The Washington herald., 1913-11-21
THE NEXT BEST THING.
BY LAURA ADELIA KIRKMAN.
Copyright. lsl3J


Copyright lsl3l
Go away to the city," repeated Mrs.
James. shrilly. "Well, guess not, Lefty
James! You jest get them foolish ideas
right out Of your headr'
Lefty dropped her eyes to the carpet
and bit her lip. For weeks. months. she
had dreamed OF going to the city to de-
velop the talent for art which she was
sure she possessed. She might have
known that 1t was useless to hope-that
she would meet with no sympathy from
her parents, who seemed unconsciousIy
pretudiced against any new order OF
things.
FOR it's nothing but that" she told
herself, bitterly, as she went up to her
own room. TITS not on account OF the
expense, because the farm is paying well;
and it's surely not because they need me
particularly out of all their eight chill
dren."
But Letitia James was not the sort OF
girl to waste time mourning over the In
evitable. She was far too sensible. Real.
izing the futility of further argument, she
set about contenting herself with the mex,
best thins-quilt-m
II can at least paint with ragsn' she
said. ruefully. 81 shouldn't wonder II
could take & prize at the county fair this
year for the best quilt. even IL I can't
ever win prize in a salon for painting
Investing the total Of her long-accumu-
lating butter and eggs money into silks
and velvets of every conceivable shade
and tint. she turned her bedroom into
what she laughingly called quilt art
ists studio, and set to work. Five
weeks remained before the opening of the
fair. In that time she should be able to
make three quilts. she told herself.
The first one completed, she called her
Bird OF Paradise quilt. In its center
was emblazoned a harmoniously brillia mt
bird surrounded by. a russet-green grape
vine. A conventional design of single
grape leaves formed the border.
"oh. It will surely take a prizer' she
thousht denghtedly. as she laid II away
IN her bureau drawer. I've never seen
one like 1t before in my life,"
Yet, with the completion of the next
one. she said the same thing. This one
she called her Garden quilt, its de-
sign being an old-fashioned garden with
intricately winding paths. So dextrously
had her fingers worked the flower beds
that not poppy or a bachelors button
was unacceptable.
1T Is better than the last" she thought
happily as she laid it away.
With the completion of the third, how
ever she had no words OF joyous con-
hdence; she had only feeling Silent with
pride. she spread 1t out on the bed and
stood above II.
A felled fruit tree formed the main
design Of this one. Beside the tree
stood a stump from which slender green
shoots sprouted. The tender green OF
the sprouts struck the brightest note of
color in the entire design. Around its
border was embroidered a couplet which
Lefty herself had composed:
Fell the tree and pick the fruit;
But you cannot kill the root"
THE Quilt of Ambition" she named
1t. softly. as she folded 1t away with the
rest.
When she rose to her feet tears stood
in her eyes Quietly she went around
the room picking up the remaining pieces
of silk, and putting away her sewing
things. When the last thread had been
picked up. she went to the window and
stood looking out over the green orchard.
Perhaps they are better pictures than
I could have made with paints" she said
steadily. Perhaps they are"
The day of the fair arrived. ExcitedIy
she climbed into the great farm wagon
with the family and drove to the far
distant fair grounds The three quilts