The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1906-05-12
A SUBSTITUTE
FOR DELLA.
BY MARGARET E. SANGSTER.


1t was all done in such a whirl
that Leslie Sherman nad no time tc
think Of herself or her plans for the
winter until her father and step
mother AID sister Nancy were fairly
out at sea. The pilot brought back
a note from Mrs. Sherman, adyis
ing Leslie to send for her Aunt Clara
to stay with her, and hoping she
would not be too lonely while they
were all away.
AS for Leslie. she fitted from
room to room with an eXuberant de-
light that would almost have para
lyzed her stepmother had she seen
1t. Mrs. Sherman and Leslie were
by nature antipathetic, and they kept
the peace only by the exercise Of
continual selfrestraint on both sides
Leslie was fond Of adventure anG
hated monotony. Mrs. Sherman was
a born conservative. Leslie lad
spent much of her childhood at
boarding-school, and later. college
had occupied four years. The last
twelve months she had been at home,
restless, eager, dissatisfied, and very
uncertain what to do.
Then Nancy had been suddenly
taken i'll. Nancy, the little fair-naired
sister, who was the especial darling
OF aer parents, and the doctor had
ordered an immediate flight to the
south OF France. Something had been
said about Leslies going, too, but
she had opposed it. and Mrs. Sher.
man had been rather relieved that
she preferred to stay behind.
In the time that had slipped by
since Leslie's return from college
she had tried several ways of anus
ing and occupying herself. She had
studied bookkeeping and had begged
her father to employ her. but he had
banteringly put her off. She had
taken course in shorthand, and per-
fected what she had already picked
up in college as a help in taking
notes from her favorite professors,
and the click of her typewriter was
often heard, and the ringing of it's
little bell came sounding from the
room where she studied.
Il hope Nancy will learn the harp"
Mrs. Sherman would say Il grow
tired of hearing Leslie's typewriter"
good deal Of Leslies time was
spent at an East side settlement, and
she learned to love the girls she
met there. She was adored by the
maids in her home, and admired |
when she entered anybody's drawing |
room. Leslie Sherman was a good |
specimen of the modern society girl, |
gracious to her finger-tips, and every
where at her ease.
She sat down to dinner alone the |
first night after the family left. The
old butler felt sorry for her and fan
cied she must be desolate, but her
pulses were dancing and she was ex-
ulting in her freedom to do as she
pleased in trif1es or in larger things
without an ever-recurring argument
When she was undressing, some
hours later, she noticed in the mirror
opposite her chair that Norah, who
was preparing the room and bed for
the night had been crying. 1t had
been Norah's afternoon out. and Win.
ME, who ought to have acted as
cnambermaid in her absence, had
herself gone to bed with a tooth.
ache.
What is it, 'Norah?" asked Leslie.
Have you had bad news from
home?"
"Oh, no, Miss Leslie, dear, no BAD
news from home, but Della, poor
thing, has to go to the hospital to-
morrow for bad operation. She
never knew it, nor did l. till l went
with her today. But it's now or
never, the doctors say, and she ii lose
her Job. an it's a good one She'll