Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1903-01-29
ABORIGINES
BY Esther Harlan
Copyright. 1901, by a. S. Richardson

studio building. were on terms Oh SEMI
rivalry (veiled of course by the usual
biilowy court siesl with the mound
builders" who "burrowed" on the first
floor. The former drew with pencil"
and the latter did things with per"
and there was absolutely no ground for
collision in their work, but instructive
" they pretended there was leach Sc
cretly wondering if the others guessed
facts merely to disguise the real cause
for the friction--a man. as usual, or,
rather. three men, who also .'bunked'
in the studio building The sum of the
situation was the cliff dwellers were
the poster sort both as to occupation
and personality. They dressed sLaartly,
chatted cntertainingly, even wittily,
were trammeled by no traditions and
were match in most ways for any
up to date young man Of their ac-
quaintance
Whereas the mound builders were
not full fledged Bohemians and far
from Smart" they still had ideals
and illusions. also chaperon, who was
the mother of one of them. They had
taken the ground floor apartment be-
cause the rent was lower.
When Dal and his chum and "the
other one spent an evening either sep
arately or collectively with the mound
builders. they came away feeling de-
cidedly jolly, almost boyishly so, on
good terms with themselves and the
rest of the world.
- call on the builders leaves a good,
wholesome taste in a fellows mouth,
"the other one' had remarked one
night.
The little girls mothers a brick"
Dal chimed in. "She makes one feel
Ike the time when the treetops seemed
close against the sky"
DaIlas Sinclair had dropped in this
afternoon just for a word with Viva
cia. she of the cliff dwellers, and had
stepped back of the screen to examine
some of her latest sketches. Vivacia
had paused in the next room to slip on
a pretty house gown. Somehow she al
ways liked TO look her best when Dal
came.
SO it happened that while Dal was
back of the screen they left the eleva-
tor and paused to study the card care
lessly left in the ground glass door.
"Back at q It's ten minutes of.
Let's wait. can never screw my cour-
age up to this point again.
1t was the voice of ''the little girl"
she of the mound builders. Then the
door was pushed farther open, and the
two entered.
"Oh, mamsie, dear! If our den only
looked like thisi 1 wonder people ever
come to see us-we're so sparse
Dallas was in an agony. 1t would
certainly not &c to disclose his pres
ence. His soul loathed the role of caves
dropper Yet he did so want to know
which one she cared for, himself or
"the other one.'
'If only my last wee bit story will be
a go" the sweet voice went on, ''then
/ can accept Mr.. Sinclair's invitation at
last. suppose most of our friends real
ly believe our mo place like home ex-
cuses by this time"
ais that the bachelor girl story
'TipsT" the older voice asked. ''Why
didn't you let Mr.. Sinclair have that,
Dorothy? He told you he was on the
Up to Date staff"
"Now, mother mine, you know /
couldn't do a thing like that would
rather never have it printed"
"Well, maybe not. You're a funny
little chick CT a daughter, but one can
oyerdo even so desirable thing as in
dependence. If Mr. Sinclair wants to
be of service to you, 1 don't see why
even if he is merely casual acquaint-
ance''-the color crept up over the girls
fair throat-"you would do the same
for him, am sure"
but, anyway, it's lots more fun,
mamsie, DEAR" the girl began, with an
effort at lightness, ''to blaze ones own
trees"
"Aud that is why you said No to
Tom Davenport last week and refused
Aunt Sageman's gifts
"Now, mother, dear, you know Aunt
Sageman treated you atrociously not
so long back. I'm not going to swallow
that just because l happen to need
togs."
"StiI it doesn't do to be too proud,
dearie. Who was it-Elijah-who let
himself be cared for by-wasn't it ra-
vens?'
"Mamsie, you must read up" the
girl exclaimed, laughing. Ravens are
all right, or even English sparrows,
for that matter, but | draw the line at
relations. And as for Tom, he was
good, and he had pennies and ances-
tors and all the usual means of grace,
I oil
1t would seem nice, though" reaec-
lively, mot to have to calculate
whether my shoes will hang together
till | get back before l accept an in
vltation for n stroll. I'm afraid Provi-
dence has grown trifle absentminded
in my direction of late"
Dorothy, my dear" the older voice
cried, you frighten me. You must not
talk So" and then with change of
tone and apparent irrelevance: "Dal-
las Sinclair was talking to me last
night about his home. He has very
lovable nature, Dorothy, such a con-
trast to Mr.. Mortimer"
"The other one? Oh, he's just a nice
playfellow. What-what did Mr.. Sin
clair say to you, motherW
There was n clatter of heels in the
hall, momentarily astonished face in
the doorway, the glibly false as
slrauces Of welcome and delight, dur
ing which Dal silently and unnoticed
slipped from screen to open door. He
took the first cab for his Office in the
I'D 90 Date building to importune the
long suffering manuscript reader as to
a story entitled Tips" which he rep
resented as having been turned in by
himself incog. after bad quarter
Of an hour But wait till | touch it
up, and you'll howl for it," he said.
Il believe she'd forgive me if she
knew" lie assured his conscience,
"and I'll tell her all about it after
| ward"
\ week later a typewriter note OF
| acceptance, with double dosed check,
| which Dorothy in her inexperience did
| not stop to scrutinize Gt was not from
| the Up to Date checkbook), made sun
| shine in n certain dark studio and
| made possible Il certain long deferred
outing, from which two people return
ed tired and happy as the children they
really were at heart.
"The fiat seems SO stuffy after-to-
day." Dorothy had said.
Lets go up on the roof just for a