Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1911-10-26

for which people always laugh so at q
woman-she was falling headlong In
love with q man her junior-twelve
years. to be exact. And when she was
fifty-which would not be for long.
long time. she told herself-her hus-
band would be Just .thirty-eight.
James spoke near the end Of sum-
mer Of outdoor recreation which had
made him neglect his business and re-
duced her wardrobe to one evening
frock and a house dress or two. And
when he did speak. she put her two
little hands into his and let him gath
er her right to that throbbing young
heart Of his.
Genevieve felt guilty about not hav-
ing Jennie to the wedding. which took
place In October. But Jennie had Wis
tied friends In the west all vacation.
and had lost week Of the opening. 90
she was working very hard, her teach
er said. So Genevieve Just wrote and
told her; and Jennie was q little hurt
and felt that mamma had acted rather
rashly without consulting her, and
wrote and told her so. Jennie was q
capable young woman.
James was very happy at the time.
Even when she took her hair down,
Genevieve was still charming, and that
is test which no woman past thirty
likes to meet. unless her husband 10 q
perfectly well-trained husband. and
used to her anyway.
About Christmas Jennie came homo
for the holidays. Jennie was now
seventeen: and when she was intro
duced to her stepfather, her new step
father nearly had Q At. She was as
tail as he. and looked old enough to be
married herself.
When this happens in stories. It 10
only up to the point Of the young man
being engaged to the mother Of the
grownup daughter. Then his father.
who has known the mother in his
youth, always comes along and reScues
his boy at the cost Of an illusion or
two. But James was not in the rescu-
able stage. He was married.
That Christmas a college friend Of
Genevieve came to call on her; and he
was stout and bald and had tall son
with him who was in business with his
father. OF course. father had married
very young.
Then Genevieve had q letter from q
girl friend Of her youth.
Dear 2enevieve," wrote Kate, II am |
to be in your city soon and would 30
love to sec you In your home"
OF course, Kate was invited to see
Genevieve in her home. Kate was a
bit older than Genevieve. to begin
with, and she weighed two hundred.
James, in his anguish Of soul. groaned
that she was a hundred and weighed
three. But one must make allow
ances.
Kate was introduced to James, and
she looked down at him-he was 80
young anyway-and then
she said. why, Genevieve, what q
nice boy he Is! Just about my Will
yum's age"-though, goodness knows,
Wilyum was I'VE years younger. And
then she said, II am just going to give
him q kiss for Wilyum's sake" And
she did.
But James and Genevieve were mar
lied. And after q while Jennie had q
lear little sister; and she was very
'exed about It
Now, in this household there are
:wo young people. an old person and
/ baby. But somehow they are not
mated properly. James does not fall
n love with Jennie. He is q nice man,
Ind he IL sick Of falling in love any
way. And Jennie does not become the
Iictim Of q secret passion for her
tep-papa; because Jennie II q nice
Iirl. and, besides. as things stand.
alling In love looks Q mighty poor
BUSINESS to Jennie. But to say that
hey do not feel the inc0ngruity Of
heir positions would be q dreadful
tory.
However, any incongruity that those
wo young things feel Il q Joke. the
aercst pitfie and p0rsifiage to what
'cacvieve feels.
And the other day, when she was
ut walking with her Oldest daughter
nd her youngest daughter. both Of
HON are beautiful, they met Q gay
,rty Of ladies, one Of whom exclaim-
in an audible voice, ''The little girl
Jo!;s far more like her grandmother
han her mother, doesn't she?"
Copyright, by Associated Literary PresA) )