The log cabin Democrat., 1916-05-23
JANE LAWRENCE
By ELLIS DICKSON.

l to know? But if had known of the case of Jane Lawrence really couldn't have done it. I have actually stayed awake nights over it. And this after- noon, when 1 ought to be spending all my time at the tailor's and dressmak- CTS, I have to have a board meeting 1 here just to discuss the matter"
 Mrs. Stoddington had been sitting for fully ten minutes before she began her complaint, at the little spindle legged desk in her study.
 Tom Blaine, younger by ten years, was sitting impatiently waiting at her side. Besides being the wealthy wid- oW s only brother, he was her attorney.
 The trouble with Jane, Tom, is sim ply this: She is very pretty Not just rather pretty, but dangerously, absurdly pretty, and a girl in an in- stitution of that sort really has no right to be pretty.
 Whatever are we going to do? She is only eighteen now and she has not left the home, but in a month she must begin to go out to earn her living.
 For several years we have realized that Jane was different from the other children in the home. She is really a beauty The matrOn has been wonder ful, too. She has done all she could to keep the girl from realizing. When the other girls have had pretty hair ribbons Jane has had none, and she fn h,~,,c Ia; plainly as possible When the other girls have gone on excursions Jane has been kept at home. In her lit tie room the natron even took down the mirror so she would net be tempt ed to be vain. Still the girl seems to crave pleasure, still she seems to be at heart quite cCquette. If we could only get her married off to some hon. est, hard-wOrking person who would give her home with plenty of work she would be all right"
 If Tom felt any special interest in the case of the little orphan girl he did not show it.
 "To begin with" he said in his most professional tone, you have gone about it iM the worst possible way It doesn't take a lawyer CT a deep stu dent of human nature to tell you that the best way to arouse a girls in- terest in pretty things is to deprive her of them."
 Tom paused for a moment and thought. Here's my remedy" he re- nff rd this afternoon. Then give the girl real taste of happiness. If she is well behaved invite her to your own home, treat her as you would guest, pro- vide her with few pretty clothes and take her about with you. Let her see the normal side of life. Let her real ize that woman can be pretty and at- tractive without being sinner"
 It was two weeKs later, and Mrs. Stoddington was again seated before her spindle-legged desk. Tom again sat before her in apparent impatience.
 That plan is failure, just as I thought it would be" she began. "Why I ever thought yCu could advise me in the case of young orphan girls is quite beyond me. Oh, yes, she was very sweet and lovely for while and all my friends declared she was beautiful, and two CT three of the bachelors who never look at debutante suddenly dis covered a decided fondness for my drawing-room chairs-I needn't tell you that for you are much in the same boat yourself. There was nothing in the least bit forward about her though. She was as sweet as girl of our own class-and then suddenly she went off yesterday. And at the teatime she came in smiling and refused to tell me where she had been. She is up- stairs in her room now. 1 am going to have her packed up tomorrow sent back to St. Prisca's. It is really too disgraceful. Gone a whole day and won't tell where she went Tom, it is all your fault"
 Tom drew his chair closer to that of his sister and this time showed evi- dent interest in the case of the little orphan girl.
 Suppose I could tell you where tIe SiTl was yesterday. suppose l could prove to you that she left the house on an expedition to find the one to whom she felt indebted for her little fling in the world of normal pleasure and happiness. I believe she did ask you who it was and you told her. And then, of course, suppose you knew that that humble benefactor, quite in spite of himself, persuaded the girl to have luncheon with him downtown, and then sent her home with promise not to tell where she had been, would you blame her very much? l thought that might explain it more easily than she could"
 Tom had risen, as if to go, but of course. he had no such intention, for he had not yet seen the little girl in question that day.
 You know your idea was a good one, perhaps even better than mine" he told his sister. You know you said you would feel your task complete