The Prescott daily news. (Prescott, Ark.) 1907-1941, 1914-02-11
WAS SUCH A TROUBLE
BY LENA MYERS.

"Myra is such a trouble to me-" said
Mrs. Withers.
All modern girls are rather-er-
self-willed, aren't they?" l replied.
guardedly.
"Myra," said Mrs Withers, requires
a particularly firm hand. She
has it. of course. You would never
guess what difficulty l find in manag-
ing her sometimes. She's terribly diff.
suit"
Is she?" l said, sympathetically I
had never seen the troublesome Myra,
but Mrs. Withers was most awe-inspir
ing-one of those solid, determined,
please-don't- argue kind of women
and | felt sneaking pity for any
girl who was managed" by her
she ruined-utterly ruined said
Mrs. Withers impressively her new
tailor made by cutting a split as she
called it, up to the knee in the skirt.
| refused to allow her to go out in it,
of course, but there was severe
struggle before | forced her to button
1t up But that was not all. She cut
the necks of her blouses so low that
| was positively ashamed to give
them to the housemaid. and she
bought herself hat in which nothing
was visible but her jaw and the tip of
her nose!"
What did you do about it?' l
asked.
No 10 fa
talk to her extremely seriously and
tell her, once and for all, that |
was not prepared to stand this sort of
thing.
But" went on Mrs. Withers, warm
ing to her work. Il discovered worse
things than a desire to look like mu
steal comedy star. Myra," her voice
dropped pompously, was deep in a
clandestine love affair-with a boy
from West Point'-Mrs. Withers' voice
expressed infinite scorn. They had
met at a dance last autumn, it APP
pears, and he had been writing to
her.
"Oh. yes l said lamely.
And She" continued Myra's moth
er, had been writing back. He want
ed TO know if he might call-that was
how | discovered it. The child had,
if you please, been keeping his ex-
tremely badly expressed letters in her
jewel case"
What did you do?"
Il simply commando her to put
them all on the fire, and never to see
him again"
And how did Myra take this?"
Poor little MyraD
"Oh, abominably! We were treated
to one of her scenes But" Mrs.
Withers smiled grimly-'I think that
is all settled now"
The drawing room window was open
and heard taxi drive up as she fin
ished speaking.
Not tomorrow, because l am going
out to tea said girlish voice, but
Thursday If you like"
Thanks most awfully," said
voice, which was emphatically not q
girls.
There she is said Mrs. Withers.
AS she spoke the uOOT Openeu, anu
Myra came in. Her face was invisible
because of her ridiculous hat, but she
shook hands with me very pleasantly
and sank on to a sofa. | caught a
CLEAN of black silk stocking through
an unbuttoned split" and noticed a
purple velvet ribbon round an uncov-
cred neck; and trembling for her,
waited for the storm to break. Myra's
glance wandered round the room, and
this is how it broke.
Il do wish" she said, that you
wouldn't DO your hair that way, moth
er. | spoke about it yesterday you
know. And you've still got those yell
low daisies in that vase, where, as
I've told you lots of times, they look
simply awful; and"-with quick
glance at the tablet said not an
other seed cake You are madden
ing"
I'm sorry dear" said Mrs. Withers.
I'm afraid l forgot. I'm really very
sorry You see, L"
rose precipitately and stammered
out my adieu