Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-06-06
NATURES
CoUR Sc
By NORA BRYANT
Copyright, 1909, by Ruby Douglas
By NORA BRYANT

SiiShSS, W ubtllk LOT TIE OutUuTSt. She
was meek little woman accustomed
to listening to her beautiful. tall daugh-
ter and obeying her behests unques.
tioningly. Alice possessed all the indie
pendence of spirit which her mother
lacked.
NO, mother" said Alice, SELLING
viclously Oh Il pea pod and brcakIng 1t
open. mo. you emit. 1t just isn't born
In You. I've got to do II alone"
why, ALICE exclaimed her mother
with hurt infection.
"Oh, know 1t, mother. I'm horrld
cross girl. but can't help 1t. Fathers
gone oil again and left us with no
wood. This has been going OH for
three years now. Sometimes he re-
members to buy load. but wien he
does we have to split It, And in the
meantime we have to scratch ana
scramble for wood just as If we were
ne poor ns poverty. Just look, we've
burned most Of the fences Till the place
looks more ghnstly than ever, IL pos
siblu."
Alice, Alice" sighed Mrs. Hum
phrey, you shouldn't talk so of your
father.
Alice's fnce flushed deeper and she
sheiled handful of peus before reply
ing. Then she looked out Of the door al
the jilnson weeds.
Everything Is all wrong, and it's all
fathers fault Why shouldn't marry
Bob Phillips? Tell me that2 Just be-
cause no IL II college man and his peo-
pie live IN town father Inns set himself
against him. Now. why does futher
send me to college II he expects me to
settle down To clIopping wood and cook
Ing for the rest Of my life? No, mother.
IN sophomore now and know more
than did once. nm going to marry
Bob and father is going to agree 10 it
too"
Alice looked ut her mother sternly.
See your hands. blistered aud hard.
You creep out and chop wood every
time / turn my back. Look at my
hands" She held Up slender fingers.
Nice things to carry buck to the col
lcge this fall! Now, Fin going out to
chop enough to get dinner with" And,
pulling II shade hat over her eyes, Alice
walked out into the hot harvest sun
aud picked up the az.
Straight UP to the new brooder house
she went aud will neat swing OF the
a& began battcring up the brooder
house door. In n few moments the
door bud disappeared and IN Its stend
on the ground near by lay neat pile
Of stove wood. Still not quite satisfied,
Alice looked about her. a hayrack
Ian an, AL. a.
ernoon trip 10 the ont field. 4 few
firm blows from the broad Of the ny,
and the side boards showed signs OF
weakening. Tinlf dozen clever cuts
with the blade, and the boards dropped
to the ground liz five minutes the
pile of wood by the brooder house was
augmented by u pile OF heavy sticks,
and before Mrs. Humphrey could catch
breath to Inquire the source brisk
hluZe lighted up the front Of the old
cooking stove.
A little after 10 Mr.. Humphrey ap-
peared ut the door.
Mother" Mrs. Humphrey paused,
with u bit of bacon poised on her fork
-"mother, can you tell me what has
happened 10 the old hnyrack and TO
the brooder house door?'
/ Mrs. Humphrey looked at Alice.
why = why. father. don't know.
Alice, do you knowf"
Alice poured the steaming peas into
II china dish and then glanced Mt her
father. "Well," she said calmly, you
will find part Of the door still In the
wood box. but the Inst of the hayrack
IL, tIs,t 4 III
she carried the dish of peas into the
dining room and set 1t carefully down
OH the table.
Then Mr.. Humphrey began: Alice,
IL you were not grown up I'd send you
| to bed for two days"
| Alice squared her shoulders, looking
| into her fathers eyes with an express
sion strangely like his own. Father"
SHE said, you are not fair. You give
your men the best sort of implements
| with which to do their work You keep
the horses and cattle III buildings that
are fer their greatest comfort. but you
| expect mother and me to find our own
means for doing work tint neither Of
us Is strong enough to do and to live III
building that scorches us In summer
and freezes us In winter. To say the
least, yop are not fair
The great veins swelled In Mr.. Hum.
phrey's forehead, and he took single
step toward Alice and then stopped as
If controlling himself by physical
effort.
Alice" no said, 81 forbid you to de.
stroy any more Of my property. lust
how to punish you for what you have
already done don't know. shall wait
until tonight"
That afternoon Alice wns left alone.
as her mother was called away to see
81 nifrlil ..l,.