The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-03-23
Daily Short Story
WHERE SHE WAS NEEDED.

~ wash l1at -nt resented haft. :
not waiting her in The house. What
young bride could feel delight IN hav-
Ing a grownup stepdarghter around
all the time She understood Hazel ;
feelings Thoroughly.
II was that she had fooled herself
into thinking that Hazel would want
her. u Was her own stupidity that
she was blaming now. She had
dreamed and planned so many weeks,
Whatever made me think. In the
FIRST place. that ! wouldn't be In the
way she wondered. staring out OF
her bedroom window at the green or
ehard afar OF OF the hilltop. Or
didn't think at all."
That had been IL. She had not
thought ri all. She had Just felt
Ever since her mother died. she had
had an Unsuitable longing 10 have an
other wonnan-person In the house. for
although her father had been a real
chum 20 her. yet. what could fathers
understand OF the love OF dressmak-
ing and party-planningF And Hazel
girl from the city. had seemed TO
her In direct answer TO prayer.
We'll. ! must have been crazy
that's all. was the decision she final
~ reached. There j. poor. lonely
Aunt Jenny needing me. and here
am staying where I'm anything but
Her next decision was to pack her
suitcase and get OF to Aunt Jenny at
once The dear old lady's farm lay
only two miles out OF the village. She
could walk that easily.
Nor was there any time to be lost
In getting on. Hazel was now down
street marketing. When she returned
u would probably be an hour or two
before she discovered that her step.
daughter had flown. thinking that she
- At la A.
The best way to 20 was 10 20 un.
expectedly. She would leave n note
on her bureau telling them that she
had been needed suddenly by Aunt
Jenny. Was not Aunt Jenny over
rushing trying to nj all the uutter or.
ders she received? SO as not TO
arouse their suspicion. she would tell
Them that she would be away only a
week or two. later she could lengthen
the stay. Perhaps. too. IL would be
best 10 address the note to Hazel.
Not for anything would she make
trouble for the girl
When the suit case was packed she
few to the tiny child's desk. which
she had always kept. even though
she had long ago outRrown II. and.
cropping TO cramped position before
II. wrote the note:
Dear Hazel-You1l think me the
hightiest thing in the world for chas-
lng on In this scafterbrained way.
but don't be alarmed. haven't
eloped. I've just packed my suitcase
and gone out TO stay with Aunt Jenny
Tor q day or two. She sent word that
she needed me to help her with the
churning. so ! thought IL wasn't right
TO. wait even n minute. I know how
she gets all nervous and unstrlnig
when she has more orders than she
car on by herself. so ! simply threw
q N.aWuH l. 49, 4
took TO my heels. hate to leave YOU
and Dad. Your loving
GERALDINE. &,
The pen dropped from her fingers
She sat a long time motionless. Ten
derby her fingers touched the green
felt imitation blotter OF the tiny desk
u was on this biotte- that her Ia
theirs big hand. years ago. had guided
her baby one. She had been Just big
enough 10 SIT before, i comfortably
then. Somehow she had never been
able TO part with the toylike thing.
There was not n moment TO be lost,
and yet. strangely. she made no move
To 30. Silently. listlessly. she wan
dered toward the window and stood
looking down on the garden below. II
was down there. under the linden tree
that she and her father had spent so
many long summer evenings. IL was
mere he had made TO her what she
always called TO herself his "confes-
sion"
Have you ever noticed" he had
broken out suddenly. one night. that
I'm not Ike other people?"
She had started and Looked al him
In surprise. No" she had answered.
guardedly. Are you?"
With that he had thrown back his
bead and gone on as Though talking
TO himself
I've always been different from
every one else. I've often wondered IL
you'd noticed IL. I've got the sort of
nature that cant be itself unless II IS
sure that ~ Is admired. Now with you
can Joke and sing and even clog
dance-can act like fool-but with
everyone else I'm so silent that they
think I'm critical That's my repata-
ION. yCu kuow--a critic"
There his confession had stopped
rs abruptly as II had begun.
From the moment she never had
forgotten IL. The memory that he had
trusted her enough 10 confida in her
filled her with pride. She grew to
love dearly his fun and foolishness.
Keeling IN her love for him a tender.
new. almost protective quality.
But goodness" She shook herself
suddenly. Goodness sakesi How
long have ! been standing here?'
brushing tear from her eyes. she