Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-11-12

II know. First, you'd tell John you
couldn't marry him because father
Twas an invalid. Next, when father
had gone, it was brother Marks
motherless children you must look
after. Then when Mark married and
took them away, it was Ruth that
left one to be looked after. Then Ruth
married, and o., fiddle, why tell all
your excuses? Now it's l. You tell
| John I'm the baby and to be yet
raised, and I'm now passing :. seven
teen. Oh, you, Clarissy!" With this
Mildred pretty as a pink, and greatly
resembling Clarissa at that age,
| flounced out OF the dining room.
She's simply mad, that's all. be-
cause l had you tell Bob Burnet to
stop OFF coming here to court Mildred.
She is entirely too young to be think:
ing about keeping steady company"
Mrs. Dorsey shook her head in a
numb way. She was wax In the hands
Of Clarissa.
An hour afterward Mildred called
to Clarissa in the washhouse stir
ring off I've soap in a washboiler:
Johns mother Just died. think
you'd better go on over there. 1t
doesn't look very well to have all
the neighbors going and you staying
back to make soap. can watch
that soap, and mother can tell me
when It's cooked to the last fragile.
Go long with you, Clarissy."
81 would never think OF trusting
this soap to either you or mother.
Go long yourself"
And much to her surprise, ten min
utes later Clarissa saw Mildred skim
ming along the meadow path that led
to the Hayneses home, an old fash
toned affair, plainly. visible from the
Dorsey upstairs windows.
The Sunday evening after the
funeral, John Haynes, his kindly
featured face very sad, came across
to the Dorsey home Mildred saw
him coming, and called to. Clarissa:
Here comes your old stiddy. What
excuse you going to make to him this
time, for sure he will ask you to
marry him now that his mother can
keep house no longer for him?'
Half an hour after John Haynes
was going slowly home, his head bent
in deep thought. Clarissa had made
new excuse: Mildred was making
them so much trouble now with her
lovers, and without Clarissa to man.
age Mildred the mother would allow
Mildred too much liberty"
John had answered: Next time
Clarissa, you may do the asking.
When you want me you can send for
me-" 4
How was Clarissa to guess that Mil
dred had met John the day before and
poked a little Independence in his
head?
But. you are not going now, John,
if cannot marry your" Clarissa asked
thoroughly surprised, for when mad
John, refused to share their Sunday
evening meal? And, because he was
in trouble, ClaEissa had planned an
extra feast this evening" III
But. ,John positively refused to ex;,
tend his call one minute longer, MY
duties are many since mother is gone,
What a good mother. she was to me-! I,
Then: You have made my loss. g
double loss,' was4.the smooth answer
waited back. Her eyes followed him
to the meadow stile. ;-4 lt7s. sr5;
Week followed week and John. kept
his i word. He did not come and
Clarissa was not one Of the kind
as yet-7to feel herself eyer to. blame
for anything. /: But this she had fear
fully guessed before her mother drew
her attention to it, Mildred was slip
ping out to meet John Haynes. Hours
at time on Sunday. afternoons they
sat on that stile, his dark head very
close to Mildred,s sunny curls tied
back with blue ribbons. !. i.
"I've told you often, >Clarissy," her
mother walled, shat some day some
other woman would take him from
you. Now that his mother is out OF
the way with her sharp tongue,
there'll be plenty to run after him,
If he is fortyone."
"You must want to get rid of me?"
Clarissa's rather handsome blue eyes
were wide open now with hurt in
quiry.
"Of course, don't if you love all
of us better'n John. In that case you
must now not stand in his way to
gettin' him good wife,
"Do you call that child, that saucy,
flirting girl, a good wife for John q
spoke Clarissa.
eff she loves him she will learn
how to be good wife, meekly an
swered the. mother; somehow, you
know, Mildred always did declare
that John was the best man that ever
| lived"
With a sense of great loss Clarissa
went up stairs on a proposed errand,
but really to watch those two on the
stile. "That bold girl! 1 saw him
lean over and kiss her." she breathed
in Mortified tone. 1.-THE ficle chit.
In love with. Rob Burnet one day, in
love with John the next. What can
he be thinking of" .s
At that distance she could not see
that John had merely leaned over to
read letter he had slipped to Mil