The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-06-10
NEWS FROM HOME
BY LESLIE GRANGER.


The one from home she laid aside
for more leisurely reading, but the
thick white paper of the other iden- |
titled it with a wedding, and Laura |
opened it eagerly.
To her dismay, the names of Alex |
McCune and Harriet Turner stared at
her from the paper. Below was the |
date of the recent wedding. That was
enough! Laura dropped the invitation
and reached for her handkerchief
Alex, her old-time sweetheart, had
deserted her!
The office, save for Laura, was emp
ty. Mr.. Jennings had put on his hat
and overcoat and gone home. While
Laura was in the middle of another
good cry, he recalled something he
had neglected and returned.
'Why, Miss Sheridan! What in
the world is the matter?"
''N-nothing! I'm not crying"
Then 1 beg your pardon. Since you
are perfectly happy, presume there is
no need of sympathy. l have an extra
ticket tonight for the Lyric club con-
cert and thought you might make use
VI IT, IL YOU care lOI u1uSIC.
Laura sprang up. Thank you!" she
exclaimed, dabbing at her swollen
eyes. Il guess 1 was crying-wasn't
II"
ct looked a bit like it. Won't you
| tell me why?"
Mr.. Jennings sudden interest and
kindness startled her into answering:
'Nellie's gone and Alex is married and
| I'm all alone and nobody cares for me
| the least bit
$50 Alex is married."
She looked up surprised. What do
| you know about Alex?"
| well, l got to know about him some
way. Regular letters and all that,
| suppose. Besides, 1 couldn't be deaf
| to an allusion you made over the teIe-
phone one day Did-did you-like
him so very much?"
Laura bridled. We'll, I guess ]
won't die! If I'd really wanted him
I'd have taken him long ago"
Mr.. Jennings nodded approvingly.
Laura went ont was comforting
to have some one so sympathetic: y
| don't know what to do Row that Mel.
lies gone. really ought to go home
to the farm, guess"
do you mean to say you came from
a wholesome place in the country to
this sin-ridden city just for adven-
/ ture?"
Yes" wonderingly.
And father and mother and sister
and brothers and cats and chickens
and COWS and everything on earth
worth while!"f 81.
Yes"
why did you do it?'
81 never got any clothes, and /
wanted"
Then you were very silly little
girl, and you'd better go back" He
put, on his hat and went out
; For the first time in her life she
had seen Mr.. Jennings jolted out of his
well-poised, gentlemanly self. And he
had called her SILLY" and banged the
door! He was very rude! Her cheeks
famed red
He needn't think l want to go to
his old concert" She picked up the
; ticket, meaning to tear it across and
it upon his desk where he could see it
. in the morning. Then the words silly
little girl" rang in her ears. He'll
only think me a baby"
So she tucked it into her bag, put on
her wraps and went home.
She also got ready that night and
went alone to the concert.
The Lyric club proved to be a glee
club, and Mr.. Jennings member He
| rio hor which thrilled
, Laura despite her effort to find it or
binary.
Toward the end of the second half
she began to feel a delicious drowsi
, ness. Slowly Laura's eyelids dropped
, and at last she was asleep, her head
resting ever so lightly on the back Of
! her plush seat.
Soon the concert was over, the cur
tain rang down and people started tt
= file slowly up the aisles to the door
+ At last the hall was empty, or so the
usher thought whose duty it was tt
{ turn off the lights and close the doors
= Laura slept on peacefully in the blacl
loneliness of the great place.
Then some one laid hand gentI!
on her shoulder. She stirred.
n Time to get up, is it, Nen?"
"Yes!" said a mans voice-very
] familiar it seemed. It's time, Mis-
o Sheridan
Laura opened her eyes and sprani
to her feet. The lights were on now
and before her stood Mr.. Jennings.
why, where did the people go, an,
what's happened to the music? VIII.
surely II haven't been" She locke,
l around, bewildered.
you have been having a nice littI
+ nap. I've been waiting outside to TAX
you home. Otherwise you'd hav
stayed here until tomorrow. jus
found you this minute. There! Ar
you awake enough to go now?"