Smyrna times., 1911-09-27
- - y . y . - -" . .
AN ARBITER
OF FATE
GamaIieI Swallows an Ancient
Superstition
By CLARISSA MACKIE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation 1911
By CLARISSA MACKIE
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. !

over ner sweeping cap, ana Sne IS run
ming across the orchard"
Mrs. Parsons leaned over her daugh-
ters shoulder and peered at the tall
angular figure hurrying through the
orchard that divided the two houses.
Maybe Gamaliel has had another fit
That cat will be the death of Alvaretta
with his fits and finicky ways; she's
worried over him half the time. I'll
open the door for her" She went to
the side porch and awaited her sisters
coming.
Alvaretta came up the narrow path
between the rows Of chrysanthemums.
her prunella shod feet flashing in and
out of the dead leaves and her faded
face quite pink with excitement.
rs it Gamaliel?" called Mrs. Parsons
eagerly as her sister drew near.
Miss Lee stopped short and stared
''Is what Gamaliel?"
81 thought perhaps that cat had an
other ft." returned Mrs. Parsons sharp
ly; hes always cutting up some sort
of didOesr'
"Gamaliel's all right" assured AL
varetta calmly as she followed her sis
ter into the warm sitting room. How
are you, Elsie? Haven't you finished
those pillowcases yetT
This is the last one" answered Ell
sic. rising to offer her aunt a rocking
chair. when we saw you running,
Aunt Alvaretta. we thought something
had happened" She resumed her own
seat and bent her fair head above the
muslin pillowcase.
Something unusual did happen"
averred Miss Lee with mysterious
mods Of her head. "I'll have to take
| get out in this room. For the land-if
l haven't got on my sweeping cap!
Well. it's all in the story Of what hap
pened when 1 was cleaning the garret
this morning"
''What happened?" queried Mrs. Par
sons impatiently as che picked up her
needles and kni sYe. uriously at some
white lac, she %ill' making for her
daughters trOusseau.
Miss Lee removed her sweeping cap
and twirled it thoughtfully on one long
finger. her keen. black eyes watching
Elsie's downcast face as she told her
story.
"As was saying. cleaned the gar
ret this morning. or | was just begin
ming TO when l decided I'd clean out
that little closet under the rafters.
There was 81 little hair trunk that be-
longed to Grandmother Lee. and it
had all sorts of truck in it. 1 won't
tell you all the stuff there was tucked
away in that trunk. Some rainy day
you can come, Emeline. and We'll look
it over. But among other things there
was a little pastebOard box and inside
Of it was a1ittle scrap of lace, marked
Ann Lees wedding veil.' That was
your great-grandmother. Elsie! There
was a scrap Of the wedding gown and
then screwed up in a little piece Of pa
per was this bit of grandmother's we'd
ding cake!" Alvaretta triumphantly
held up a twist of yellowed paper,
which she carefully unfolded to dis
cover a mOrsel of dark. fruity cake
with a few hecks of icing clinging to
it.
'Tm going to give it to Elsie to
dream on" said Miss Lee slowly.
Elsie's pale face flushed hotly and
she shrank back in her chair with a
protesting gesture of her hands. "YOu
needn't laugh at me, Aunt Alvaretta,"
she said tremulously. "You know
don't have to dream on wedding cake
my fates been decided for me-" She
shot a bitter glance at her mothers
averted face.
Mrs. Parsons arose and went to the
plant stand in the window, where she
proceeded to pick the dead leaves from
the geraniums with quick, nervous ges-
/ lures that betrayed her inward per-
turbation.
81 didn't know Elsie had decided
she was going to marry Jerome Bar
| clay. | thought she was sort of teeter-
ing between him and Rob Harris"
blurted Miss Alvaretta, getting upon
her feet i've never taken much stock
in your notion of having Elsie get her
wedding clothes ready before she'd
made up her mind"
| 81 never said l wanted to marry Je-
! rome Barclay. I-I-can't bear him."
flashed Elsie with unusual spirit.
Mrs. Parsons turned cold face to-
ward her daughter 81 thought it was
understood" she said severely. that
you was to marry Jerome, He said
he wouldn't take mo- for an answer,
and he says you can keep hired help
and you needn't do a stroke of work
if you don't want to. He can afford
to have you live like a lady. He left
a dimoad ring for you to wear, and
he told me to fire ahead and get the
clothes ready. He says he knows you
will be ready. ! don't want to influ-
ence you. Elsie, but I've had to work
80 hard all my life it seems as If l
couldn't have you let such good
chance go by" She looked appealing
ly at the mutinous face of her daugh-
ter.
II wouldn't mind working hard for
some folks" half sobbed the girl.