Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1908-05-21

steps along tine uncarpeted entry and a
girl came in. She had reddish brown hair
parted above pretty, common litte face
She wore dark blue cotton blouse with
some cheap lace at the throat caugh; with
a paste brooch
Inc woman in the rocking chair straight
ened herself with little conscious PRIDE
Her angular shoulders became all at once
Impressive She might have been a red
and gold usher at some grand ceremony.
Here Is my daughter now" she said.
Ida. this lady jest come in fur a little
visit till the rain was over"
AT the first moment of her entrance the
girls eyes had Travelled swiftly from the
tall fashionable figure to the scrap book
in the visitors hand. She turned white.
then red, and her mouth Set detianty
Miss Conyers smiled. She was seeing in
stead of the simple cotton blouse, an ultra
stylish tan jacket, and hat with ostrich
tips, an endless gigsle. and feet in pointed!
patent leather shoes
How do you do?" she said 81 think
we have met before. Ne travelled together
two years ago, in the Fred Roniney COM
pany.
how do You do" the girl returned.
without moving forward. She simply stood
there, leaning against the doorway She
was inten,ly watching the visitors face.
The woman In the rocking chair smiled.
lookin. from one TO the other
II WAS jest showin' YOUR press-rllttin'
book, Ida. she said In her address to This
wonderful daughter there was "a note APP
preaching apology. clumsy loving defer
ence You Didn't mind? This lady was
real interested. She says She wasn't sure
whether she'd seen You act or no. but
tell her | guess she'd a remembered er
she he'd
The girl bit her lip. Under her mothers
frank Chances of pride her slim figure all
but finched Her eyes were al once
shame faced and defiant Miss Conyers
laid the book down quietly on the table.
| II think the rain has stopped now" she
said. I'm very glad / happened in. and
m very much Obliged to you for giving
me shelter this WAY
! I'm real glad to hev he'd YOU" answered
the woman in the chair n don't get TO
see any too many strangers. :settin here
an the time. guess thai muslin won't
/ hurt amy, eff it's Jest ironed ont again,
fore II gifts time to crease,
| The girl followed Miss tonyers ont on TO
the porch They walked down To the gate
1 side by side. over the wet boardwalk The
/ syrlnSa bushes smelled fresh after the
! rain
AZ the gate Miss Gon.-egs turned
| Why did you do that?" she asked
! The girl set her teeth.
, 81 suppose you're going TO tell every one
| the TRUTH"
| Miss Conyers looked at her quietly
] Come and walk little way up the
/ road with me. she said. You won, want
! a hat.
The rain had laid tho dust along the
iauiet country road Late afternoon SIM
light struggled through the Clouds and
igleamed on The dre.iched weeds and
grasses where crckets rasped Tho Wet
earth gave ont PLEASANT cooling smell
! The two walked slowly holding up their
skirts from the path.
II suppose You can't ever understand
my doing such a thing?1' said the girl.
{''Son've always been successful right
along You have talent. | thought had
when | joined always used To reete
AT the academy. here. Every one said 1
was real clever. ! was crazy 10 70 on
i the stage. and after awhile they let me-
go. Well. sou can guess, after the way
] d talked ard all, didn't want TO let on
at home that ] wasn't any good. So for
/ the longest While | never wrote back at
AL. only just letters saving was getting
an all right. ana things like that and j
4 worked hardl honestly did. 1T wasn't
any use. ! only got the meanest little bits
OF parts-you Know the kind---it seems
knew just about enough to walk Oh the
sage and back. and chat was about all.
And mother thought AN awful lot of ne,
and she mace so sure | was getting on
letters. asking me ali about everything,
and she Il given mp lot to let me GO, and
~ hated to disappoiut her. And Ole da &
a just cut out a notice about yot,--s don't
know whatever made me think q, it
sent II back without saying WORT And
mother. she wrote me the longekt letter
back, she was so pleased. She thought no
end of 1t. And that was how A. began
and then L sent her others every! once in
a while. All the time l kept thinking
how as soon as began to get Oh at ALL
could stop it.
We'll. 1 never got the chancn And
mother got to count so on having the no
tices. ard she thought SO much ST them
and hated TO tell her. She WIS taken
bad last March, and, of course i came
: right buck. Lots of. times since won
dered whether I'd tell her. But she's Sc
proud. it.s meant lots more to Fer thar
ever 1t would have done to me- even, AND
! II told her now It'd just about kill her
, You think I'm deceitful, and no better
than thief, but don't care: I've lain