The Topeka state journal., 1914-02-16
The Euening Story

H.
Rena nodded, saying sourly, by the
hardest work! 1 rather think she SUBJ
scribed IS to get rid Of me. Says she
! doesn't believe in such things-gather-
ing up the poor children and parading
them round at a church treat. Said
FOR it in self respect"
shes rightr' Billy Main inter-
rupted emphatically. II suspect. in
deed. she has a habit of being right"
asked you to dinner" Mrs. Bagg said
loftily. II don't blame you for going
her business will draw you more, q
whole lot more. People are such toad
fes-but you can't make 'em over.
Therefore I'm glad Rena kept at her.
for the richest woman in I4Andly. I can
explain, though. that she's very mod
est and hint that she's really doing q
lot more"
ing false witness for q neighbor-is
1t only against?'' Billy broke in auda-
clously.
Mrs. Bagg scowled at him. II he lad
not been her step-nephew and owner
Of the finest among Landly's three mo-
tor cars she would have felt like or
dering him out Of the house. She had
given up hope Of matching him with
Rena-but he liked the girl and would,
no doubt, help her with his friends.
several and sundry among whom were
as well worth catching. A far sighted
mother, withal crafty. she brought ev-
erything to the edge Of her child's ad-
vancement- meant. in q way.
her own.
A widow with one sole daughter
daughters home. Moreover. Rena
would need her dreadfully; she had
been brought up to be very helpless
because Of her beauty. The beauty.
plus a rich husband and a managing
mother would give her social leader
ship in I.andly- Mrs. Bagg had yearned
for such leadership, darlkly, desperately.
She had almost achieved it when her
husband died, leaving only the founda-
ton of q fortune. But, thanks to Billy's
father, she lived comfortably and Rena
had been fashionably educated. And
now she was fashionably dressed, but,
Notwithstanding this, her mother had
an aching sense of all she lacked. Fate
surely was partial and cruel. Why
should not Rena have the chance Of
Marcia Cheltenham?
Marcia had refused two million
aires. a Judge. a senator OF the United
States, not to name the undistin-
guished in RATS. True. she was older
the beaux had crowded about her
ever since she was seventeen. Money,
Of course. had much to do with tt
also travel and its advantages. The
senator. for instance. was a trophy Of
a winter in Washington. Yet now,
she who had whistled him away. was
disdainful of her own home towns
charities. Nobody else would dare to
be SO. Mrs. Bagg. though possessed
of Christian fortituae and resigna-
tion, felt profane inside when she let
herself think about it.
''Billy-fetch your boys in their
gym suits and let them do stunts"
Rena said. I've read that In Old
England they always had sports on
Whit t-Monday-'
They did," interrupted Billy. I'VE
shall beat them-three in the game.
vate performance for-just our
selves"
I'm the hall? This lovely spring
weather! I call that a shame" Mrs.
Bagg said acidly.
Billy nodded merrily. Right, Aunt
the finest sort of outdoors-the old
Cheltenham meadow way-w-ay back
from everywhere"
'And she'll be there to see, of
course. You really are getting on"
Mrs. Bagg sneered.
wilI-not," he said. shes going
away for all summer. Until she comes
back I have the keys to everything.
My boys and all others who will half
behave will have the run OF the place.
Won't they love the creek and the
swimming hofe?"
"She cares nothing for girls-for
women" Mrs. Bagg said icily. "At
least ono must suppose So
'She does not care to mix them.
But-wait till you see who comes to
The Orchards, her place back in the
hills" Billy interrupted. Women.
old and young: gentlewomen. decayed
or simply tired; hearty working wom-
en- to whom fruit canning and drying
will be all a lark; other women with
patience and knowledge to make
choice preserves-as many as they
want for themselves and some over to
sell If I can find out two or three
with a yearning for country life they
can stay on and raise things, chick
ens ducks. vegetables-or even eggs-I
I suppose you can say they are
raised p
'sWhy-why-that will cost a for
tune" Mrs. Bagg cried enviously.
Billy smiled. 1T will be worth sew
eral fortunes" he said. Miss Chelten-
ham believes in giving opportunity
rather than money and treats
.swhy doesn't she found a sister
hood? It's plain she doesn't mean to
marry. squandering her fortune on
folks who won't thank her for it."
Mrs. Bagg commented
Again Billy smiled. This must be
your day for wrong gueeee9, Aunt