The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1907-12-26

ter on my toast. At 30 woman
needs to take care of her good looks.
Il never imagined you cared for
such things, Dolly. am surprised,
Bess said with wide open eyes.
You pin one down so, Bess. I'm
very much ashamed to show my weak,
ness to you, but | abhor pimples, II
Dolly said with a shamefaced air
"Oh, don't blame you, only 1t must
be so hard to not eat things you like. "
Dolly's lips quivered, but she smiled
bravely. Pride knows no pain" she
quoted merrily, and then chatted
brightly about the people she had seen
In the store, entertaining Bess with
many scraps of conversation she had
overheard
After awhile the child was asleep.
Dolly covered the little aching limbs
she had been rubbing, and turned
away from the bed.
She sat down by the lamp, holding
the thick unwelcome letter in her
hand. Mechanically she opened it.,
and instead of the printed slip she
had expected, a letter fell out of the
envelope. She laid the manuscript ON
the table, and unfolded the letter
Am i dreaming, or are the words
really here?" she said aloud, a glad
light in her eyes and her hands all a.
tremble. She read it again. There
was no mistake. The editor had been
so pleased with the plot of her story
that he returned it, begging her to
lengthen it for him, and offering a
price for it that amazed her. In the
meantime he would buy her short
stories.
Dolly wanted to scream with de.
light. And then. settling down in her
joy, she began to wonder what short
story she could send
With the editors unexpected letter
before her, her thoughts, somehow.
went back to her own little romance
Why not write that? Nobody would
know 1t as hers, for who would sus
pect quiet, poyerty-stricken little Miss
Brent of having a romance tucked
away in her uneventful past?
And, after all, it was not much of a
story. She had made very poor sort
Of a heroine. And Tom, well. there
never was anybody like Tom He was
hero enough for any story, for hadn't
he wanted to take her and her mother
and little puny, baby Bess to his home
where there was scarcely enough fol-
his own widowed mother and the fam.
lily of helpless girls?
She had said no, and the driftine
apart began, and now they were for
ever lost to each other.
She drew her little desk to her and
wove her one little dream into
sweet, homely story, and then until
late in the night she wrote, lengthen
ing the returned story. /
At last, cold and tired and hungry
she crept into bed with Bess, and fell
asleep to dream of her brave, bonny
lover, her hero, Tom.
Her eyes were bright now. ant !
there was no trembling Of the steady
hand. Hope gave her new life. PEG,
pie turned to look again at the radiant
face, and Bess declared that Dolly's
abetinence was really making her
prettier every day, and Dolly laugh.
ingly replied that, after all, she felt
herself giving way, and feared that
she would drift back into luxurious
habits again.
The weather was growing cooler
now, but Dolly laughed at the wind
- It tugged 1t her thin jacket, and
smiled - the first rain drops battered
down. Il wonder II Bess sees them"
shs said. hurrying on. An, yes, there
was the dear. pale little face pressed
against the window, hut-Dolly almost
stopped with surprise.
There above the child's face was an.
other. A mans bearded face! Was
Bess worse and had some one gone for
The doctorf Dolly's heart stood still
Min fear. Nov, that She could DO
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