The San Francisco call., 1910-09-18

gayly tasseled hammock on the porch.
outside the hot sun glared merciless-
ly on the dusty road beyond the lawn,
but the wide vine covered porch of the
Daggett home looked delightfully."- cool
and inviting
Mrs. Daggett sat in her favorite
wicker rocker and she smiled in pleased
anticipation as she spoke.
Cousin Hester wants Susie to come
and stay with us this fall. You two
girls can have delightful times to-
gether."
May suddenly stopped swinging and
scrambled into an upright position. Her
pretty face looked distressed and her
brows were drawn together in mingled
dismay and disapproval
"Oh, mother, we don't want her" she
cried impetuously. whats she coming
for?' and the quick tears, always a
ready factor in Mays emotional nature
filled her eyes.
Her mother looked at her reproach-
fully Cousin Hester wants her to have
a special course in drawing. Now don't
be foolish, dear" she added, gently. II
thought you were very fond of Susie"
Il am, but she's-she's so old
fashioned" Mays eyes fell shamefaced-
ly over her flushed cheeks The girls
they'll think her so queer She wears
skimpy little short dresses-Oh, mother,
can't you write her not to Gomez"
May was only 15--six months older
than Susie--but she had entered into
the dignity of her second year in high
school and dresses to her shoe tops.
Lately, too she had discarded the big
black bow worn by the 'freshies," or
scrubs" as they were inelegantly
termed by their fellow students, as be-
ing too childish for young lady in
long dresses.
Mrs. Daggett regarded her daughter
thoughtfully. She understood her i'm
pulsive nature, her intense dread of
ridicule. But she also knew that under
meath lay a warm loving heart and a
fund of good common sense that, with
sober second thoughts, almost invari
ably triumphed over her graver faults.
You haven't forgotten how good
Cousin Hester and Susie were to you
when you visited them last fall, espe
cially when you were sick?" she asked,
quietly,
May pouted little as she answered,
'.You know l haven't, mother. / know
you think it very ungrateful of me,
but--but it's so different here. It's
awful she wants to come now, just
when I'm getting acquainted with all
the new girls. She'll want me to take
her around with me-and everything"
Here Mays vocabulary gave out and
she looked at her mother despairingly
Well" said Mrs. Daggett, cheer
fully II wouldn't take such gloomy
view of things, if 1 were you. You
know, May, it is just such opportuni-
ties as these that develop ones in
dependence of character and the girls,
if they are the right sort, will think
none the worse Of you for standing by
Susie. This opportunity means every
thing to her, for she has talent which
only needs developing. i don't know
how Uncle William manages to send
her at ALL for though they have the
farm and plenty of land they have been
unable to make it pay and have been
short of money for years Suppose
Susie's clothes are a little old fash
ioned-we can easily remodel them
after a Bit"
Just then visitors were announced
and May, in no mood to help her moth
er entertain, made her escape to her
own room.
'I think it's mean," she thought. re-
belliously, II know she'll look per-
feet fright and I'll have to tote her
around everywhere. l wonder what
Leona Winters and the other girls will
say?"
Out on the hot white road the butch
ers wagon was clattering through a
cloud Of dust 1t stopped before the
gate and the white aproned butcher
descended to deliver his order. On
the drivers seat, holding the reins with
one hand and gayly waving his cap TO
his mother and her guests on the porch
below, was Erie, her IL year old
brother.
May watched them as they whirled
away in another cloud OF dust Some
thing in her brothers happy democ-
raey aroused a new train of thought.
She never knew just how ii came
about, but somehow she saw through
her tears and the blur of roses a little
country bedroom with its snowy bed,
the little old fashioned bureau with its
white ruffied spread and the company
pincushion--a dainty pink silk affair
set stfiiy in the center. She could see
the great red and white roses climbing
riotously about the window, as though