New-York tribune., 1901-09-08
TIE WORM THAT TURNED
Go Graves. in The Lady's Pictorial.


youd The cavalry depot town Of Canterham.
There were four of the Broadey sirls-Gwen-
doen, Lucy, Janet and The Worm twho had
been Christened Alexandria. GWendolen
iWtnty-four, had dreamy eyes and mystic yearn-
ings. kept "A shelf Of CoTelli Tomances at the
head q her bed and belonged TO a club of spirit
ual aflinities. There We're twenty male bachelor
members and twenty unmarried feminine ones
But subscribers were constantly drop
ping in. and old ones constantly dropping
out, and spiritually welded souls contin-
ually elODng with fresh 2fiiuities. the club
81 ljeCt 10 upheaVals.
Lucy, the second Broadley girl. was athletic
4 confirmed bcyollst and a croquet maniac Of
the Rev school
Janet had a mysterious complaint which
threatened 10 cut her off in the flower Of her
youth. ! say Threatened because she had
never been known 10 have a days Illness since
her ninth year. when she suffered from measles
with chocola1-ROugat complications. However,
on some authority. the complaint was there.
Even Janet did not know its exact nature but
II valued possession. one gives up things
to "A sister who may be snatche1 from one be-
Tore one knows IT, Three had TO do TINS. and
Janet would not have parted with her melan-
chOly distinction for worlds. Al half-past nine
IL had meant 10 her the liver wing OF the school
room fowl and the biggest orange. At nineteen
and three-quarters il meant the smarTeSt hat.
the lefthand seat in the victoria facing the
horses-G wendolen and Lucy being consigned
to the shelf of martyrdom. despite their senior
ity-and the best of everything that happened
TO be going generally.
''Evwybody must wun ew'wands for Janet
said the siXteen-Year-od youngest Broadiey TO
whose personality mad become attached. IN some
unexplained way. the hideous nickname under
which she figures in this story.
II was at the fag end Of a long and fatiguing
day spent in the observance OF Janet's COM
mands- If you don't do what she wants. she
fhWeatenS TO bWeak blood vessel She never
does bweak one CThe Worms RS were CON
spcuoUs by their ABSENCE, but you don't want
to be made murdewess-and You do il. But
one OF these days l shall stWlke, and then.'--
The nod OF The Worm was pregnant with
meaning.
The Worm. have said. had been christened
Alexandra, which perhaps felt TO he too
long and stately a name for home consumption.
She was a tall. slim creature with Shetland
pony's forelock and tossing mane Of chestnut
hair; very wide open gray-bluc eyes IA tip /
tilted nose and freckleS Her legs grew longer /
every day, her eyes rOunder and her froczs /
shorter. despite the efforts of simmons the sew |
ing maid. who consumed her existence in let |
ting down tucks and applying supplementary /
hens The Worms education (Which The Worm |
insisted had never commenced sup /
posed 10 be complete only the German profess /
of music and the young Swiss lady from /
whom The Worm imbbed instruction in the |
French and Italian languages remained 10 be
swept away.
And then she must come OUT: said Mrs.
Broadley, looking appealingly upon her family.
'Oh, mother cried GWendolen
''Oh. mother" exclaimed Lucy.
oh. mother murmured Janet, closing the |
finished second volume of the last new Nude |
ana taking the third out Of Mrs. Broadey's un-
resisting hand
My loves, my pet, it must he dome" said
the anxious mother The child grows taller
every day: she has a perfect scOrn for compan-
ions Or her own age, ana spends her time in pur-
suits which cannot bur render her unfemnine
when she becomes woman. Your father is de-
lighted with her tandem driving. and the way
ia which she lands trout but l cannot babbe
Of these things To they doubtful ac-
complishments. in spite of all your father says
to the contrary. Though he is less pleased that
she has been bitten with some theories about
the sanitary housing OF the working classes.
picked up out of an illustrated paper because il
has cost him fourteen pounds in relaying the
gardeners drains. When Escott could produce
member Of the family who had actually smelt
them, there getting az il. OF course.
II Is the efferyescence of an expanding nature
and, therefore, if the child is develop harm
lessly she must be given room. / cannot have
original uncomfortable daughter on ms
hands. with spectacles and cropped hair per-
haps. and sporting or sOcalistic tendencies
And therefore, dears'-
Therefore The Worm is from hencef0rth 10
accompany US on social campaigns said Gwen
dolen. resgnedly. ;
And make il FIVE in the b:ouSham" Lucy
added. where there evening fr0cks To
crush"
Il wonder how father viii Ike having to hat.
gown. glove and shoe four party going daugh-
ters2" said Janet Her smile was wan ard
sanity and Mrs. Broadley met it with forebod-
ing. As il is terrible expense him; |
and when all his tenants clamOrng for low
cred rents, il makes feel quite i'll to think
of it,"
You must not brood upon these things. IL IS |
rot good for you
one cannot always remember ones self, |
said Janet, reaching for another cushion for her |
head one must sometimes think of others. |
ANA ~ would have been better for father you /