's thoughts had taken the
same direction as her sisters waa shown a
few moments later when she suddenly spoke
to Jennie. ( ' j
" I'm goin' to give you grandmother' risro'
sun quilt she announced In her gentle, pre
cise way. " I want you should have It And If
you'd Uk this chest tjnele Matthew brought
home from China, you can have that too! It's
a beautiful place to keep linen In." ,
The lovers cried out together. Their face
brightened, and the optimism of Robert as
serted Itself.
"That's almost too good to be true," ha
said. " Why, Jennie, with what Miss Deborah
has promised us two, and with what we've
got ourselves, well have enough to furnish -a
couple of rooms. I can see Just how therfl
look. Cant your
The eyes of the girl who loved him were
tender and a little amused. Watching her, ''oe
spinster felt th throb of sympathy and
understanding which, after a life'lm of re
pression, was driving them Into what begai
to seem an orgy of gift giving.
"Tou can have my bureau, too," Anns
hurried on, as if eager to follow her lmpula
before it cooled. " It was Grea taunt Anne's.
I waa named for her. And there's no reason, '
1 there. Deb, why they ahouldnt have grand
father's big easy chair the one with the
carved dog bead on the arms? It's down in
th sittln room. It the most comfortable
chair In the bouse. X want that chair should
be yonrs, Robert"
Totms; Warick slipped an arm across her
thin, shoulder and gave ber a- boylsb bug.
Ids voles whan bs answered was actually
huaky.
I cant begla to thank tou," bs said,
X won't try. It'a all too smaalng. It It be
gins to make things eam poaaibl. If Unci
Jama come around nest year, snd If w aa
And a tittl houaa Tou know, ther Ue't
a hou in town to rent this yar ra If w
wer ready" II atoppad.
"Seem to ma thare'a a good many 'Us
In your program, Robert," XI lM Deborah
pointed out brusquely but not unkindly. 8b
waa feeling the need et a reaction again Jt
th emotional tension of th oecaalon. But
you en bar th things whao w go. If yes
got any plar to put 'era I, liar you?"
Th young man' ex predion changed to
ent of chagrined remembrance that wa !
moat groteeque.
"Why that's so," he muttered. "I don't
know what we'd do with thrra till we got
settled." Ill boyish tar flamed. Th hu
miliation and disappointment of ths moment
were scorching his soul snd h (bowed It
Jennl cam to bla relief.
. "Terhape Mr. Weed will let U put th
thing in her barn loft tin w'r ready for
them," ah hopefully auggeated. "I'm si.
moat sure sh will Tou know th loft la
clean and mpt.M
Th owner of th furniture xcband
horrified glances. To picture their poaaeaatons
In a new snd happy horn was on thing. To
visualize them accumulating mildew In th
Widow Weed's barn was another. A chill fell
upon them. Th eagerness had left th voto
In which Mis Deborah Indicated her gifts
when she led them back to ber room. It had
also left the voice In which they mad their
acknowledgments. They were still grateful,
but they wer again bopeleaa The ahadow
had returned to their faces when they said
good-by and went off for their tramp In tb
woods.
Worry.
LEFT alone on th second floor of th aid
house, the sisters looked at each other
self-consciously. With a muttered suggestion
of "something to do" Miss Deborah went back
to her own room. When she bad entered It
she shut and locked the doocy Slowly and la
turn sha visited each article of furnitur ah
had Just given away standing a long tin
before It, recalling its past In th aaoc1a
tlona of her life, touching It with loving
fingers, even absently adding to ths raster
of certain. pieces by giving them a "band
polish." -
All ths time ah was on th alert 8b did
pot care to have Anne appear and discover
that ths door was locked, so she finally re
tracted the bolt Neither did she wish Ann
to enter and find her mooning over th furnV
ture sh had given away. That was not the
way to give, and though she had had llttls
experience in giving, it was' not normally
her way. She told herself this, but she could
not control her new and deepening depres
sion. Again abe made tha rounds of the fur
niture which was no longer hers, pBturfaf
guiltily before each piece with an ear cock)
for the sound of Anne's footsteps. But she
need not have been apprehensive. Jost
j across the hall, in her own room, Mias Ann
Warren waa standing in turn before a
Chinese chest an antique bureau, and a rising
sun quilt vainly endeavoring to eea th oat
lines of these loved and lost objects through
a mist of tears.
That night Miss Anne, staring wide eyed
into the dimness of her familiar room, heard
a tap on her door. Her sister entered.
"Tou asleep, Anne?"
"No." (
" May I get is with you for a spell?"
Anne moved without comment to mak
room, and the visitor crept between th
heavy lavender soented linen sheets.
" I feel sort of upset," Deborah bluntly son.
fessed.
" Tou mean you're alck?"
"No, I ain't sick exactly But I'm wor
ried."
"What you worried about?
you give away? "
For a long moment Deborah was sllant
Then:
" I don't Uke to think of those things bete'
kept In a barn," che blurted out "Dont
you feel that way about "em?"
"Tes, I do," Anne's quiet voice was In
cool contrast to her sister's excited tones.
"But It alnt right that we should feel like
that," she went on. "It shows we ain't as
used to givin' aa we ought to be. We alnt
either of us ever given away anything in
our hull lives that waa a real sacrifice," Th
words cam out of th darkness like an ar
raignment and such an arraignment from
the gentle Anne was amazing.
In the darkness Deborah blushed under It
" That aounds pretty bad." sh admitted.
"It is pretty bad. It shows lfa hign Urns
we begun to think of soma one besides our
selves, Deborah Warren."
" I s'pose It does." Miss Deborah conceded
faintly, "It shows something more, too,"
added the Implacable Anne. "It shows
there's Just one thing for you an me to do.
Since It's ao hard for us to give things away,
we must learn to do It my practln. W
must giv away more! "
Under the simple majesty of this concl
aion Deborah Warren faintly thrilled. ,
- "I guess you're right" eh said after a
long silence.
" Of course. I'm right" It did not seem i
be Anne who waa addressing her, but soma
new force. " Qo to sleep now and get your
rest. Tomorrow morning yon and X wCl go
a
1. (Contlnut-d en Tate Sereo B.)
Those things
1
I
'.H.-.Tt,ittdny mmf . T.-3S3SSowatra