The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1915-10-28
She Sat With Her Brown Hair Rip
ping Around Her Shoulders.

you have your future to consider, and
| wish to invite your confidence" and
In her voice there was the quaver OF
much concern.
Thank you, Aunt Helen" said Gail,
realizing the sincerity Of the older
woman's intentions. and, putting her
arms around Mrs. Davies neck. she
kissed her. 1T Is dear of you to take
SO much interest"
II think It's PRIDE" confessed Mrs.
Davies, naively. Il won't keep you up
minute longer, Gail. Go to bed. and
get all the sleep you can. Only sleep
will keep those rose6 In your cheeks.
Goodnight" and with parting caress
she went to her own room, with a
sense of duty well performed.
Gail smiled retrospectively. and
tried the blue light under the canopy
lamp, but turned it out Immediately.
The green gave much better effect
of moonlight on the floor.
She called herself back out OF the
mists of her previous thought. Who
was this Gail, and what was she?
There had come a new need in her,
new awakening. Something seemed
to have changed in her, to have crys-
tallized. Whatever this crystallization
was, 1t had made her know that mar
riage was not to be looked upon as a
mere inevitable social episode. Her
thoughts few back to Aunt Helen.
Her eyelashes brushed her cheeks,
and the little smile Of sarcasm
twitched the corners of her lips.
Aunt Helen's list of eligibles. Gail
reviewed them now deliberately; not
with the thought OF the social advan-
tages they might offer her, but as men.
She reviewed others whom she had
met. For the first time In her life,
she was frankly and self-consciously
interested in men: curious about
them. She had reached her third stage
Of development: the fairy prince age.
the II suppose shall have to be mar
ried one day" age. and now the age
OF conscious awakening. She won
dered, In some perplexity, as to what
had brought about her nasence: rath-
or, and she knitted her pretty brows.
who had brought 1t about?
The library clock chimed the hour.
and startled her out OF her reverie.
She turned on the lights. and sat In
front Of her mirror to give her hair
one Of those extra brushings for which
1t was so grateful. and which 1t repaid
with so much beauty. She paused de-
liberately to study herself In the glass.
Why, this was a new Gail, more po-
tent Gail. What was 1t Allison had
said about her potentialities Allison
Strong, forceful. aggressive Allison.
He was potence itself. A thrill OF
his handclasp chung with her yet, and
slight flush crept into her cheeks.
Aunt Grace had worried about Jim's
little cold, and the distant mouse she
thought she heard, and the silver
chest, and Luciles dangerous-lo looking
new horse. until all these topics had
failed, when she detected the unmis-
taxable click Of switch button near
by 1t must be in Calls suite Hadn't
the child retired yet? She lay quite
still pioneering that mighty question
for ten minutes, and then. unable to
rest any longer. she slipped out of bed
and across the hall. There was no
light coming from under the doors OF
either the bDudoir or the bedroom, so
Aunt Grace peeped into the latter
apartment. then she tiptoed softly
away. Gail. in her cascade Of pink
iufraries. Was at the north window.