The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-11-20
4 Z
Hetty MacDonaId's Birthday Party
BY 611<91stA 61l1ot

found herself very popular parsonage, walking home
in the midst of a lively group gay planning what they
should and what they should do at her party She
found tsomewhat difficult to enter into the spirit of the
occasion, her mind would wander to the question of
how she should break the news to her mother, and how
it would be received
AS she parted with Marion the last of the group and
made the rest of her way alone Hets heart sank lower
what she had done? She resolved that she would do
right away and at least have that part of the problem off
her mind But when she reached home she saw at once
that this was no time to act on her resolution.
Her mother met her at the door.
Oh, Hetty, child, thought you never coming"
she said Please run right down and get some more
sewngsilk to match these samples Miss Gilbert will
be all out Of it in fifteen minutes And you'd better take
Envy and Omy with YOU 1t is perfectly impossible for
Hey 5 thought t to herself rather gy 'f just say
right out Mother. I'm going to have party Satur-
But she thought better Of it and started off on her err
rand, witlhe twins gaiy rong at her heels or ahead
Of her frocng like young colts in their Joy at being
released from the bondage Of indoors and travelling four
or ye times each block OF the way as they pranced back
and FORTH Hetty podded along with unusual unrespon-
siveness going and in her mind the various
ways she could plan Of telling her mother what she had
done. When she came home again there were lessons
and the tws the table to set and the twins and gem
eral hurry and scramble till those little time consuers
had been put bed After they asleep they looked
so angelic with their white nightgowns and their clean
faces that Hety stayed for several extra kisses and felt
mean that she had ever got tired Of them She deter
mined to stay awake till her mother up in order
to get the load off her mind but the quiet and darkness
were too much for her healthy and tired little body and
she never knew when her mother stopped to tuck her in
and kiss her good night anything till she
wakened IN the bright morning sunshine by heavy pill
low humping her on the face as it missed Only.
There was time In the morning, when there was
always frantic rush to get through everything that had
to be done before time to 60 SCHOOL, Hetty started
off with her lunch and her books and the much heavier
burden of black riding on her shoulder f III
At school II was no better AS her class assembled
and recess in the lively twter of girls voices there
was an ever-recurring refrain OF Hrtty Macdonads
party" Hetty Macdonalfs party" which poor Hetty
thought would drive her mad. A o
On returning home strange serenity reaned in the
house There visible till Hety went upstairs
and found Virginia hard at work her Latin the high
school girls being released hour earlier than those OF
the lower grades
Where's mother? demanded Hetty
She's gone" said Virginia, absently Aunt Ruth's
i'll and mother Is to stay with her all night
Hettys heart fell like lead. All night In the morn
ing It would be too late Oh, why hadn't she told her
mother at first? How much worse II was to have 1t all
upon her at the last minute She wasso worried
that her sisters noticed her depression and said