Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1911-12-20


crumpled the true, but Incomplete"
list into little wad and tossed it into
the wastebasEet; then she took a
new slip and wrote:
81. A diamond necklace. 2. A
pair of gray gloves, No. 6A. 8. A
box Of writing paper. 4. A book 5.
hatpin. 6. A ball Of colored pins.
/. A tape measure"
The last two items were tempered
to the finances OF the two little boys.
She made the usual declaration, and
added her slip to the others kept on
file on the library table.
"If you see a scrap Of blue paper,
anywhere, Nora, do save it," Marga-
ret directed the following morning.
Il have lost a very important ad-
dress"
eyes, ma'am, I'll be looking after
IT, Nora replied.
1t was general cleaning day. and a.
Nora emptied the wastebasket in the
library, sure enough, there was a
l..
pounced upon it and took it to Miss
Peggy
Margaret gave 1t hasty glance
"Oh, no, that isn't it," She started
to toss it aside, but stopped, looked
at 1t again, read 1t through, then
smoothed it out and read it the Sec
ond time.
Come here, Nell," she called,
mother must have made out a fake
list Isn't this funny?'
Eleanor poised herself on the arm
of her sisters chair, and leaned her
smooth dark braids against Marga-
ret's fluffy locks. She also read the
paper twice. but she did not laugh.
She only asked: Where did you get
it?"
Mora fished it out Of the waste
basket. had asked her to be on the
lookout for a pice Of blue paper
this Is the other half Of the sheet.
Wasn't 1t funny Of mother!'
mo, ! don't think it Is funny, Peg.
Sometimes l think l know exactly
how mother feels. believe these
are the things she honestly does
want. She's just a grown-up girl
herself, girl like us. Why shouldn't
she like becoming things to wear, and
fur coat-have you noticed how
she hovers over the crate this win
ter? Sometimes l think she isn't
quite we'll"
Margaret gave start. Her
straightforward logical mind went
directly to Its conclusions. She knew
also that there was not money enough
just then for more than one fur
coat and one silk gown. Girlish van
ity and desire were not frail ghosts
to be exercised by the first generous
impulse.
'If mother has all these things, we
shall have to revise our lists she
suggested.
"As mother revised hers" Eleanor
retorted. Remember, she did not
dream we would ever see this one.
Just listen: A pair OF gray gloves, a
| box Of writing paper, book, a hat
pin, ball OF colored pins, a tape
] measure That is what she said wal
her true and complete list And
should have given her the gloves
and you the book, and Rob the note
paper; and father would have beer
too busy to look up anything, ant
| would have given her check FOL
twenty-five dollars to 'ge. what she
pleased with and she would have
pleased to get some extras for me
and blue silk for party gown fol
you. What blind bats we have beenr
There was family conference that
night while Mrs. Hall put baby Joy
to bed. Secrets are too common q
| fortnight before Christmas to arouse
suspicion, but Mrs. Hall did feel bit
hurt the following morning, when the
girls announced that their father ha d
| invited them to come into town to
shop and lunch with him, and moth.
Ing was said about her joining them.
| They had always wanted her advice
before.
| That evening, after Eleanor and
Margaret had gone out and the
| younger children we're in bed, she in.
troduced the subject Of Christmas
gifts.
what about the pony coat foI
Eleanor, dear? Do you feel we can
| afford it?'
| "No, | do not" There was nc
mistaking the finality in the tone