The daily Alaskan., 1915-01-05
HAPPILY FOOLED
 By LOUISE B. CUMMINGS
By LOUISE B. CUMMINGS

should be thinking about providing TOT herself by marryingT"
 Lucy marry! Why, my goodness gracious, the child isn't four months past fifteen. She won't be thinking about matrimony for three or four years yet at least. and If she goes to college it's more likely to be six or seven. What put tbat into your headT
 "Why, was thnking-you know how much money l have lost lately-this Tommy Harding who came home with her from school the other day will come into quite fortune when be is twenty-one. If the kids could be unit cd l wouldn't worry about Lucy. As 1t is I'm constantly wondering what you and she would do in case 1 should be cut off"
 You're not going to be cut off. At any rate, nothing can be done about marrying Lucy till she has got out or childhood. Why, she's scarcely left of playing with her doll"
 Well l suppose you're right about it Lucy is only q child. and she's got her education before her "
 Nevertheless the husbands sugges. ton effected d Judgment in his wife's mind. and she regretted that the chtl dren were too gomng to be brought to- gether. Tommy WIS nice boy, and 1t was known that he would come into a substantial fortune. Mrs Philips would have liked to bridge over three or four years for ter daughter. though. since Tommy was but year older than Lucy. he would need even more time than this to develop into full man hood
 However, the matter Of uniting the children when they should become old CT had got into Mrs. Phillips head, and she couldn't let the matter alone One day Mir, Phillips said 10 her:
 whats become of Tommy | have not seen him around here for d long while
 He's not coming so much now as he did"
 Whats the truuble?"
 Well. it's yUur fault You seemed to be so anxious that Lucy should se- cure his fortune that Tn order to help the matter out sort of leased Lucy about him
 "You mean in order 10 gratify your 
 "Anyway, what said proved that my claim that she was too young to think about such things is correct. 4 childish friendship has been broken by suggesting love"
 "I see"
 If you hadn't got it into your head that a marriage could be arranged be tween two children it all might have come about in time of itself"
 Rather if you had stuck to your own opinion and let the matter alone Lucy might have in the end been pro vided for"
 A month or two later another dia. Iogue took place between MT and Mrs. Phillips about what the former called "scaring the children off"
 "Pa," said the lady. "l think what ever damage l did when l spoke to Lucy about Tommy may have passed 1 met them coming home from school the other day. and they were walking together. Tommy was carrying Lu' cy's books. She looked put out when she saw me And Tommy handed her her books and went off in another d. rection. I'm sorry said anything to make them feel embarrassment. Such things should never be suggested De tween children. It takes away the freedom, the sweet innocence of child. hood
 "I expressed q wish, and you acted upon 1t, which was the worst thing you could have done. Don't think any more about it. By the time the kids get old enough to marry they'll both have changed and each will marry some one else"
 The last conversation between these fond parents was in this wise. Mir. Phillips had arisen and was standing before the glass shaving. His wife had gone forth in a wrapper and curl papers to waken Lucy:
 "Oh, my goodness gracious, par
 "What is itT' turning sharply with 4 razor in his hand and one.half his face Iathered. the other side smooth. His wife staggered to chair,
 Lucy is not in her room.
 "Where is SheT
 "She isn't ill the house"
 Not In the house."
 "No" % pathcticHlIy shes run away"
 How do you knowT
 The lady extended q bit of paper from which she read:
 Dear Mamma and Papa-Forglve us. We know we're doing very wrong' but we can't help ii We love each other Just too dearly for anything.
 "What does it mean?'
 "I don't know. If Luc? wasn't so very young would think she had eloped"
 "She has elopcd; of course she has! Don't you see she- says We love each other and all thatT'
 A maid entered with a telegram. Mir. Phillips, laying down Ejs razor
 :.