The Detroit times., 1915-08-11
THE EVENING STORY.
Frivolous Dell -
Copyright. 1915. BY w. wsrnsr.)

| W. Copyright. 1915
Akertown IL q small dell. II con-
sists Of some twelve or moro lazy.
struggling streets Of pretty cottages.
and green. flower bedded lawns
trim lawns. all Of them. And the
flower beds are neat and bright.
There IL quite rivalry In Akertown
over flower beds.
Perhaps Il Is because the town IL
so small that the people living in It
are rather small minded. and much
given to mistrusting and gossip.
They are fairly prosperous lot.
according to urban ideas. Most of
them either have owned farms or
inherited land from their fathers,
and have moved to town to take life
easily. Most OF them own their
homes. and 80 have no rent to pay.
They have chickens and gardens.
and their cellars aresfull of canned
fruit and meat sailed down. So
they have nothing much to do, and
they have nothing much to talk
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 very poor, small
farm. for which his widow was glad
to take in exchange house and lot
to town where she could get mend
Ing and washing to dol, why. folks
talked great deal about them.
Dell was IL and frivolous. She
was a pretty girl with exquisite
dark blue eyes and very light brown
hair. And she washed her hair en-.
tirely too often. folks said. She
dressed gay, too. Some folks would
have paid her mother more for the
washing and mending which they
needed had they not known that the
extra money would 60 for silk
stockings or q rhinestone barrette
for Dell.
Mrs. Hobby thought. though. that
the sun shone especially for Debts
sake. No one ever dared to insinu-
ate otherwise. Folks blamed Mrs,
Hobby afterward as much as they
did Dell.
There wasn't much amusement In
Akertown. Not even q moving pic
ture show. Most drummers who
came there got away again as soon
as they could and raved because the
next train was IL hours OF. Dell
used to go 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 very pointed sermon
upon the reprehensible habit.
Dell blushed that Sunday morn.
ing, but she giggled while she
blushcd. And it was only a few
weeks later that she ran away with
a good-looking young drummer for
candy house, only two days after
she first met him.
She left a note for her mother
Mrs. Hobby tainted. BY the time she
came TO Dell and the drummer were
counties away. The next week Del
wrote that she was living in Chi
cago, boarding for few weeks, un
til Harry got position. In the ex.
element OF clipping he had lost his
samples and his job. However,
Harry's father was very kind to
them.
Mrs. Hobby showed the lett, :
around. Folks read II and made no
comment. even though her wistful
eyes begged for congratulations.
81 'spect she'll be happy" said
Dell's mother. valiantly. Dell is a
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 Dell's 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 to