The Colorado statesman., 1913-10-25
CHEERING UP OF PATSY
BY l. MERRIFIELD.

You don't know how l feel, mother.
Patsy here"
"Er-do you know any friend of
Cora's at Edgemere named Patsy.
Re1?" asked Mrs. Clews, looking up
from her letter.
Must be Patricia Boyd, mater
Corry's pet name for her, probably.
Why?" Rex moved lazily from the sun
parlor into the breakfast room. "Shes
a nice girl and good family, you know.
Ask her up, why don't your"
Listen, though, Rex" She read on
aloud:
Patsy has been through some ter
rible grief the past summer that the
rest of us can only guess at. She
will never be the same again, mother.
never. You know how some girls
take things to heart, and Patsy is
wounded to the quick. / will tell you
more later, but you can guess what
1t was. MAN! l think, taken as
class, they are absolutely irresponsi
BILE and without good faith or real
sentiment | don't see how you ever
found father, for he is, of course, an
exception
Don't laugh, Rex" reproved Mrs.
Clews, smiling herself. Cora is in
earnest, really. We had better ask
Patsy here and try to cheer her up.
How many of the Dartmouth boys did
you ask"
-Four. The other two fellows l
wanted went up home to Vermont.
I'm glad the Abbot's coming"
A week later Cora arrived with Pa
tricia Boyd. Patsy, as everyone call
ed her, was small and slender with a
mass of red gold hair, eyes brown
and soft as a moths wing, and
dropping mouth that pleaded for
sympathy. In her dark green travel
ing suit with brown furs she was a
charming picture. and Rex forgot her
secret trouble when he lifted her
out of the tonneau bodily.
Later he stopped his sister on the
way downstairs, led her mysteriously
into the small writing room next the
library, and closed the door.
Whats the matter with Patsy"
he asked.
Rex, l think you're positively bru-
tai" Cora said, hotly. Il shall tell
father If you don't open that door"
Cora, I'm overheard, swimming for
life, and you hold life preserver in
your grasp to rescue your own dear
brother. I'm in love with Patsy"
You'll never even get her to listen
to you, Rex. She's frantically in love
with someone she met last summer at
one of the coast resorts. But he was
one of the coast resorts
Rex returned her look blankly
What resort?"
Il don't quite remember-Watch
Hill, or Naragansett, or Block Island,
one of them, anyway. She has a snap
shot of him, and oh, Rex, he is splen-
did. You never saw such eyes"
And she wouldn't marry him be-
cause he was head waiter?"
Cora nodded. Certainly not. The
Boyds are very important people in
Baterson, Mass"
The day the Dartmouth boys ar
rived Patsy kept to her room and
nursed a headache. Cora, dressed in
her daintiest helped her mother make
them welcome, and held Jack Pryor
close to her side all the evening.
The following morning Patsy trail
ed down the stairs a bit languidly.
Jack stood with his back to the arch
way, talking to Cora, very ardently
and happily, when suddenly he stood
up very straight and his face uncon-
sciously hardened. AS they were in
troduced, Patsy raised her long lashes
and looked at him with a frightened
cry of recognition.
'Oh, do you know Jack already?"
asked Cora, quickly.
He is like some one l used to
know Patsy answered, bravely, and
went on.
But the next two weeks were filled
with cross purposes and misadven-
lures. Rex kept doggedly on his own
way, disregarding the past summer
and all of Patsy's notions, and back
kept close to Cora's side. One clear
cold night they came in from a run
over the frozen roads and stood
around the great open fire in the re-
ception hall. Rex knelt to take off
Patsy's little fur-edged carriage boots
and Jack watched the two with a half
smile of amusement. When they had
left the room with the others he sat
alone with Cora before the fire.
From the music room came the sound
OF Patsys favorite "Traumerei." and
Rex's laugh above it.
"I think Patsy will be my sister,"
said Cora, thoughtfully. REX is fear
fully sweet on her"
She's dear kiddie," Jack an
swered. but l don't care much for the
type. She's too. as my old country
granddad used to put 1t, light-minded
for me-"
why, Jack, what on earth do. you
mean? She's had great sorrow, you
know, only last summer"
.sYoc thipL 7 lypau, ,ho,& a.