The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1908-10-22


loss to grieve her, for the graduate
student was called home. Almost at
a days notice she left college and her
own work to take charge of a stricken
house and two newly orphaned nleces,
and Lizzie Wetherell, who had come
to depend on her companionship, es-
| pecially at the hour OF the little sup
per, missed her cruelty
But Betty scarcely needed the go-
ing of the graduate student. She felt
4, that she was no favorite of hers. Be-
sides, she was now giving all her in
terest to the outcome of Eversham's
competition. Every time that she
heard the postman's ring she would
herself go flying to the door.
On such an errand she had run one
| gray December afternoon, and she
was longer about 1t than usual. Then
her voice rang jubilant through the
house, and she ran into the living
room, just as she had used to run to
her mother
"The prizel" she cried. 1--WE won
Eversham's prize! For Love of
Chloris,' by Elizabeth Wetherell, is
to come out in the March number. l
didn't tell you at the time. I wanted
to surprise you. But I sent story
to Eversham 's-the one l read you
and they've taken 1t. And they're
sending me the check. Five hundred
dollarsl Think of 1t, mother!"
When she thought of 1t Lizzie
Wetherell thought it the most nat
ural and beautiful thing that could
have happened. If she remembered
her own poor little story that the
graduate student had so praised, 1t
was only to be glad that she had
never told Betty that she, too, had
entered the contest. And she re-
joiced whole-heartedly in Betty's
triumph, not only for Betty's sake,
but for her own. For it seemed to
her that In this eager girl, who
wanted her sympathy and her praise,
she had at last her own daughter
friend again.
But all too quickly Betty was once
more her recent self. She must tell
her mates about her success, she said,
with the implication that in them
alone could she find true apprecia-
tion. And as she turned away, she
added, with a laugh that was more
i'll natured than she guessed:
"You see, mother, Eversham's
thought my Lady Chloris was truer
to life than you did"
OF the weeks that followed too
much need not be said. If Betty had
been offensive in her patronage of her
mother when she was merely an ear
! nest student, she was fairly intolera-
} BILE now that she was a successful au-
thor and wage Garner. Five hun
, dred dollars at one stroke! 1t was
, more than her mother could clear by
: months of labor. So she patronized
} her stupid mother. till the graduate
: student, had she been there, would
: surely have lost the last of her pa
thence and shaken her.
} The marked copy of Eversham'i
came one February afternoon, along
with some letters for Mrs. Wetherell
Betty, who had just come in from col
} lege, tore the wrappings from the
: magazine. For Love of Chloris, b!
t Elizabeth Wetherell," she read the
D title. She read the name of the ia
= nous artist who had done the illus
r trations. Then she turned to look a
the story in its glorious dress.
In after life Betty could laugh, re
membering the dismay with which
she saw, instead of the full page pic
, ture of her dainty Lady Chloris, ;
gnarled old woman, leading a spotted
heifer. But at the moment she die
not laugh.
= Mother" she said, in a dry voice
look here! It's my title. It's m,
r name. And I've received the check
e But it's not my story. I can't under
! stand!"
Then she saw that her mother'I
1, face was startled and that she wal
3 holding out to her a newly opened
letter, written in the graduate stu
e dents hand. Betty read the opening
sentences:
"Am l not true prophet, dea
. Mrs. Wetherell? I've only Just haC
time, so busy these sad weeks hav,
been, to glance at the magazines
again. And / see, in the current mum
ber of Eversham's, that your story
L For Love of Chloris,' has won tn,
: prize, as it deserved to do. Congrat
ulations and"
, Betty dropped the letter. Sh'
J. grew aware that her mother wa
e speaking.
Il wrote the story" Lizzie Wether
ell was saying. And the graduate
: student persuaded me to send it Il
Eversham's."
"She did 1t on purpose!" Betty
| voice rang harsh. "She always dis
4 liked me. She"
Betty" her mother interposed
you must be fair We did not know
. that you were entering the contest"
II know / know!" cried Betty
= She's not to blame to meddle lik
= that! You're not to blame to TAX
my title--and not to tell mel I'm Il
blame for 1t all, perhaps, because
:. didn't stamp that envelope-becaus
they threw my story into the vast
basket instead of sending it back
!, because / didn't know it was reject
: ed! I'm to blame that / thought l.,
= won the prize-that I've told every
= body-that I've made fool of my
= self"
n She stopped, terrified at the sigh
I of her mothers stricken face. Sh