The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-02-14

less, at this new and strange turn o1
 financial gossip. Even if 1t were true
 though, how Is father to blame?'
 '1I don't know, except that my ia
 ther's like a maniac about it all and
 forbade me to come near this house.
 Molly held her closer.
 "Dicky brought me, though. He said
 that he didn't think MT. Marley was
 the thief, and that if he was you
 weren't, and that if I wanted to come
 I was corning He's a good Dicky,
 Molly" and here Jessie cried a little
 more, just on account of Dicky's good
 ness.
 ''It isn't fathers fault, it's nine,' 9
 confessed Molly, aghast, as she began
 for the first time to fully realize the hundreds of real sufferers in this high handed game which she and Sledge had played. "Mr. Sledge wanted to marry me, and I was enga ged to Bert He broke Bert. Then father said he had money enough for all of us; so sledge tried to break father, and I don't know how many people besides us have had to suffer for that It's S1edge and I, Jessie, not father.''
 ':Sledge is a beast" charged Jessie vehement1y. EeHe is the most cruel and vicious man in the world, think Dicky says he should be killed.''
 He isn't really so bad" declared Molly, trying to be just. He's like other strong people. He doesn't know how badly he hurts. He's like a foot ball player shaking hands with you.'
 ssHe is a brute!'' shuddered Jessie -''I stood by him in Maberly's candy store yesterday, and I was actually afraid of him for fear I would annoy him by being in his way and he might turn around and be rough to me-
 Molly laughed softly at the idea of SIedge's being rough to little Jessie Peters.
 |'Why, he'd be so gentle to you as to be ridiculous she said. ftNot even Dicky could be more gent1e.Y
 Jessie straightened immediately.
 How absurdr' she laughed. 'FYou don't know Dicky, Molly. He isn't like other men. Why, when we found that we had lost every cent we had in the world and would be in debt besides and would even lose our home father blamed mother for signing the mort gage and has been cross with her ever since he got into difficulties, and there isn't better father than mine But O2CAyb "AJ, W1Ou tue w est HnQ bank failed because it held too many street railway securities and Dtcky lost the $6,O00 he saved to buy US a home, dc you know what he. did? He took me to the theater and patted my hand all through the show and told me how young we were, and how much money we were going to make, and how happy we'd be even if we didn't, and he wouldn't hear to fathers having US postpone our wedding for a minute Why, Molly, he can't do without me, and I can't do without him. It's won derful!''
 Molly patted Jessie's shoulder thoughtfulfy.
 E'I guess you and Dicky love each other very much,'' she suggested 'I don't know how to tell it,'' con fessed Jessie shyly. Love is such a tremendous thing, Molly It cries.''
 Molly was startled into silence. What was this thing that she was do ing? She was entering on the most serious relationship in life as the ter imitation of game in which love, such as Jessie knew had had no part, in which even romance, to which every girl is entitled at least once, had been made subservient to business, to stock mRnipuIaions, to real estate deals and to stubbornness. The only one who had been at all romantic-and she smiled with a trace of humiliation as she remembered twas big, coarse SIedge.
 You're going to be very happy, Jes- sie,'' admitted Molly, refusing to own she was envious.
 '<T'm so happy Pm se1fish,'' replied Jessie comfortably. i've even for gotten to ask why you were so insist ent this morning upon having me come over at such an exact minute.''
 'I wanted you at my wedding" smiled Molly.
 .'MoIlyy' exclaimed Jessie. 'sThats why you and Fern are all in white. Oh, and I came over in my old blue tailored suitj'
 That's lucky laughed Molly. NYou know the old rine, Something old and something new, something borrowed and something blue.'"
 ''I shan'tf be something blue,'' de- cIared Jessie. E'I'm too happy for that, and so are you. You're a lucky girl, 1 Molly. You have everything in the i and money and a pret- ty home and everything you want, in- cluding the man you love-
 ''I suppose am lucky agreed Mol ly, putting her arm more lovingly about her friend. Somehow, she did not like to let go of little Jessie.
 There was a knock at the door, but it was Fern who stood there in place of Nina.
 'sThe minister is here" whispered Fern in her most mysterious air, and her eyes were dancing. He's in the parlor, trying not to see that shocking picture, and Bert's in the library pull ing his thumbs, and your fathers in the den, most respectfully quiet. Jes- sic, you come down with me. I'll send up MT. Marley, and when he and Mol ly start downstairs you're to play the wedding march, while back Bert up