The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-02-20
DRESSING
UP

(cepuisht. 1917. b. Associated Literary Prsss
A rainy day In early summer sent
Jim Bomar's motherless girls to the
attic to rummage In the capacioua
chests for old-fashioned dresses. In
which they arrayed themselves with
great glee.
| "Oh. but aren't We hne!" cried
Mamie. Let's 60 down and show
father
Father might make US take en-
or" rejoined practical Grace; hes
feeling sad anyway"
Il 'spose the house bothers him
cause it's SO kind Of mussy since
Mrs. Mott left. but l tried to scrub
that kitchen Just last Saturday. and
father washes the dishes himself
whenever We leave EN- long enough"
And Mamie sighed over house
keepers trials.
Poor Jim Bomar was used to cold
meals and general lack OF cheer.
Even before his wife's death. the
house had borne down.at-the.heels
aspect. and Jim had been wont to
escape to the harness room In the
barn, where he could find order and
peace.
As a refuge the harness room was
exceptional. Besides being clean, 1t
was warmed In winter by a small
wood stove, and made airy In sum-
mer BY two enormous windows. The
west window had the advantage OF
looking toward the homestead where
Mary Andrews had lived alone since
the death OF her mother. Mary's
younger sister Jennie was Jim's wife.
lie had never understood Just how It
happened that she had supplanted
Mary, II not in his heart, still to all
intents and purposes In his life. lie
and Mary had been sweethearts for
years, and at last he had written
asking her to tell him where he
might see her for IA most particular
talk. lie knew that Mary would un.
derstand. and he had laughed. when
he gave her the note, at his little !
subterfuge, when he might SO easily
have told Mary he loved her then |
and there. But Mary craved 70.
nance, and Jim was doing his hum.
BILE best in arranging this dark plot |
for her entertainment.
Mary ran up the steps with his |
note in her hand, waved her hand at
him In goodby-and he had not seen
her again In months. She did not
answer the note. and gave Jim no
chance to ask an explanation OF her
strange conduct. Deeply hurt. he
learned the next day that she had
gone for long visit to her aunt n
the civ.
Jim took his dismissal hard, and
Jennie was full Of sympathy when b
came. night after night. for news Of
Mary. She did not tell him outright,
but limited delicately that Mary had
been counting only In fun and had
taken this way Of letting him down
easy. And after time Jennie's
sweetness won Jim to believe that
her heart was pure gold, and Il was
his fault II he could not appreciate
her - he should. So on the night
The told him that Mary was to wed
! man In the city whom she had
snown for several years, Jim asked
Jennie II she would care for what
vas left Of his life, and Jennie ad.
nitted that she would.
Mary did not return for Jennie's
wedding, nor did she make any prep
lrations for her own: and when she
lad lived quietly with her mother
or a number Of months doubts as
allied Jim concerning the truth Of
'is wife's story Of her engagement.
During the ten years of Jim's mar
led life Mary went in and out Of his !.
ome and his children took their :
REFS to her more readily than to
heir mother. But Jim had seldom
cen her, and for several years he
ad not crossed the threshold OF the Z
andrews home
As be looked over the fields green
nth sprouting grain and saw the ap- =
10 orchard at the homestead In Z
loom. he imagined that he could y
- Mary herself walking among the y
'ees In the sun that had Just come q
ut and was coaxing the earth to q
loom and laughter. He knew
at her brown head would be barred
! the breeze and her syes filled with
love for al growing and blooming 9