The herald., 1913-05-29
A Mother > S
Scare
By EDITH V. ROSS

Two children came to the Jaegars, a
boy and a girl. Their parents gave
them an excellent education, and they
was a library in the place where they
lived from which they constantly drew
books. Tom Jaegar read a great many
works of fiction that have long ago
passed out of date and are only now
read by those who value them chiefly
for the pictures they give Of a former
time. His sister Ruth. was more mod
ern in her taste
Mrs. Jaegar was an ambitious wo-
man and DESTROYS that both her chill
dren should marry well. That meant
that she proposed to watch them TO
make sure that they made no unfortu-
nate entanglements. One day there
was a ring at the telephone and Mr..
Jaegar answered the call.
as Tom imp
well, what is it,"
"Tell him Evelina's here"
Whoever was at the other end Of the
wire was evidently in a hurry, for the
receiver was dropped. and Mrs. Jaegar
was cut off from further inquiry.
"Who was EvelinaT' Mrs. Jaegar
was at once seized with a sudden ter
ror She had never heard her son
speak Of her, and this call for him TO
come and meet her BODIED trouble She
said nothing to him about the call-not
she. If the young woman were bold
enough to telephone TO the house for
him she could not help it, but unless
he should reply to the call himself it
would avail nothing. Nor would Mrs.
Jaegar say anything about the matter
II he were getting entangled with
girl she would not let him know that
his secret was hers. Nothing would
feed the fame Of love so much as OPP
position.
But what was her CONSERVATION
when few days later there came an
other ring at the telephone, and Ruth
was called for.
What is ity asked the mother
David Copperfield has just come in"
There was the same click that had
followed the announcement that Eve
lima was waiting for Tom, indicating
the same hurry. Was 1t hurry? Did
not this go-between shut Off the phone
that there might be no opportunity for
the person receiving the message to
ask questions? David Copperfield:
Never had she heard her daughter
mention any such person, and Ruth
talked Of all her friends freely. If the
fond mother feared for her son she was
in terror for her daughter. But Mrs.
Jaeger treated the matter with the
same caution she had practiced in the
case Of her son. She would set watch
on Ruth. but would not put her on her
guard by telling her that she had
stumbled upon this secret affair.
Mrs. Jaeger did not consider it prac-
ticable to shadow her son, but she had
a maid whom she bribed to watch her
daughter. Never did Ruth go out but
this young woman found some errand
to take her out also. One afternoon
she came in from shadowing the young
lady and reported that she had seen
Ruth go up the steps Of the library at
the same time with a young man whom
she appeared to be much pleased to
meet.
"Ahaw said Mrs. Jaeger. ITS the
library where they meet And they
have been bounding me for a subscrip-
ton to buy books. Them coy alcoves
are just the places for young people to
meet and dirt"
Mrs. Jaeger was called up again, and
her son was inquired for. This time 1t
was: Tell him / would like to see him
about Evelina. There's another man
waiting
Some one other than the speaker
butted in, and the sentence was not
finished. But Mrs. Jaegar had heard
enough. Heaven grant that the other
man would get the girl away from
| Tom and he would be saved a misal-
lance.
The good lady's patience was begin
ming to wane. She was drifting to-
I ward a point where she would not be
able longer to keep her knowledge a
secret from her son and daughter.
Despite her watchfulness she could
get no further information Of either
| Of those clandestine affairs. One aft
ernoon her son and her daughter were
talking together in her hearing.
"Pm through with David Copper
feld,'" said Ruth.
"And I'm through with 'Evelina.'
She was due at the library a week
ago"
"I'm glad you two have got through
with your beloveds. I've been wor-
ried to death about you. I've known
all about these meetings at the libra
~. First | got a telephone message
! that Evelina was waiting for Tom
there. and the next message was that
this Mr.. Copperfield was waiting for
Ruth at the same place. Who are
these persons anyway? I've never
heard nothing about them before"
Tom and Ruth looked at each other
and would have burst into a laugh
had the speaker not been their own
mother. AS it was Tom said:
| Mother. 'Evelina' is novel written
by a young girl about hundred years
ago. David Copperfield' is the name
| Of one Of Charles Dickens books. The
librarian, Sue Young. whenever book
we want is out holds 1t for us when