The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-12-23

AVA told, parted her rosy lipn
Rhe gave little gasp of antoniahment
whence the idea had come. how I. had
arrived. ahc could not imagine. SIN
In aomo unacoountable way the thought
had entered her mind. No strange 10
amazing. 10 daring, 30 unprecedented,
40 u,sconvcn1onal, ~ revolutionary
thn, she was shocked Into erectncss
from the Eilded ohaihe lounge on which
she reciincd Certainly such con.
cep,ion was not In tho least In accord
win her very luxurious, modish esln.
thee. che glanced about tho pretty
sIouia. .Quinxe room which was her hour
doir. In the tender light. with the
aweet silence. such an actually was a
strange Intruder,
And yet whcn she had worked at the
problem as sho had, oughr she not TO
expect some commensurate ontcomsf y
Exactly aa she knew ahe was pretty.
without exactly admitting Il to her.
self. Hhe Was aware that she was not
atupid. though she only considered this
fact sometimes aa justification for
certain impaiIcnces and wearlnesaeH
Therefore when she gave herself to
the subject. bent her whole mind 90 tho
solution of the question, might she not
hope to reach rome novel conclusion
But such RESULT
Jack" she said on the preceding
afternoon, as thcy aat for ~ few min.
utes alone. "what shalt give YOU for
chrlatmas9"
He looked AZ her with nn Intensity
which. IN the hnlt-iiKht. she did mol
note Ills silence, however, surprised
her.
why don't You AnHwerY'
I'll was thinking" he replied with
n sudden. broken laugh, what want"
"yghat do you want9' She contin-
ned plalntlvely. Il believe have ex-
hauated everything. began when !
was a little. tiny giri and you were a
junior at college, with papercutter
for your room, In your senior FOL.
lowed II up with a silver inkStand I
have run through the gamut OF match
boxes cigarette cases. crfavat pins,
studs, books and riding crops The
year before last gave YOU set Of
old sporting prints Last year. Ms a
particularly rIalSy venture, essaycd
a picture Of myself in a beautiful
frame"
THAT" he announced In low tone,
twas best OF all"
"Thc frame?" she inquired. My
powers OF invention have given out.
MY Imagination ccaseS TO work, Il
can't think OF another thing"
y should like" he replied slowly,
Something new"
",rhcre Il ia," she commented. "Yor
are no exnctlng what shall | do?"
She had always known him, Long
before, when he had appeared SO i'm
mcaSurably old. she had admired him
with all little girls alteration. As
time had passed n change had come
about. She was the one who directed
M. ohcyed. still much OF the former
relation had continued. and she carried
to him all of her problems OF
him always; she Ind counted
on him 10 ride out with
her on her first pony and play
tennis with her, now at balls she de-
pended on him 10 help her when she
was bored by any one. When she held
her fan In u particular way he was at
her instant command.
Really her Christmas gift hau always
been 40 usual, so unlmaglnatlve for
ono OF her known originality, He
should have something different ana
she pondered the subject with q soft, ,
little wrinkle in her smooth brow. |
Suddenly the inspiration had come,
simple like all great discoveries, though
catastrophe In its upheaval and over
throw. Why had she been 80 long In
doubt7 or course, there was but one
method, one course to pursue. The
thing itself was Of little consequence.
She could find endless objects to give
him. The embarrassment indeed was
only tho embarrassment Of riches. But
If she gave to him something purchas-
ed with money which In some manner
she earned herself, that would be ok
Nentonal, unprecedented, surprising,
significant. delightful. There would be
some meaning In It.
But how? In what fashion was the
result to be accomplished? She almost
laughed aloud at the drollery of "the
rich Miss Klnglake' setting out to make
money How much should she need
She reflected that gaining money must
be very ditIlcult She had heard that.
People seemed to find so much trouble
In doing II that this must be so. She
determined to be very modest.
What could she do? with this call
to action she sat up, and, resting her
chin on her hand, fell to thinking Wig
oSously. How did girls earn money!
She was aware that thousands of them
did, though the means was far beyond
her knowledge or experience. AS she
reflected she recalled the columns In