The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1911-05-05
SECRETS
~ tnldI,l

LoIr stuck out Indignantly Dehlho An0
10 how on top Of her head fairly quiz
'n ia With righteous wrath. Eleanor
eating uncomfortably bolt upright In
.s ' hammock, felt herself quail, but
sso too held her head high. She was
soually indignant because of Robertas
stunidity in not realizing that one had
Antics toward ones guests.
a. don't care!" she famed. II don't
are a bit about your old secretl
S,oss Milly was visiting me and
mess she had a right to know what ,
Snewl Willie would just as soon as
not abe knew, even If he didn't think
to say sol"
Jaw. you're a tattletale!" Roberta
Dersisted. Nobody was to know our
secret but me and you and Willie and
Iessie-and you went and toldl Jes-
s,e wouldn't a.told! I'm going down
to play with Jessiel"
Eleanor sat and watched Roberta
marching down the street, her hair
bows still futtering angrily. She
watched until the bows had vanished
and then she wept into the hammock
pillows.
She knew what 1t meant for Roberta
10 scorn her. Roberta was leader,
40 1t meant ostracism and ostracism
ate bitterly into ones soul. 1t was
unjust, she felt, because surely 1t
would not have been polite to bar
Milly from the secret when Milly was
her guest 1t was just like being In
Vited anywhere-you took your guest
along, Of course. Then, having a Sc
cret, why not share 1t with her? But
It was very lonely on the porch by
ones self, so Eleanor wept on.
She knew what was happening down
at Jessica's. Roberta and Willie and
some others were either painting mag
azlne pictures or playing croquet. Or
they we're laughing and racing around
the house, none of them giving a
thought to her. They didn't care
whether she was on earth or not.
Maybe they had their heads together,
glggllng over another secret, a secret
she was destined never to know. She
had been socially ruined!
She could hear Jessie giggle above
all the rest and she felt that she hated
Jessie. Though Jessie had a mild
lace and way which made grown-up
people say: What dear, sweet little
girl" Eleanor was morally certain
that Jessie would just as soon as not
tell any secret you had told her. Had
not Jessie repeated to Eleanor every.
thing she had promised her best chum
not to tell?
1t was dreadful to think that Willie
probably was teaching Jessie that
stroke in croquet which he had prom
ised to teach Eleanor, Jessie would
beguile Willie away If she could and
Roberta, too, because she had always
enVied Eleanor's popularity.
For two or three days Eleanor wan.
dered disconsolately up and down the
street When she went by Jessie's
and the crowd was there they laughed
very loudly and pretended not to see
her. Once she met Roberta face to
face and Roberta merely said "Poohl"
to her appealing glance. She met VIII
lie and said "Hello!" feverishly, but
be only stumbled over his feet and
grew red.
you told" he called back to her
after he had passed.
Eleanor felt that life really was
harder than she could bear. And II
was all Jessie's fault. Jessie had told
that Eleanor had told and now Jessie
was reaping her reward, while Flea.
nor was out in the cold.
Then one morning Eleanor was cleo.
trihed to see Roberta and Willie ap.
preaching the house.
"Hello!" Roberta said, airily. Let's
play store!"
You can be storekeeper, Eleanor
Willie fastened to add. "Tll get you
some pebbles for potatoes"
The two visitors We'd with each
other to WOO back Eleanor, who re-
ceiVed their advances in dignified
justification. 1t was hard not to LET
ones joyful relief surge out above
ones studied reserve, difficult to show
that one was injured, innocent and In
Inherent and yet not be too frigid
Above all. It was difficult to hide ones
consuming desire to know what had
happened.
1t was nearly noon when Eleanor
nnally asked where Jessie was.
"Aw, Jessiel" said Roberta, In
scorn. I'VE had a secret and crossed
our three little fingers and promised
not to tell--and she told her bis
brotheri"
Was 1t the same secret l told 2
Eleanor asked, breathlessly.
Roberta and Willie stared at each
other a minute. Then Willie SHOOT
his head.
No" he said, II guess we've kinds
forgot what that one wasl"