The Washington herald., 1916-08-06
IMPROVING NATURE.
tCopyrisht. lael

Copyright, lHsl
Agnes locked the door, timing the click
SO 1t was smothered in a burst Of hiIar-
ity. Father had just begun the story Of
Ffnney's white horse. 1t would hold the
family at the supper table for fully If
teen minutes and she needed only ten.
Fires of satisfaction and daring lighted
her eyes
With one hand pressed against the wall
10 steady her. the girl noiselessly climb
ed upon the bureau where she stood on
tiptoe TO reach TO the top of an old-fssh-
ioned walnut wardrobe. Into the dust and
shadows behind its heavy cornice she
thrust an exploring hand. In another
moment she was frowning at gingerly
held package OF cigarettes. Undoubtedly
she had unearthed the iniquity of her
little brother; or perhaps-her eldest sis
ter. At any rate she was shocked. She
would have stepped down TO press charges
against the violator Of family prejudiCes
but for the fact that it would involve
some explanation of her own interest in
the hiding place.
After some thought she dropped the
cigarettes back into the darkness and
her fumblIrg hand closed around an
other find. 1t was not the package she
5ought, but curiosity prompted investiga-
ton. A coil OF thick. brown hair un-
wound and curled around her fingers
Undoubtedly IT belonged to Big Sister II
II had matched her own locks Agnes
would have appropriated the switch IN
stantly. Big Sister would not have dared
complain. for her mothers disapproval
of vanities amounted to a mania. Her
plan was to raise her daughters plain.
sensible and without no nonsense"-the
more strict because her girls were un-
usually good looking.
| Regretfully, Agnes reltnQuished the
false tresses. She would not mention the
discovery until 1t became necessary to
| blackmail sister into furthering some
| ideas.
The youngest daughter began to realize
that her choice of repository for secrets
had not been a happy one. 1t was very
disconcerting a moment later to fish out
The Family Doctor Book Mrs. Quiz
was always hiding that but Agnes had
never before found it on top of the ward
robe. She put it back in place sornew hat
maliciously With the book, cigarettes
| and contraband switch in juxts position
! II was as IL time fuse had been set
to barrel of family dynamite.
At last she dropped to the floor lightly,
| clasping q paper package tied with pink
string. Turning up the light she spread
her treasure on the bureau. In the prim
| little room decorated with holy pictures
| and family photographs 1t lay like a
splash of pure wickedness on an other
| wise speckless conscience; into Mrs.
Quin's stronghold of old-fashioned virtue
her next-to-eldest daughter had brought
a stick Of lip grease, a box OF pink rice
powder and a bottle of bright red rouge.
There was no time to enjoy the luxury
Of experiment Agnes first attempt at
makeup was necessarily overdone and
| crude. She pulled big hat we'll over
her face 10 shade 1t from maternal In
spsction, and again tied up the parcel
| In the morning she would think up a
| new hiding place. Tonight
She could hear chairs scrape as II they
| were being pushed back from the table.
1t was sisters turn to do the dishes, and
she would be coming for an apron. She
had time to turn down the gas and url-
lock the door when sister walked in to
find her standing with the lumpy little
bundle in her hands.
Where va goin'?" asked Sister good
naturedly.
"Over to see Minnie" murmued Agnes.
1-gotta take her these things. She
left 'em on my table today"
Big Sister reached for the gas Jet but
before it hared Agnes was well down
the hallway. She found herself, breath
less facing Minnie Schultz who was
waiting quite as excited and quite as
lmpressionisticaIly hand colored as her
self ..-
Did ya?' demanded Minnie.
Sure I did. Dragged Agnes. They
paused under the first street light and
stared, at each other thoroughly. ,-,,
Gee, you sure look different" they
siggled happily.
| IF we'd ever got caught" sighed
Minnie. 49,
Satan II she could. see US now," agreed
Agnes" Do you spose the boys II notice
any difference9"
The boys. however, had no chance to
note the quality of the complications de-
signed to entrance them. In the lighted
up-and-down streets they had to be alert
and agile 70 dodge the crowds and to