The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-02-28
By CARROLL WATSON RANKIN

Portable. 1t was not a guilty con-
science that troubled her. however
She fancied all through the service
but entirely without reason, that the
well-dressed Cunninghams were look
ing with dlsdaln upon the humble
Bunns.
From the day Gladys entered the
high school Eleanor had been her
chosen companion. Gladys was really
a simple, unaffected and lovable girl,
and n true gentlewoman. She was at
tracted by Eleanors pleasant face and
her bright manner. and gave no
thought to the plain exterior of the
rest of the Buuns. But Eleanor did not
realize this.
The time was approaching for the
annual election of officers for the bas-
ketball team. Eleanor had strong
hopes that she might be elected cap
tain: but the contest was certain to
be close for Mabel Gilbert would be
the rival candidate, and Mabel's fol-
lowing was large.
Still, Eleanor was sure of the fresh
men i'll body, and there was Gladys;
Gladys was Il senior: but she would
certainly vote for her chosen friend; (;
and if Gladys did, so would Bessie
Smith, who followed Gladys.
One evening Mrs. Bum appeared in
the doorway when Eleanor and her
new friend were seated on the steps.
and invited Gladys to stay to tea.
Gladys accepted promptly; but
Eleanor thought of her besprigged
grandmother and stiffened with horror.
What should she do?
"Who," asked Gladys, laying aside her
hat in Eleanor's room, lis the lady we
passed in the hall?"
"She is very distant relative" re-
piled Eleanor, reddening. shes Il dis
tant connection of my mothers by
marriage"
Eleanor hoped to have an opportun-
ity TO warn Stephen; but that youth
came in late, looking as little as posi-
BILE like Harold Cunningham, and re-
peatedly called his mothers distant
connection by marriage grandma"
Mr.. Bum, too. inconsiderately ad
dressed the stout old lady as mother"
1t is quite probable that Gladys
would never have noticed the defects
in the table manners of the Bum fam
lily that evening if Eleanor had not at
tempted then and there to mend them.
AS it was, the visitor discovered, with
Eleanor's help, that Stephen was hold
ing his fork badly that Mrs. Bum had
left her spoon in her cup when she
should have removed it, that Mr.. Bum
had buttered his bread before breaking
1t, and that Grandma Bum poured her
tea into her saucer.
She discovered something else. too,
that was much worse than any of these
things.
Eleanor noticed a day or two after
ward that Gladys no longer waited for
her when school was dismissed. and
that she no longer sat upon the Bum
doorstep. She had apparently deserted
Eleanor for Bessie Smith This was
bad enough, but there was worse to
| come. The long expected day of the
basketball election arrived, and Gladys
voted for the rival candidate. SO, of
course, did initiative Bessie. Eleanor
was defeated by one vote.
ITS my horrid family" said the de-
feated candidate. throwing herself
down on the deserted doorstep. "I've
done my best with them, too, but |
| can't improve them a particle. Why
couldn't l have had at least one pink
satin grandmother, like Gladys Gun
| ningham's?"
| From four until six almost every day,
during the fall and winter months,
the high school girls played basketball
in an abandoned roller skating rink.
They were in the habit of exchanging
their long skirts for shorter ones in a
corner screened off for that purpose.
One day, when Eleanor was about to
emerge from this recess, she heard
her own name mentioned. Without
thinking what she was doing, she in
stinctively leaned closer to the curtain
and listened. Gladys Cunningham and
Bessie Smith stood just outside.
"Why didn't you vote for Eleanor?'
Bessie was saying. sit wasn't be-
cause you liked Mabel Gilbert"
mo, but | thought Mabel would
make a better captain"
"Why"
''She has more tact Eleanor hasn't
any. If she handled the team as she
does her family, we shouldn't have any
team left by spring. She has the jol
liest father, the sweetest mother, the
pleasantest brother, and such nice
comfortable old grandmother, yet she
is perfectly horrid TO every one of them
She is actually ashamed of them
} She criticlses them all the time, anc
apologies for their manners and theil
: clothes and their grammar.
II liked her so much at first" Gladys
went on. But the rest of them JUS
: sacrifice themselves for her. and sh'
doesn't appreciate 1t. Oh. am SO dis
appointed in her"
The improver OF the Bum famil,
t, could not believe her ears. A food ol
indignant tears rushed to her eyes, ant
It was many minutes before she wal
sufficiently composed to venture from