Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-02-12
Star.

W.
slowly by way Of the back yard, with
all the curves I'm her face turned de-
1ectedly down. and sought her mother.
An hour later Hilda came on the two
in solemn council. Anne sat, wilted
heap, on the couch, gazing forlornly at
a damp handkerchief in her lap. Mrs.
Tupper's eyes were grave, but her lips,
over which she laid a REFRESHING hand,
were in danger of smiling as she said,
consolingly:
Never mind, dear You told her ex-
actly what she said she wanted TO
know, and in the long rum know her
SO well-It will work out all right"
"Whats up?" demanded Hilda.
'M-Ars. Adams" quavered Anne. A
big tear rolled down each cheek. I
couldn't help it. She asked me, and
then when 1 told her she was awfully
angry"
Anne hunted a dry spot on her hand
kerchief. Mrs. Upper struggled with
a smile, but Hilda dropped solidly into
a chair and cried:
"Anne Topper! Mrs Adams! For
PHYS sake what have you told herr"
"S-she thought" sObbed Anne, "that
no one suspected that she colOrs her
hair and-and puts on her complexion
and Is f-fifty-years Old!"
"Anne Belinda Topper" shrieked Hill
da, with horror-stricken eyes, did you
tell her all that? Did you, Anne?"
But Anne, beyond the power Of re-
ply, fed down the hall and up the stairs
in a tempest of girlhOOd grief, while
her older sister transferred the horror
stricken gaze to the mother.
"It seems" explained the undisturb-
ed Mrs. Upper, that Mrs. Adams has
overheard some uncomplimentary COM
ments on her appearance. Consequent
", this afternoon she waylaid Anne,
took her up stairs behind closed doors,
told her what she had overheard, and
said, Now, Anne, I depend on you to
tell me the truth"
HiIda threw out her hands in ges-
ture of despair. 'grhe TRUTH she in
terrupted. "It's the last thing she
wanted to hear, and Anne ought to
have known 1t. Anne doesn't under
stand people"
Mrs. Topper smiled inscrutably.
swell, 1t seems" she finished, dryly,
'that Mrs. Adams asked for the truth
and got it."
"Oh" groaned Hilda. did Anne
tell her that people knew she was fifty,
and dyed her hair and rouged?
"Anne did," affirmed her mother.
: sand that's not all, either"
Hilda sat up with jerk. 'Mother,
did Anne tell her about her dress?"
Mrs. Upper nodded, still undisturb-
cd by the volcanic outbursts of her
elder daughter. "She did just that.
You know Mrs. Adams dresses like a
giddy schoolgirl, and Anne told her So"
"Of course 1 know it." cried Hilda,
"and so does every one else! l never
saw such a ridiculous figure In my life.
Strangers simply go into commissions
over her appearance, but to think that
Anne should tell her! do wish that
Anne had some tact about her! She
hasn't a speck."
"No," acknowledged her mother,
"Anne is not tactful in your sense Of
the word, but she is the soul of homes
ty, and she feels completely used up
because Mrs. Adams is so angry"
'.PoOr Anne" cried Hilda, with Il
sudden change Of front. ut was a
hard place to put her In" and she flew
up stairs to, comfort her sister.
Anne, refusing comfort, wept until
tea-time, b after tea a lively game of
tennis. in which she came off victor,
drove all thought of her late troubles
from her mind, and caused her to sleep
soundly.
But on Sunday morning her troubles
again oppressed her In the form Of a
naughty and distant Mrs. Adams, who
pointedly ignored not only Anne, but
Anne's immediate relatives.
Mrs. Adams occupied the pew In
front of the Tuppers. She did not ar
rive that particular morning until the
beginning of the responsive reading.
Then she rustled down the aisle. a COM
edy OF affected youth in her reddish
black dyed hair, her white-and-pink
face, her strained eyes guiltless Of glass
es, and her stout figure beglrt in a gaily
colored, rlbboned, rufled, lace-yoked
dress. Mrs. Adams as a girl had been
a popular beauty. At 90 she might
have been equally popular, and equally
beautiful with the beauty belonging to
middle age, had she not chosen to ig-
more the flight Of the years. She had
also persuaded herself that others ig-
nored 1t, so far as 1t concerned her
until her interview with Anne!
''Now you can see, Anne" said Hill