The mirror., 1914-04-02
HERE IS A VERY
PRETTY STORY
You Will Simpathize With Little Mary Jane
and Rejoice With her When She has
Overcome an Agonizing Fear, and
Saves Baby Rose.
AFRAID OF THE DARK"
By HonOre Willsie


Some day, Mary Jane would make
noble looking woman. At twelve
she ran somewhat to arms, legs and
eyes. Mary Jane was tall for her
dozen years, tall and slender and
strong. She had fine head, set on
promising shoulders. Her cropped
brown hair was thick and wavy.
Her gray eyes we're liquidly clear.
During the day. Mary Jane led a
sane and comparatively tranquil ex-
istence. Her nights were a horror
that bordered on frenzy. Her father
and mother considered that a per-
son of twelve, healthy, well-de-
veloped person, was competent to
battle the Fear alone. So they treat
ed the matter facetiously, and Mary
Jane cultivated deadly shame of
her weakness that helped her up the
Thing-haunted stairway, and along
the dark dank hall, at bedtime.
Nevertheless, the nightly hunt for
the match-safe was an ordeal so
fraught with demoniacal menace
that. nightly, Mary Jane flashed out
of the darkness a face like little
marble Fear. TO put the cat down
cellar at bedtime was to add year,
decade, of mortal anguish to ones
life.
Mary James brother Jim, at seven
teen, was possessed of inventive
genius. 1t was the display of this
genius that changed Mr.. and Mrs.
Webster's attitude of righteousness
to one of apprehension. 1t was a
rainy night in November. That day,
old John Williams who lived just
down the road, had died. Mary
Jane was finishing the supper dishes
while Brother Jim filled the wood
box.
Brother Jim. Dare
Mary Jane" said Brother Jim,
L dare you to run through the dark
and bring back one of the flowers
III John Williams crape.'
Mary Jane set down a tea cup and
turned whitening face to Brother
Jim. She looked like a puppy at
whom a whip has been shaken.
oh, Jim!' quavered Mary Jane,
Don't dare me!'
The code by which Brother Jim
had educated Mary Jane was sim
pie. The person who took a dare
was coward, gutter, an earth
worm and a sneak. Therefore,
Mary Jane had protested, Don't
dare me, Jim!'
But Brother Jim nodded coolly.
Sure, it's dare!''
Mary Jane stared at her big broth
er, her very lips blue with fright.
I hate you, Jim Webster!" she said,
and then she darted out the back
door.
A long legged shadow, she pelted
through the ink of the night, sobbing
a little in utter anguish of spirit;
snatched faded geranium leaf from
the twisting, sodden Grape; returned
on tissue paper legs that scarcely
could hold up her leaden body, and
quietly dropped in faint beside the
wood box.
What Father and Mother Webster
said to Brother Jim has no particu-
lar bearing on this story. What
Father Webster said to Mary Jane
is different matter.
After Brother Jim had withdrawn
haughtily to bed and Mrs. Webster
was putting Baby Rose to sleep,
Father Webster tucked Mary James
long, shaking little body into his lap,
not seeming to mind that the thin
legs dangled awkwardly.
Trust Imposed
Now. Mary Jane," said Father
Webster. as man to man, what are
we going to do about this thing?
Everything at the quarry has gone
to smash, and Jim and l have got to
work up In Indianapolis to get money
enough to move you and Mother
and Baby up there. I've got to
have Jim's help just now. l thonght
| could leave you as mothers right
hand man, but you won't be any
more good to her than Baby Rose.
You're such a 'fraidy-cat!'
Mary Jane stopped trembling ever
so little. why father Webster!'
she cried indignantly.
Well, you won't!' went on father
Webster. Here, the nearest neigh
Dor Is half mile away, now that
John Williams is gone. I'll get
Charley Reeves to come over and
milk and do the chores. But if