The Hartford republican., 1913-01-24
KEEPING UP WITH BESS
BY ANNIE sEIoEReAcHER.

After the stout woman had Topped
into the nearest armchair, scattering
about twenty.four Christmas bundles
on the floor as she did so. she heaved
even a deeper sigh than one would
naturally have expected under the cir
cumstances.
whats the matter?" asked her
friend. You look as though you'd
lest pounds and pounds from worry"
II think have" replied the stout
woman, rather feebly. You see, it's
Bessie. Bessie's my favorite niece, as
you know, and she's burdened with
over.indulgent parents who give her
everything she wants before she
knows that she wants 1t. Now. how
is 1t possible to please such a girl
with any kind OF gift? She has jewelry
by the pound and she gets enough
candy every Christmas to feed an
orphan asylum. So whenever Decem-
my hands and say. What under the
shining sun can l get for Bessie?'
That's the way | got my first gray
hairs! get fresh installment Of
them every Christmas"
She was calming down now. Her
friend had politely assumed an air OF
deep attention.
After hours and hours of brain
racking effort" went on the stout wo-
man, Il found out that Bessie wanted
Princeton pennant. There was one
Princeton pennant left in the sport
ing goods section the day l went to
buy Bessie's present and l wrestled
for it with two husky youths, middle
aged woman and half a dozen giggly
girls. l got 1T. too, although in the
process lost three perfectly good jet
buttons and sprained my wrist.
That night Bessie's beau brought
her an atrocious big Princeton pen
nant about three times the size of the
one had worked SO hard for. Sweet
of him, wasn't it?"
Go on" begged her friend. "Your
thrilling recital makes a war story
look as fiat as plug hat that's been
sat on. What happened next?"
Bessie came over to my house one
day" said the stout woman. "and
raved about an embroidered shirt
waist of mine that some poor soul had
spent six monts making. Well, that
gave me an idea and / Immediately
started to make Bessie one like it in
six days. l embroidered until saw
French knots dancing all over the wall
and | counted stitches in my sleep.
Even my football playing son, who
reels off signals in his dreams, became
alarmed at the symptoms that | dis
played. My family rose in wrath
when | brought the thing to the table
at dinner and embroidered between
courses. And then when the waist
was nearly completed Bessie casually
announced that she thought embroid-
cred shirt waists we're getting COM
mon and she wouldn't wear one for
anything" -4 ...A
Dear, dear!" murmured her friend,
alphabetically.
Il felt like telling Bessie that II she
changed her mind again she wouldn't
get any present from me-" said the
stout woman. But next morning |
started out on the warpath, all spliffed
up in my Oldest clothes, so that l
could grab bargains with the best OF
them. l ran into a sale of jewelry
women six deep fighting over lit
tie 80 cent reduced from 81 coin
purses. and all trying to get waited
or tool half N hour
to get next to the counter. Really. 1t
was cruel the way l climbed over peo-
pie, but it was for a worthy cause.
Anyway. l got there, found the coin
purses all gone. took another half hour
getting untangled and had to pay SO
for the same thing in another store.
After I'd been patting myself on
the back for about a day for having
solved the problem l met Bessie on
the street. She hailed me. and then
broke into lamentations. What do
you think, Aunt Helen?' she said.
Uncle Billy brought me another coin
purse last night. and had three al
ready!'
when l came to | was In a drug
store and Bessie was rubbing my head
and cooling, You shouldn't worry SO
over Christmas. You know you do too
much, auntie.'
Yes. know, Bessie l said. What
do you want for Christmas?
why. l don't know she replied.
Nothing much that | can think of.
want a diamond ring. but daddy won't
give me one. Must you go so soon?'
Il think now that I'll go a florists
and order a couple of dozen roses for
stems to be at least three
feet long. | sent her some when she !
had appendicitis and she raved over
them then, but now-goodness knows!
She may have developed a case of
rose fever by this time.
Honestly, the thought of all the
that are yet to come is
enough to kill any one. Yes, do Seel !
as though Id been through a key.
hole.
We'll. Merry Christmas! Here goes
for Bessie's!" |