The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-08-11
THE EVENING STORY.
Frivolous Dell
Copyright 1915. BY W. wsrnsr.)

Akertown Is q small dell. II con-
sists Of some twelve or more lazy,
struggling streets OF pretty cottages.
and green. flower bedded lawns
tram lawns. all OF them. And the
flower beds are neat and bright
There Is quite rivalry In Akertown
over flower beds.
Perhaps II II because the town ID
so small that the people living in II
are rather small minded. and much
given to mistrusting and gossip
They are q fairly prosperous lot
according to urban ideas. Most OF
them either have owned farms OF
inherited land from their fathers
and have moved to town to take life
easily. Most Of them own their
homes. and so have no rent to pay
They have chickens and gardens
and their cellars are full Of canned
fruit and meat sailed down. 81
they have nothing much to do. and
they have nothing much to tall
about except each other. Naturally
they talk about each other.
Since Mrs. Hobby and her daugh
ter Dell were the least prosperous
John Hobby left q very poor. small
farm. for which his widow was glad
to take In exchange q house and loI
to town where she could get mend
ing and washing to do). why. folks
talked q great deal about them.
Dell was l6 and frivolous. Sh<
was q pretty girl with exquisite
dark blue eyes and very light brown
hair. And she washed her hair en-
tirely too often, folks said. Shit
dressed gay. too. Some folks woult
have paid her mother more for thu
washing and mending which thsl
needed had they not known that tn,
extra money would 80 for sill
stockings or . rhinestone barrett,
Cor Dell.
Mrs. Hobby thought, though. tha1
the sun shone especially for Dell'i
sake. No one ever dared TO insinu
ate otherwise. Folks blamed Mss
Hobby afterward ~ much as they
did Dell.
There wasn't much amusement n
Akcrtown. Not even . moving pic
ture show, Most drummers who
came there got away again ~ soor
as they could and raved because thu
next train was IL hours on. Del
used to 90 down to the train nearly
every day. So did the other young
girls. Folks talked about them. espe
cially Dell. The Baptist preacher
even gave a very pointed sermon
upon the reprehensible habit.
Dell blushed that Sunday morn
ing, but she giggled' while she
blushod. And II was only a few
weeks later that she ran away with
q good-looking young drummer foI
candy house. only two days after
she hrst met him.
She left note for her mother
Mrs. Hobby tainted. BY the time sh'
came to Dell and the drummer wer'
counties away. The next week Del
wrote that she was living in Chi
cago, boarding for a few weeks. un
I'll Harry got a position. In the ex
element Of clipping he had lost hi
samples and his job. However
Harry's father was very kind tc
them.
Mrs. Hobby showed the letter
around. Folks read II and made nc
comment. even though her wistful
eyes begged for congratulations.
II 'spect she'll be happy" said
Dell's mother, valiantly. Dell Is q
girl folks like. I'm sure he and his
folks will be good to her."
Folks in Akertown turned away
and talked-and talked.
In the first place they doubted II
Dell were married, and In the sec
ond place they knew that the
drummer" had no well-to-do faith
er. and in the third place they knew
that that father would not be kind
to Dell. Who would rejoice to get
a girl like Dell. giggly, frivolous and
vain, as an addition to his family
They had enough pity, though. NOT
to urge suspicious that were almost
belief on Dells wistful. fearing
mother But they saw that she, too
had her doubts.
A year went by. Dell never came
home. She wrote frequently. though
Her mother showed her letters tc