Putnam patriot., 1908-09-25
THE BLUE BOWL.
 By TEMPLE BAILEY.
By TEMPLE BAIL
coryrsghse8 Ia's. by Associated
 Literary fre s.


 once worshiper at the shrine Of old cilna-and Of ciarlce.
 ..rhe Claibornes are as poor as church nice" his landlady informed bim when he asked about tue people who lived iB ihe gray mansies Oil the hill The nelgbbors roundabout here don't think that Clarice and ter aunt have enough 10 eat, and yet they won't sell thing And they've got some old furniture that they couId get most any price for. and ihelr china why. one man of. ft.red old Miss Claiborne s20o for a blue bowl. and she wouldn't take It
 T wouIer If I could see it?'' Beverly asked. thinking of the girl at the gate.
 "MaFbe." saii his landiady doubtful Iy They don't care to meet many people They used 10 have money. and now that they haven't the old lady shuts herself up there aud Miss ciariee Goesst see anybody"
 Rut Beverly was uot to bc dannted. and three days later h. kbocked at tAe Claiborne front door.
 elariee answered the knock She WIS even HiarF beaHtifG than the first time Beverly had seen her in faded gown of pink giugtam.
 si beg pardon" Beverly said. but my I4ndlndy hnS told fHe Of Il bewl-a Line bnwl=I an interested in old china an1 hoped ] mIglit see II"
 Clafice booked n him grayely
 sIts rat for sale." she said and am rot safr that you can even look at t I'll base fe ask Aunt Matiida ''
 "Og eoaaae BeseflY agreed prompt ff "a8A f you don't mind I'll sit on if. f8feli eiiiie @aif aud book Hi the eitv lt's wonderful lou must be ale te est thfee sfates..
 eHe edifs eiatiee said slowly and tll5ft's 'ls. e.ofai# of II He hooked nj her ln surprise
 auen.t 41u Ike tue flenf' he de man mi
 T uate l." she said vehemenfly "It's l deea.9el te laok out iato tiIc worid- ana tAen L. fe slut np-hefe" Then she Iiushea hotly
 "Oh. | bee pardon" she said '1 shoulan't have snid that forgot | f=as aleahlllG Ae T HtfaH-ff
 sNan afe moi speaking 10 stranger" l Beverly told her Just think for mo ment that 1 am long lost brother or | the ancient mariner or anybody that l you'd have right h tell yenf troubles l ta Why. | fcel as fl know you better l than any girl I've ever met. and yet 1 We have seen ench other only ten min ufes
 elarice sighed T feel that way. too" she ndmitfcd "hut now I'd bet. ter ee and ask Aunt Matilda " When she came down her cheeks were flaming
 .she spys you cunt see IL" she said munrnfnlls
 eoh canii r" hevefly's tone was stnhharn Wei shall see it-aad yon ns often as wiHh :.
 Glaeiee shook her head You don't know Aunt Matilda" she said hope lessly
 1 "l know her kind" Beverly stated "i nspd to rpHd about dragons an l wicked stepmothcrS and godmuthers in | my fairy books and of beautiful prin 1 cesses shut up In castles This will l simply be bringing t un 10 date And. l while l'm not =are that l will fulill all l the requirements of Prince Charming. 1 I'll do my hcSt . l chrlce gave him Il flashing glance l "Oh. I'm sure she begun and then the smile froxe as voice came from l abose
 .Clarice ClafIce@ II said come np | at once"
 "lt's Aunt Matilda," Cmriee said Tn n Frightened taae and vanished
 Beverly bore himself launtily as he went down the wnik What WAS | mefe l aunt to stand in the way of his nten tlnns9 He was thirty two. rich. and ha | had waited all these years to find 't9e l Ideal woman Ard here In thiS quiet | town where he hAd come to rest and tn fish he had discovered her. ari he ehaad marry her m spite ef any oil aunt dragon
 Ru, as the days went an he found 1 shat it was not nn easy thing to cun | duer Aunt Matiila In the tirst place. l he could not meet her She was as iA l visible as n witch. and. except far hei | voice calling Clariee from behind the l window curtain whenever Beverly | stopped at the gate there WIS ne tan. l gihc evidence that she existed at ali 1 You see. il doesn't dc bit of good for you 10 keep coming" C.ari.e told him desperately one morning when she 1 met him on the way To the postotfice She always calls me away. and then l ,he scoids and seelds She says l 1 haven't any pride" And her lips auiv sred
 | If dared ask you Co meet me ,omewhere.s Beverly said. but of course Il wouldn't do" l "No," Clarice said. ..l couldn't d. | that--and-you see. Aunt Matilda gets crazier and craxier over her old china l and she ought to sell lt We haven't enough 10 be eomfariahie-we haven't l siways enough to eat" "oh. hy Jover Beverly said T can't have her starving you. you know.
 1 Clarice grev little pale | "i shouldn't have teld you" she said, "hut have thought of a way for yon to hcip"-
 "i am always at your service" said Beverly gravslx
 "ohs' She looked up quickly VI I thought you might write to tat man
 who wanted the hue how'll have his
 alllresS bat wouldn't dare wFite-- i saa could give yea the bowi. aHd yea
 caaA sell Il ta hiua. and then-thea you eo9ld bring me ihe m0as'y''-
 ~ill hay r myself saA9 Beverly ] pvomn4ly T have never waasSa ges