The Dolores star., 1911-02-24
MISS SELNAL[
a'dMe Soopbox Bobies
BY nARiE THOMPSON DAVIES,
eossEis so IL e ssBsss,nM lk; Mf %

made In the open doorway. ans said
Ms she moved = step nearer. Honey.
what's been a-bothering you? Would
II help to tell me! 10 your ma
worsew
mo. Miss Selma Lue, not worse;
It's the mortgage again. Mr. Everson
was out Monday. and he says the
the whole place will have to be sold.
He has a good proposition from the
land company. which wants to pave
and improve the whole tract and push
It on the market for us; but they
must have the house too, for the
situation IL valua BILE and they can
sell Il to TIE Coli club. which will
insure the sale OF all the lots. II we
don't take their offer. II means we
shall have to sell II all at a disad-
vantage and perhaps only make the
mortgage. Mother refuses to decide
II for herself and has left II to- me.
What shall I DO! don't want-to
sell-my home but there seems no
way to keep It," Miss Cynthia's lips
auivered. but her ewes smiled bravely
down At Miss Selma Lue.
Honey. my heart Ia Jest a-aching
fer you. but there amt nobody can
tell what mortgage and a Golf club
will do. II worst comes to worst. we
can build another room by tearing
down some lumber often the barn. and
you can bring your ma right here to
live with mo. would admire to
have her" Miss Selma Lue made
her offer with heroic esgerness. for
she and the invaded Mrs. Jackson
Page had failed to md the accord
which existed between the grocery
owner and tho scion of all the Jack
sons and Pages. albeit their few inter
views had been marked by great cor
diality for the sake OF their common
interest In the conductor thereof.
"Mise Selma Lue. you are a darling
and I would rather be . soapboxer
THAN slmost anything: I'M we shaii
have . small competency II we sell
now In the right way. It's giving up
the home-I'm afraid II will kill her
she worries So"
mo. Il won't honey. not when she's
got you-you'd BE- q set.oH against
any kind Of trouble, Leaving an cd
home Is q wrench. as ] found when
httched up and started down from
Warren county: and. Miss CynthIe I
left graves behind me that might
not never see arain in this world
But II looks like the Lord noated mine
and charitys mothers ark on the
right mountain. and He'll do the same
by you and yopr ma. Now. don't 90
and mistrust His wisdom In selecting
mountains"
"Oh. Miss Selma Lue. I knew you
would say the right thing about Il all.
What would I do without you'" and
Miss Cynthia's slim white hand stole
In Miss Selma Lue's strong brown
one whose rvmrathe.ic clasp was only
rendered the closer by the smudge
OF sorghum OF the Kinney moiasses
pitcher which held their fingers tight
together q:
Looks IKE I couldn't hardly stand
II n I couldn't git even the edge Of
my shoulder under any burden you
was acsrrying. honey Now, rye got
something to show you that1i take
your mind often all distraefments.
Lay Blossom In her boz and come
along Of me 10 the barn"
Considering Its relation TO the gro
Gerry and the Bun In general. the
barn was q most ostentatious struc.
ture. II was large and roomy and sat
on ~ brow Of the B'uS overlooking
the river. while N. little handful Of
houses that clustered about the gro
Gerry seemed stranded ut its feet II
had been built for the teams that had
worked on the dam up the river. and
had become the property of the gro
rery owner for . song when the work
thst had brought the horses and men
10 the settlement was hni-hed. The
army had moved on. leaving the barn
and the grocery In = sort Of guardian.
ship Of the few families which elected
10 stay and End work on the river or
over In the city. Only the I'm Man.
sion Of Mrs, Jackson Page farther M
the liver on the BluR had any such
outlook. and for all its wide. tall
piliared verandas and spreading wings
II failed entirely 10 dwarf the impos.
ingness Of the barn.
rs Il 4 new calf. Miss Selma Lue."
demanded Miss Cynthia ~ they IN.
tered the door together.
LANDS alive. child. the little spotted
one aint more'n t~o months old.
whats sold to Mr.. ~ Bradford's cousin
on count ~ the riehness Of chsrity's
milk 10 raise from"
Il beg your pardon. madam" said
Miss Cynthia with elaborate eourtesy.
~ she threw Charity boush Of sugar
maple leaves she had pulled for that
exact purpose on the way up. Charity
gave her tail . friendly switch and
her large sofs eyes roamed over the
radiant vision By her stall with placid
appreciation.
Deaf row and Charity gossip TOO