The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-10-09
ALittIe Problem.
From the sew Yorx World.


What wish, said ArabeTla, crossing
her hands behind her head and leaning
back, 'is that one could have a sort of au-
tomato conscience which could be work
ed as railroad signals are, You know
when the engineer sees a light of a GER
tain color ahead of him he knows that he
must go on. Another color moons for
him 20 go straight ahead. Now, l wish
that right and wrong conduct signals
could be managed from the heavenly look
out tower so that when we poor mortals
were trying to run our trains we might
know how to do it"
"Arabella," said her mother, reprov-
ingly, you are irreverent''
Arabella laughed as she arose and
kissed her mother good night. The gem
tie little woman was rather given to i'm
agining most of her daughters remarks
irreverent because she so seldom could sIn-
derstand them. She even suspected Ara
bella OF atheistical tendencies in spite of
that young woman's ritualistic prefer
ences. ....r --.,
Come, Laura" said Arabella to her
friend. Come on up where we won't
shock the little mother with any more of
our irreverence." ..-
When the girls were upstairs Laura
turned tc her hostess, who had been her
college chum, and said:
What's the problem, Belle? Why do
you want an automatic conscience? Can't
you make up your alleged mind whether
to stop flirting with young Browne? l
could make it up for your
Don't joke" said Arabella sharply,
throwing herself down on the divan
There was a pause Laura was brush
ing her hair and looking at the picture of
a woman hanging above her friend s
lounge-a woman with sweet, timid mouth
and cold, appealing eyes-Arabella' s
mother. BY and by Arabella spoke
Il am going to tell you all about IT, -
she said suddenly. Then you can act as
the guide post, Laura dear. There's
Clarence Browne, and he is in love with
me. That is, he thinks he is. He isn't
rich. In fact-well, laura, you know he's
desperately poor. We'd have to do the
cottage act. And he is so ambitious
KNOW feel-that to have a wife and a
family maybe, and coal bills and fur
naces to attend to would simply ruin his
chances. / know it. You can see that,
Laura? And even II 1 could stand 1t my
self, there's mother. Look at her She
needs softness and smoothness and daint-
mess So the dear, unworldly little lady! /
cannot even by working hard provide
them for her as l would. And when /
think that l may fail to do even
what I'm doing! And there's Mr. GRAY.
He's only forty-1ye. He could give them
all to me. Laura, what shall do?"
Arabella ended with a little cry Laura 9
face was white.
Marry the man you love-" she said.
And drag him down and learn to dis
like him because he is associated with
drudgery to me?" cried Arabella And
make him lose his loveEfor. Tne?' Never!
NeVerv'
We'll, anyway, Belle don't marry the
one you don't love Work for your
mother If you must Wait for Clarence
Mr.. Browne-if it must be so. But don't
wreck everything" r1E
Arabella turned slowly toward Laura.
An idea flashed through her mind May
be, she thought, Laura cares for him, too.
Well, she didn't wonder.
IF l married Mr.. Gray, :" she began
again, my mothers old age would be per
feet. Don't you see Laura, that only sell
fishness keeps me from It? I'd be brutal
to give up a chance for her happiness, es-
pecially when TO marry Clarence would
mean ultimate unhappiness for him and
no particular joy for me" Laura wos 81
lent. Then she arose and went over to
Arabella
Don't do it dcar,Y she begged.
Don't"
I'm tell you what I'll promise" cried
Arabella. ''Ill go to sleep now and in tbe
morning will make up my mind whether
to sacrifice mamma to Clarence or Clar-
ence to mamma. One or the other it must
be. Which do you say. Laura %
II don't know" whispered Laura. Than
she kissed Arabella and went out of tho
room. ~.
II wonder" she murmured at the door
(which she will do?"