The Dolores star., 1916-11-10
CHAPTER VI-continued.

They did their best to spoil him; he
was the son of the biggest man in
Sheffield. They wondered at his friend
ship for the demure little bundle girl.
who's this Charlie you and Fran
els Willett's always talkin' about,
Mary Alice?" they would query.
What's the matter with him. is he
sick? What, can't walk? Poor little
feller! Les go out and see him some
Sunday, girls. Could we, Mary Alice"
They did 1t, too. Martha made ice
cream again, and Charlie had heaven
ly afternoon. The girls bubbled and
gurgled and exclaimed over his lovely
golden hair and his shining blue eyes.
Mary Alice told me all about you."
said Charlie. You're Grace, and
you're Sadie. and you're Minnie"
Mary Alice had introduced them as
Miss Corrigan and Miss Tifft and Miss
Sternheim.
How'd you know, deary" they
chorused.
MARY Alice. she 'scribed you. She
says you know another friend O. mine,
too. He's Francis Willett." ..
You bet we do; he's Mary Alice's
steadyw
Charlie looked puzzled. Mary Alice
blushed
Cut 1t out, Min" warned Grace.
whats he know about steadies?"
Going back to town on the trolley
car, Minnie suddenly turned to Mary
Alice.
"whol Charlie mean by the boss
and Lem? I guess the boss is his IA
ther; but who's Lem?"
Mary Alice choked on nothing.
clutched her seat, and opened her
mouth to answer. Just as surely as
she lived. she meant to say: "He's my
father" But 1t wouldn't come out.
She tried three times; no use. Then
she said: Lem? Oh, Lem. Why
he's Mr.. Thomas hired man."
1t did not salve Mary Alice's con-
science to reflect that she had told the
exact truth. She lay awake that night
trying to square things with herself.
Before her, In the dark, doated the
face Of an indolent, injured angel.
framed in a billowing border Of shin
ing, priceless gold. and the eyes were
very sad and surprised and accusing.
Mary Alice hid her face In the pillow
and promised herself and Charlie that
she would tell the girls in the morning
who Lem really was. So she went to
sleep, quite easy in her mind.
But you know you can't, somehow,
stand up in a sort Of pulpit, like an
armed fortress, above everybody's
head, and shout down that your father
is farmers hired man. 1t would be
absurd. Mary Alice postponed the
revelation indefinitely. You must re-
member that Mary Alice vas, after all,
only a little girl, less than thirteen
years old.
One day the foorwalker brought
Mary Alice letter. 1t was addressed
in pencil, and all the "a's" were very
round, and the loop Of the ~" rather
liberal. The lower part Of the "B"
was smaller than the second story part,
and the punctuation not unoriginal.
Aside from these minor details, It was
a good. shipshape letter.
"Oh, Mary Alice's got letter." cried
the girls. "Who's it from. ~honey7
A0ASAS, ! OCA q SOVAys 4Ou ~ A06 010
read it. won't you, Mary Alicef See
II he says anything about mo in it.
Does he send us his lover
Mary Alice wouldn't open the letter,
but tucked It in her apron pocket, and
the girls pouted and said she was q
mean old thing. The forenoon went
haltngly. ..---
Up in the girls rest room, at the
lunch hour. Mary Alice stole OF In q
corner and eagerly slit the envelope
with q hairpin. This is what she read:
Saint 1dichaers School.
Lake Valley.
Dear Mary Alice: Well here am At
last in prep school It II . dandy place
Aad there are most two hundred fellows
hsre and We are all going to- the same
college.
Ven thought would write you Mary