Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-06
THE EVENING STORY.

.consrignt. lals. ~ ". werner.


Sometimes they called her Dud as If
it were possible 10 still further shorten
the single syllable of her name. There
was a paucity OF most things. even Of
syIlabIes. it seemed. in the Hesper house
hold Indeed. the one thing there was
ever enough of was dirt, in consequence
If which four of the five children had
died. The doctors called ii something
else-diphtheria or cholera infantum or
scarlet fever-but it remained that the
died. and Dawn. BY reason of superior
constitution. lived
Often she wondered how that came to
lie and why, for secretly she did not care
much about living Life had very early
in her existence resolved itself into a
mere matter of not enough To eat. sick
mother, q father out of work and general
discomfort 1t was difficult and weary
ing. At nine she was quite certain she
i d had enough of IL. and at twelve, see
ing that she was still alive. healthy and
with a future imminent. she decided to
make the best Of it.
At twelve Dawn suddenly took on
premature womaniuess Energy -
''gumption she called twas the main
thing needed i'm her family. She looked
about her and saw what gumption did
for people who applied II wisely. She
knew that II was useless to expect her
father and mother to have any guinption
and so she decided to supply it herself.
vt twelve Dawn was slim and thin.
mere handful Of bones strung together
with wirelike muscles Her thick black
hair hung I'm untidy shock at the nape
of her neck. Her gray eyes penciled
with black lashes. had moody unSmll-
ingness- Her square. resolute little face
was tanned to the color of copper She
was fright to see. She knew II, for
the boys told her of il twenty times
day and the girls summed her-that is.
the nice girls Stunned her. She did not
recognize the other kind. There was a
strain of something good and solid i'll
Dawn that kept her in the middle of the
current. away from the drift that choked
its edges At twelve she woke UP to the
fact that she herself had value and a
meaning not at all dependable upon her
environment If she must wear red calico
dresses. which she loathed. she would
have them clean. If she must go with
her brown feet naked she would step a 8
hau2htily as if she wore the finest of
shoe leather IL She must live in a howell
she would live in il decently.
There was one thing she felt the need
of above all others and she intended to
have il. Education stood to her for
key that opened all doors. Why there
was Lily Meade. who had been brought
~ much as she was. Lily had got an
education and come back to teach i'll the
high school. Even Mrs. Judge Laisde1l
tad Lily to dinner. Some day gritted
Dawn she'll be feeding me. too. So,
despite the bare legs and red calico
dresses she went To school. And she
learned. too Her mind soaked up in
struction. She Rugged her books and let
humanity go. She was sour, defiant. re-
trote. and her schoolmates grew to be
afraid OF her. She got in their way, but
they dare not iostle her.
At home Dawn Sot acquainted with the
mop and broom. Size did not attempt to
make her father get 4 job or have her
mother show spirit and tidinesS. These
things We're too big for her handling and
she let them alone. But the things she
could handle she attacked vigorously.
one Saturday morning ahe crawled
over the high iron fence that kept the
forlorn Hesper premises from contami-
mating the splendid grounds of the Lais
deils and confronted Mrs. Laisdell who
was reading aloud TO her son the side
veranda. Mrs. Lasdeli was Il beautiful
woman. who Wore white summer and
winter. and her son. Rex. looked just like
her. But it was said he had the judges
aptitude for law. Mrs. Laisdell dropped
her book. shocked at the sudden appear
ance of an elf i'll red colors ON her green
Sward. Rex. who was seventeen or So
stared open-mouthed Before either coul6
speak Dawn stated her errand.
Mrs Laisdell | guess you'll think | m
crazy. but | want TO ask you how to
make bread-decent white bread All the
women / know buy it out of the bakers
cart. I've watched and you don't So
thought I'd ask YOU.
Rex laughed. but his laugh ended brief
~ at look from Dawn's gray eyes The
color was UP in her face. but she stood
her ground braveiy. 1t was no small