The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1912-07-13
BETTY
REPENTS
1912. by Associated Literary
PreSs1
BY DOROTHY DOUGLAS

ed her into her first small tub; at the
age Of ten she was pretty but self
willed; at eighteen she threatened to
elope with second-rate actor because
she was refused racing motor car.
Arriving at twenty-one, beautiful and
headstrong, Betty considered herself
a very much abused person.
But with all her faults Betty was
adorable and adored. Her parents
loved her with devotion that spoke
well for her ultimate good; they knew
that her perversity would one day
melt before the light Of reason. In
many small instances Betty had al
ready succumbed to their tactful
methods, but in big things she was OBJ
durate; she disliled giving in to the
will of another.
The crisis came when Betty's par
ents fatty refused to let her take a
trip to Paris with Matilda Davis
Matilda had a husband somewhere
on the globe but she preferred to
study painting in the Latin quarter to
living in domestic bliss. So wildly
had she painted the joys of student
life to the untutored Betty that tho
latter felt life no longer possible with
out some of those joys After trying
every vile at her command in order
to gain her parents consent and fail
ing. Betty defied parental authority
and skipped off with Matilda to Paris.
Before taking her leave Betty's faith
er had looked long and steadily into
his hayward daughters half-shamed
eyes,
"Remember!" he said with stern
visage, you are leaving my house for
the last time. In accepting the chap
eronage of that woman you are no
longer daughter Of mine! We have
given you every comfort In life, and
now II you prefer to galavant through
the streets of Paris with u woman of
that caliber to living respectfully with
your parents you are at liberty to do
So" Peter Girard turned from his
daughter without so much as n second
glance.
BY force Of will Betty swallowed tho
great lump in her throat. Had her
father taken her in his arms she
would probably never have sailed for
Paris, but he did not and Betty's eyes
flashed.
VERY well!" she cried back defiant
ly, II will not come back!" And for
fear lest the threatened tears fall
Betty went hurriedly from her fathers
house and into the waiting village ON
nibus. Once inside It's musty depths
Betty had good cry. Through her
tears she could Sc her mothers calm,
beautiful face when she had snid II
hope you are going to be happy in
your new life, Betty"
And when the rumble Of departing
carriage wheels died away Peter Gil
rard turned to his wife and there was
twinkle in his eyes. He took his
wife in his arms.
Cheer up. dear" he told her, "our
daughter has merely gone on trip O:
establishment and she will como fly
ing back to her little mother and her
daddy before another two moons have
waned"
1.-TWO months is a long time without
Betty" smiled the mother.
III two months seemed long to her
parents in Long Island, they proved
endless to Betty in Paris
She had enjoyed the ocean trip to
the utmost The newness Of It all and
the pleasure of meeting so many inter-
esting persons cast out all homesick-
ness for the time being. But try as
she might to retard 1t, Betty felt her
self drawing within her shell as far as
Matilda Davis was concerned. The
intimacy brought about by sharing one
cabin had not enhanced the woman's
charm.
Betty had been led to expect that
those persons on the boat who had
seemed such good friends would prove
the same on land. It would take a
third or even fourth trip to convince
Betty that the friendship of shipboard
Is only passing fancy. So Betty
met her first establishment. In Paris
she saw two Of the men who had been
charmed by her presence on ship
board, but things were not the same
and after dinner Mt a cafe or an
evening at the opera they, too, drop
ped out of her life. At the end of a
fortnight Betty found herself stran-
ger in strange land.
That she was paying the greater
half OF the expenses did not bother
her. but the type of men who fire.
quented their studio disguised her.
Betty found herself longing for big.
clean-minded Tom Hillary, who
thought all women pure and beautiful
and sweet.
She realized that Paris and many
things Partisan would have been beau
tiful to her had she not been so lone
ly. 1t stole over Betty's consciousness
gradually that happiness did not come
with having ones own way.
After few weary days Of trying for
the first time in her twenty-one years
to plan her own life, Betty decided to
90 to London, where she would at
least be among her own people. It
was relief to walk along the London