The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1898-02-15

CLARA'S CONVERSION
at is your own fault, Clara" said
Walter May.
"Of course it is" cried out Clara,
passorately, stamping her foot on the
carpet. do you suppose don't know
1T perfectly we'll? And that is what
makes it SO hard-oh, SO cruelty hard
to bear!'
The fact was that Mr.. and Mrs. Wal
ter May had begun life at the wrong
end.
Clara Calthorpe was a pretty young
girl, just out of the hotbed atmosphere
of fashionable boarding school WAL
ter May was bank clerk who had not
the least doubt but that he should ulti-
mately make his fortune out of stocks
and bonds.
CLARA he had said to his young
wife while the golden circle of the
honeymoon was yet overshadowing
their lives, would you like country
life?" "
'Oh, dear, mol" said Clara, involun-
tarily recoiling,
Because said Walter, somewhat
wistfully, my father and mother are
alone on the old farm, and think
they would like to have us come and
live with them"
II shouldn't like it at ALL" said
Clara, "and mamma says no young
bride should ever settle down among
her husbands relations"
Mr.. May frowned little, but Mrs.
Clara had a pretty positive way of her
own, and he demonstrated no further.
But at the years end Walter May
had lost his situation, the clouds OF
debt had gathered darkly around them,
ard all the pretty, new furniture
Eastlake cabinets, china dragons
proof engravings and dollhouse plants
were sold under the red flag. They
had made a complete failure of the
housekeeping busiress, and now, in the
fourth story of third-rate hotel, Mr.
and Mrs. Walter May were looking
their future in the face,
Clara had been extravagant. There
was no sort OF dotbt about that. She
had given ''reche he" little parties
which she couldn't afford, to people
VINO didn't care fol her. She had pat.
termed her tiny G tablishment after
| models which Wei far beyond hel
reach, and now til y were ruined.
She had sent a r-besprinkled let
ter to her mother, who was III Wash
| ington trying to elsnare a rich hus
band for her youns ger daughter bu
Mrs, Calthorpe had hastily writer
back that it was cutie impossible fo
her to be in New y ork at that time O
year and still mo- impossible to re
ceive Mrs. Walter May at the monste
hotel where she was boarding. An,
Clara, who had always had a vagu
idea that her mother was selfish, wa
quite certain Of it now.
There is but one thing left for YOU
Clara" said Walter, sadly.
And that"
"Is to so back to the old farm.
have no longer home to offer you
but you will be sure Of warm vel
come from my father and mother.
shall remain here and do my best t
obtain some new situation which vii
enable me to earn our daily bread"
Clara burst into tears.
go to my husbands relations?" sh
3obbed. "Oh, Walter, l cannot!"
you will have to- he said, dogged
ly, "or else starve!"
So Mrs. May packed up her trun
and oheyed. And all the way to Hazel
copse Farm she cried behind her We
and pictured to herself a stony-face
old man with virago of wife, VIII
would set her to doing menial task
aud oNerwhelm her with reproache
Cor having ruined poor, dear Walter.
Us for the farmhouse itself, she wa
quite sure it was desolate place, wit
corn ard potatoes growing under tn
geIy windows, and the road in fror
He'd with plows and pigs and han
ows ard broken cart wheels. But /
he midst of her tears and desolatio
le driver called cut:
"Hazelcopse Farm! Mr.. Noah Mays
ere's tn olse, ma'aln."
A long, low, gray stone mansion, a
.rlanded with ivy, its windows brigl
Win geranium blossoms and the scarl
,tumn leaves raining down on tl
.lye:-smCoth lawn in front. ClaI
auld just see how erroneous had bee
her IIeccnce.yed ideas. when 81
found herself clasped in the arms o
the sweetest and most motherly of oil,
ladies'.
my poor dear!" said old Mrs. May
caressingly.
"You are as welcome as the sun
shine, daughter" said smiling oil
gentleman in spectacles
And Clara was established in tn
easy chair In front of great fire o
pine logs, ard tea was brought in an
the two old people cossetted and petite
her as IL she had been three-year-o
child, jrst recovering from. the meas
les.