Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-05-16

simply this: She is very pretty. Not
just rather pretty, but dangerously,
absurdly pretty, and a girl in an insti-
tuition of that sort really has no right
to be pretty. OF course. it isn't ex-
actly her fault, but it makes 1t so
troublesome. Something dreadful Is
quite sure to happen to her. All the
husbands OF the ladies on the board
and the brothers and even that angel
ic new curate make quite a fuss over
the girl. An artist even came to me
and asked to be allowed to do her
portrait.
What aver 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 liv-
ing. She has been taught fine needle
work and that means that she must
get a position in some dressmak1ng
establishment. And she will be bound
to be noticed" :.
81 don't see what advice l a g1ve,T
said Tom, suppressing a yawn.
"Who else could help me better!
For several years we have realized
that Jane was different from the 9TH
err children in the home. We have
been afraid that she was going to be
pretty, I but our gravest fears have
been exceeded. She is really a beau
ty. The matron has been wonderful,
too. She has done all she could to
keep the girl from realizing. When
the other girls have :ha1 pretty hair
ribbons Jane has had none and n
has been made to brush her hair as
plainly as possible. When the other
! girls have gone on excursions Jane
has been kept at home. In her little
room the matron even took down the
mirror so she would not be tempted
to be vain. Still the girl seems to
crave pleasure, still she seems to be
at heart quite a coquette. Even when
she is talking to US women you can't
help but notice the archness In her
smile. If we could only get her mar.
ried off to some honest, hardworking
person who would give her a home
| with plenty Of work she would be- all
| right. But how shall she meet him
| without running the risk Of finding out
her charms? Really it Is dreadful"
If Tom felt any special interest In
| the case Of the little orphan girl he
did not show it; in fact, there was a
distinct expression of boredom on his
face as he paced back and forth be-
| fore his sister.
"To begin with,' he said in his
most professional tone, after he had
come to a pause, you have gone
about it in the worst possible way.
It doesn't take a lawyer or a deep
| student of human nature to tell you
that the best way to arouse a girls
interest in pretty things is to deprive
her of them. And to curtail her good
times will only lead her to greater
craving for gewgaws and furbelows as
you have"
Tom paused for a moment and
thought. Here's my remedy" he re.
sumed. Call off this board meeting
this afternoon. Why make a case for
sedate spinsters and self righteous
curates to ponder We Of this little
person? Then give the girl a real
taste Of happiness. II she is we'll be-
haved invite her to your own home,
treat her as you would a guest, pro-
vide her with a few pretty clothes and
take her about with you. Let her see
the normal side of life. Let her real
lie that a woman can be pretty and
| attractive without being a sinner.
Then when she starts out to earn her
own living she will have the sane
point of view and when the honest,
worthy male comes along she will be
only the better off for having gained
through the gratings Of st. Pr1sca's.'
It was two weeks later and Mrs.
Stoddington was again seated before
her spindle-legged desk, only this time
she was clad in a filmy morning neg
ligee of violet instead Of rose color.
Tom again sat before her in apparent
impatience.
1.-THE plan is a failure, just as l
thought it would be-" she began. why
1 ever thought you could advise me
in the case of young orphan girls is
quite beyond me. Oh, yes, she was
very sweet and lovely for a while and
all my friends declared she was beau
tiful, and the young curate, who hadn't
the remotest idea that she was. the
unfortunate Jane Lawrence, had got
into the habit of dropping In, for tea
every afternoon and two or three OF
the bachelors who v look at a
debutante suddenly discovered a de-
cided %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 a girl of u " class
and then suddenly she went off yes
terday. HEAVIER knows where she
went. She was gone for an entire day
and simply left word with my maid
that she had gone down town. And