Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1910-08-04
The Charm Of
Lillian

easily managed child till she sudden
ly developed demoralizing fondness
for her schoolmate, Lillian, who was
a year older than She
LET me have the French heels,
mother!" Isabel had pleaded one day
when they we're buying footgear.
"These square ones are so ugly! They
haven't any style! You ought to see
the lovely heels Lillian has on her"
LILLIAN! Who is Lillian?" her
mother had demanded.
"She's the sweetest, loveliest girl
you can imagined" Isabel had breath
lessly explained I'm crazy about
her! She has eyes just like those you
read of in novels, with delicately pen
ciled brows-''
"What novels?" again demanded
her mother, aghast.
Lillian lent them to me- Isabel
said little petulantly. "They are
very nice books. Her eyes are just
like the eyes Of the heroines, mother!
And she walks just as though she
were trailing silken skirts across mar
BILE halls, you know"
I'm quite sure I don't know!" broke
in Mrs. Gable in displeasure. You're
not to read books without first asking
me and French heels aren't the thing
for schoolgirl, Isabel. Do be SEN
sible!"
Isabel therefore wore square heels
and a mutinous, injured expression.
r.,
breakfast flushed and trifle hesitant,
with her blonde locks wonderfully and
fearfully crimped and pulled out
around her childish face. In that first
amazed glance her mother decided
that tape line laid across the top of
the structure would measure at least
a yard from side to side.
tits like Lillian's!" Isabel burst out
"Her hair looks perfectly beautiful
and is so stylish! She says you can
carry your head better when it's done
so! She says your head should sway
like-like lily on its stalk and"
Isabel" said her mother, "I'm sorry,
but you'll have to go upstairs and put
it up in your usual braids and rib
bons!"
ooh, mother!" Isabel walled. "You
are SO cruel! If you could see Lii.
lians!'
Isabels passionate admiration for
Lillian threatened to become serious
affair. She squandered all her pocket
money on candy and flowers to take
to Lillian. She sung Lillian's praises
morning, noon and night. She was
broken-hearted Fridays because she
could not see her divinity till the
next Monday her mother refusing to
let her go to Lillian's house. And she
was continually breaking out in the
most unexpected directions and ex-
planning that Lillian did so. If her
divinity had blue dress Isabel art
fully contrived that her own next
dress should be blue. Once her mother
found her ripping the hem in her
school dress.
please let me wear 1t longer!" she
had begged. eff you could see Lii
lians! She looks so GRACEFUL"
For the hundredth time Mrs. Gable
helplessly wished the fascinating Lii
liam were thousands of miles away.
She was losing all control Of her
daughter
Lillian says am so sympathetic"
Isabel announced one day. why, she
confides in me, mother! She says we
are twin souls She is perfectly
happy when she is with me and so am
I with her! She has the most beauti-
full thoughts! Why. she's perfectly
wonderful"
After Lillian had permeated the
very atmosphere for months, invading
every conversation and upsetting all
Mrs. Cables rules and regulations
and discipline, that much-tried woman
of course noticed it when whole day
passed with no mention of Lillian's
name. For Isabel to refrain from
singing her adored ones praises was
almost too good to be true.
A whole week, however, went by
and Mrs. Gable saw Isabel actually
returning to her usual state of child
hood naturalness. 1t was as though
spell. Curiosity finally overcame her
mothers caution.
II don't hear you mention Lillian
much of late" said Mrs. Gable.
whats the reason?"
Isabel tossed her braids contemptu-
ously. ooh, that grill" she said, with
scornful accents. "She deceived me,
mother! l thought she was perfectly
lovely and liked me, but what do you
think she did, She dropped me the
minute Ed. Griffith began hanging
around her! And he's just common,
ordinary boy! I'm so disappointed in
her! She won't pay any attention to
me and / never liked her very much,
anyway. Are we going to have GUS
tard pie for dessert tonight?"
Then Mrs. Gable knew she had her
daughter back again.
Taki1n Eucana