Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-22

W enough to company yet"
- "It wasn't that Mrs Joyner eyed the baby
all over, and thensshe said: What nice little
ears she has' and old Mrs. Norris remarked
In a comforting sort of way But I've always noticed
the ugliest children make the prettiest grown peo-
ple.'"
They're Just a pair of cackling geese they don't
know fine youngster when they I'm sure
she weighed nine and half pounds! AS for her
looks all babies exactly alike can't be told apart
Goodness Efne you aren't crying again."
IL am afraid don't think she is pretty either"
confessed his wife between sobs. II cannot under
stand why I should have daughter with red hair"
But red 1t was and straight 1t was, in spite OF Mrs.
Wyatts frantic efforts to the contrary She brushed
1t backwards fifty times every morning, yet it re-
mained as hagrantly straight as 1t was ndisputaoly
red When Madeline was older her mother braided 1t
into nnun1erable small plaits at night to make 1t
ripple next day.
Trying to fall asleep one night. process hindered
in spite of her perfect health, by the discomfort
caused by the many braids, Madeline overheard her
mother in plaintive monoogue. Her name. by the
way was of her mothers choosing; her father called
her Lima.
John. Just don't know what to do about dancing
school took Madeline this afternoon and dressed
her as sweety as could be- though it is very hard to
hpd anything becoming to her (now / could always
wear any color) and the boys simply wouldn't dance
with her. Madeline seemed absorbed in the music,
and stood there as unconscious II she was in our
back yard. swaying with the music and taking all
sorts of queer steps she must have made up herself
Some of the girls began to laugh. and Gus Behman
sald think her dancing looks real pretty and they
all made fun Of him. and the boys said he liked
green-eyed girls and eased him SO he wouldn't dance
with her. and none Of the boys didand was so NOR
tihedl"
81 hope she had sense enough not to let fool row
of glggling boys spoil her good time"
"she will never be a BELLE" moaned Mrs. Wyatt
"Bellel" echoed Mr. Wyatt, with something re-
sembling snort, I'm glad she won't II my front
steps were always swarmng with small boys like
Major Bridgers ibid insect powder to scatter
em!"
"Annabel Bridgers has way with her. all the
boys like her." pursued Mrs Wyatt ut is strange
that my niece should resemble me more than my
own daughter From the time was fourteen. it
was Just that way with All the boys in Bakers
Vile"
lily. But my dear. 1t is enough to have married
belle; don't want to be the father of one"
Alas Madeline, never again heard urged this point
of view, which would have contributed SO much to
her peace of mind in the years that followed! For
Mr. Wyatt died. and his widows narrowed interests
concentrated her daughter.
The years before her marriage. when 1t was fore
gone conclusion that voting contest for the pret
test girl in Bakersville" "he most popular young
lady in town" would register an additional triumph
for Efhe Bridgers shone in undimmed glory IN Eme
WAITS remembrance
All that earnest maternal effort could do to give
an equally radiant period to her daughter. she un-
finchingly attempted.
Mrs Wyatt had been plump. bue-eyed, brown
haired rosy checked indeed poppycheeked might be
more exact In spite of the difficulty of her material
she tried to bring Madeline to this standard. The
Cirls height and slimness were essened by number
les, rufies on her skirts, Madeline's queer walk"
changed into the Bakersve fashionable gait by the
s.31ple means of inordinatey high-heeled shoes
a.adenes hair was Marceed and pompadouTed, and
formed at the back with bunch of curls
2ut no loving effort could make Madenes eyes
BIT that strange seagreen and the. only
r ..adclinc's cheeks rosy would have
t-3r. "a those external applications which
M.a W att did not consider reputable for church
memaer in good standing Though she tabooed paint
and powder mechanical beautfers invariably tempt
ed her There a memorable July IN whlcn she
insisted that Madeline should sleep in rubber race
mask but mask flesh brushes and electric appliances
failed to give to the girls cheeks the famous color
that characterized the erstwhie Belle of Bakersvle
Madeline bore these experiments patiently and
passiyely because she loved her mother dearly Hers
was sweet nature for the realization OF hope
less homeliness. which had filled her soul with hu-
nifty had not embittered her. Her chief source OF
p.9ure lay in those village epdemics called amateur
performances
.sWhy is Madeline always given the incest part?'
not L iuinrf hat her