Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-06-08


ITS Gladys. your own little girl! Don't
you know me?"
mo, it can't be Gladys" her mother
answered. GLADYS and Mabel are
away to school, and it's so lonely"
Gladys soothed her to sleep again
and then sent her father to bed to
get some much needed rest. All
through that long night her mother
tossed and talked at intervals, and the
watching girl realized for the first
time just how much of sacrifice it
had been for this quiet little mother
to give up her girls to the great, hun
CRY college.
In the morning the doctor came and
pronounced Mrs. Sanders better.
Just you stay here and take care
of her, young lady" he said, land I'll
guarantee that she'll get we'll all
right. It's just this everlasting loneli-
ness that's got on her mind and made
her sick in the first place."
The doctors prediction seemed to be
correct, for Mrs. Sanders slowly but
surely improved from that time on.
In couple Of weeks she was able to
sit up and her eyes lighted up with
pleasure as she watched Gladys fly
about the room setting things to
rights and lending a brightness to the
house that was so pitifully lacking
when she was away
You don't know how much good It
does me to see you here" her mother
said one day as Gladys came in with
big armful Of blossoms, ito bring
outdoors in TO mommie.' as she said
Gladys dropped the flowers and
came over and kissed her. Pm going
to stay always now" she said.
1t was couple of days later that
her father came out where she was
feeding the chickens one morning. 81
reckon it's about time for you to be
going back to school, isn't it ?" he said
quietly. II guess l can get along all
right with mother now"
Gladys looked up quickly. "I'm not
going back" she said.
Not going backr' he cried, his eyes
lighting up with n sudden hope.
No" she answered, with Il brave at
tempt to smile. T'vc had my good
lime, and now I'm going to stay here
and make things easy for you and
mommie."
The happiness that shone in her IA.
Tiers face was worth all the sacrifice,
albeit it was guilty happiness as he
thought Of what it meant to her. But
She cut short his objections by telling
him it was time to go and feed the
pigs and then ran into the house with
merry song on her lips.
A few days later Jeff came over one
evening after supper. He found
Gladys out in the orchard with her
arms full of the fragrant apple bios
SONS.
They're so thick the tree would kill
itself trying to raise so many apples"
she said. And then mommie likes the
flowers SO we'll"
How do you like farming?" she
went on. rs it as much fun as going
to schoolT
Almost" he acknowledged. "You
must come over and see the place.
There isn't weed on 1t, and I've
got the cornfields in the best shape
for planting of any I've seen any
where"
Pm afraid you're getting vain," said
Gladys, smiling at his enthusiasm.
I'm going to be IL farmer too" she
added.
You don't mean you're not going
back"
She nodded.
"Then maybe you do understand"
Eyes, l think ! do. It's hardin a
way-but it will be fun too. You'll
have to work If you make good your
boast of having the best farm in the
rounty. Just wait till you see what
I'm going to do with this
He stood looking Mt her in silence
for a moment. That stray lock was
out of place again, and in the dim
moonlight DINNER for sitting through
the millions of apple blossoms she
looked like some woodland fairy
come to touch the blossoms with her
magic wand and turn them into tiny
apples.
II don't like competition, Gladys"
wonder-can't we be partners?"
Perhaps she nodded, or perhaps it
was only the Pickering shadows that
made him think so, but the next mo-
ment he had caught her In his arms,
apple blossoms and ALL and was tell
Ing her that he had loved her ever
since that time she nearly scared him
out of the apple tree. And for once
she didn't accuse him Of talking fool
ishly.
The apple blossoms faded and fell
md summer came to fulfill the prom.
lses of spring Mabel came home from
rollege again, protesting against al
lowing Gladys to stay home while she
finished her course. But Gladys was
firm and had her way, as usual.
One evening nearly three weeks aft
er she came home Mabel was sitting
Oh the porch idly lingering the strings
of her mandolin and trying not to feel
lonely. Gladys had gone riding with
JEFF, and the sight Of their happiness
somehow made Mabel feel lonesome
and left out, though she tried to drive
the feeling away by playing and hum
ming some Of the dear old melodies.
Suddenly she was aroused from her
.eyeris by the sound Of an automobile