The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-10-11

let as Impose on you"
airs. Howard shook her head an,
smiled, but she loved the affection
ateiy scolding tone which her hi.
son occasionally adopted toward her
Tom had not finished yet.
Now, mother, let's make a bargain
honor bright. II | undertake to cure
Nell with heroic treatment. will yo,
ana, abet and encourage my nefarious
schemes? You needn't do much; JUS,
stand by me. For instance, / didn't
tell her, but have received word that
the Ellis boys will get here late to.
night instead of tomorrow afternoon
J want TO smugglc them in so that
Nell won't know they are here. Will
you help mc?"
Mrs. Howard looked at him serious
ly. Tom, ! do not wish you to d.
anything to humliate Nellie, at least
unnecessarily. Still, i think you are
right. 1t hurts me to think of caus-
ing her pain. but do think it will be
the best thing for her have tried to
speak with her gently, but know she
merely thought was carping and un-
kind and that we do not quite under
stand her. She does not realize how
careless she has grown. Now be care
full, Toni"
All right" said Tom, cheerfully,
and he was Oft like "A whirlwind.
Nellie was not quite so late as us
ual TO breakfast on Saturday morn
ing perhaps because she was expect
ing Jean Fairfax, and had awakened
with more lively interest in her
everyday life. Her hair was a trifle
reckless and she wore the short, pink
dressing-sack as she came into the
dining-room. At the door she started
guilty, and wave OF warmer pink
swept over her face and neck and
tingled in the very edges of her hair.
Two strange young men sat at tn.
table, laughing and chatting with her
father and mother and Tom. They
were tall-Nellie particularly admired
tall men-one of them slim, with
glasses and shrewd, twinkling eyes
behind them, and the other broad
and heavy, with head of hair which
proclaimed him to be none other than
Billy" Ellis, Toms football hero.
Tom looked up innocently as Nell,
of cruel necessity, came forward and
took her place, giving an apprehen-
sivc twitch to her spreading draperies
and wishing fervently that she were
at the north pole, with that wretched
Tom and his friends at the south pole.
Tom apparently was utterly Obvious
that anything was wrong, and cheer
fully introduced his friends with an
explanatory, They came last night.
you know"
Nellie sat through her breakfast
IN far from happy frame of mind.
The meal had never been so long
to her. and as soon afterwards as
she could find her brother alone, she
cornered him Indignantly.
"Tom Howard. l think ii was per-
fectly horrid of you! Why didn't you
tell me, instead of letting me come
down to breakfast looking like this?"
There were volumes of scorn in the
tone in which she designated her gen.
sral appearance. Tom looked at her
in injured surprise.
THAT? Why, / thought you liked
{, although i must say don't think
much OF it myself. OF course i could
nave let you know. If Id known you
'elt that way. They just came late
asst night. Besides, il that rig is
good enough for us. guess it's good
enough for other people"
Brothers can sometimes be brutally
rank. Nell colored, feeling that the |
conversation was taking an unfortun.
tie turn, but she had another, and
o her very real, grievance.
And you were actually rude, too. |
You never give me chance to say a |
word, and l had to sit there like n |
wooden doll. know they thought |
ne queer and stupid. You never used |
% act this way"
We'll, can't seem to suit YOU"
aid Tom, resigncdly, and his sigh |
vas eloquent of injured virtue. II
bought you were SO worn out and |
1913 - VII SthOOts unu yOu VIC /
'een so mopy all along. that l just |
xerted myself to take your share of |
he conversation off your shoulders.
lou haven't talked much to us dur
ng breakfasts, you know
"Oh, you needn't bother explain
ng!" Nell interposed, and marched
way with all the dignity she could
ommand under such trying circum-
tances. But there was choking
ceiling in her throat, and once out
# her brothers sight she fled swift
y to her room and wcpt.
"Oh, OH" she walled in the depths
4 pillow. WASN'T it just too hor-
id of him? And l saw the f-football
ne looking at this d-drcadful thing!
know he thought il wasn't nice,
nd ! looked just like balloon!"
A flushed and tcar-stained face rose
from the pillow, the obiec-
ionablc garment was whsked off,
oiled into an ignominious ball, and
iciously stuffed behind the bureau.
"Oh, i just hate you, and I'll never
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