The Dolores star., 1911-02-10
.THEETERNAL
FEMININE

Suddenly the front screen door
eueued with . crash and shut with .
hang. Above these sounds rose . bel.
low like that OF 4 wounded bull
Mother. mother. mother!" The bel
low resolved itself into words ~ the
believer stumbled up the stairs. tum.
bling down Mt every other step and
had to pick himself up again before he
could proceed.
Mrs, Burton rushed from her room
and halfway down the stairs. There
she sat upon . step and pulled Jimmy
into hef lap, anxiously examining the
round face and feeling the soft fat
body for possible broken bones.
"Oh. my darling!" she cried. Tell
mother what's the matter. my precious.
Did you fall? Where are you hurt!"
Renewed bellows threatened to
raise the roof. I'm not hurt--any.
where--outside. lists my feel
ings!" The last words were nearly
lost in q yell, which tapered down
eventually into mournful sniff
he. she said-she said"
What did she say. dear?" urger
Mrs. Burton. And who said IT."
she said-she said--it was Helen's
"She said-she said-It was Helen
mother. She sald-oh mother--she
said she didn't--she didn't love me
any more"
Mrs. Burton buried her head on her
sons heaving shoulder and shook with
suppressed laughter Then she rose
to her feet and took his hot. damp lit.
tie hand In hers and led him up to
her own room, where she sat down In
the big rocker and cuddled him In
her lap, rocking back and forth and
patting the forlorn. crumpled little
back. Presently the little boy sat up
on her knees md she wiped the tears
from the red cheeks.
"She didn't mean II. precious" she
said, trying to console him.
"Oh, yes. mother, she did" he In.
sisted choking with another sob. "She
said It and know she meant It"
Did she say Why she didn't love
you! Maybe you did something to
hurt her feelings"
A little gulp followed quickly ON
the heels Of a small. pathetic snort
mo, mother. I didn't. not q thing.
was just M nice to her As I could be.
We were playing house and we had
Just had supper. Helen's mother gave
us some cookies and we had some it,
tie bread and butter slices and let
her have half Of one Of my cookies.
and, II was lovely. and then right In
the middle she jumped up and said she
wouldn't play. and when asqked her
Why she said she didn't love me any
more. Oh. mother. mother. you don't
know how II hurt my feelinss!"
Perhaps Helen was tired. Jimmy.
Gear" suggested his mother. After
lunch you can 90 and ask her to
come over here and play and"
sOh, NO. MOI" walled the fearful
voice. "she said she didn't want me
ever to come again. She said she was
sick and tired Of me She said she
didn't ever want to see me again. Oh.
mother. how could she say that. when
I love her SO? Why. all summer I've
gone into the deepest grass every day
where the snakes are. to get flowers
for her. I've done everything to make
her love me and she always told me
she did, and now she says she doesn't
love me-"
Poor little mani" said his mother
you have yet to learn that the alb.
ject lover Il never the most success.
full one. But ! don't think she really
meant IT,"
"well. then. I wish-I wish she had
not said IT," Jimmy Quavered. be
cause I love her and want her to love
me-"
Directly after luncheon the doorbel'
rang. When Mrs. Burton opened the
door she found = crisp little damse
with . huge hair bow. an extremely
clean. AuiYy white dress. and q gen
erai atmosphere Of Northumberland
envelcpins her.
rs Jimmy at home!" she inquired
politely. II wanted to ask him n h
didn't want TO come over to my hous'
and play. ! guess he didn't have Z
very nice time this morning. He came
home right In the middle Of the tea
party we were having"
Helen sat down primly upon thu
front steps and waited while Jimm,
underwent the inevitable scrubbint
process. When he was thorough,
polished and ready to start, he threw
his arms around his mothers neci
II guess Helen does love me sfte'
ali, mother. or she wouldn't want m'
and whispered: