Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-12-08

ever and ever" she realized. per
haps it was being SO busy that did it
People in plays always have SO much
spare daytime!"
Il suppose the unhappy Trevelyan
must look like a boy poet on cleaning
day with somebody using the tele.
phone she said aloud, with wicked
intent
Ralston shot glance of surprise at
the little sister, usually yelled and 81.
lent in her home as some young nun
What has got into you this morn.
ing?" he demanded.
II think l am growing up" was the
Idemure answer. 1T has been coming
for some time but have waited to be
sure. It's awfully hard, you know
when one is SO much smaller and
younger" n
well. if you are going to be one of
those women who find everything fun.
ny. you'd better have stayed as you
were,' Ralston objected, frowning at
the chateau front he was adjusting.
He found family life quite trying
enough without a new anc aggressive
Chloe to reckon with. A1iew weeks
ago the snub would have depressed
her; 1t was curious how love was en-
boldening her, setting her free to be
herself.
Don't worry. Cleaning day with a
boy poet will never seem really funny
to me- she said. 'Ralston, if the play
makes you very rich"
/ You all keep talking about the
money he broke in. Il wish you
could realize how little that matters
We don't speak or think Of it, Mrs.
Cartaret and l. What we are trying
to do is SO much bigger than money"
Mrs. Gage drew breath for troubled
| speech, then let it go again and signed
a ten-cent appeal in silence. Chloe
tried to say it for her.
But it would take load off moth
er. Rawley. And you know you do
like nice things and good service.
You're getting them now. spending
! your days at Mrs. Cartaret's: you'll
hate it like fury if you have to settle
down home again. poor as ever"
She wished she had not spoken
/ when she saw the look of harassed
awakening in Ralston's face. He
shrank physically as though an intol-
! cradle and undreamed-of future had
suddenly risen before him Evidently
he had not once thought of that. Then
his wrath descended upon her: she
might have kept her croaking to her.
self and let person have little hap
piness undampened. Of course. being
/ his sister. she didn't believe in him,
but. thank God. others did!
I prSf d.
boy his mother urged, and between
them the two women soothed and re-.
assured him. Chloe's new born audac
! ity was put away for the rest of the
morning: but she did not feel so pa.
! tient as she appeared.
Raw1ey is worse than prima don
ma! am glad | am going to marry an
electric engineer she said to her.
self. then flushed to her ears lest the
J unwarranted thought had been in
some way discernible. Alex was not
acting like a lover; it was curious, her
certainty of his love.
And now. Chloe Mrs. Cages ris.
ing from the lunch table was like a
| call to ar1ns-"let us go out and COM
plete the fund. Don't you think that
will be fine way to celebrate Rawly's
good news?"
Chloe, stricken into misery, dropped
limp hands and looked up appealing
ly. "Oh. mother. MOI" she breathed.
Hasn't 1t got to be done, dear?"
But it is too horrible to ask for it,"
Chloe's face burned a sudden red.
Mrs. Gage was evidently not unpre.
pared, for the protest
Because thing is hard. is that any
reason for not doing ?" she asked in
kindly reproof "A good many hard
things have been done for you, Chloe.
1t wasn't just chance that gave you
all those years at the best private
school in the city. Isn't it your turn
to help?"
There was long silence while she
waited for that to sink in Then
Chloe rose slowly to her feet.
You can always prove it to me,
and yet | can't seem to feel it, she
was fumbling for the difficult words.
You have all talked me down all my
life. but you have never changed me.
Perhaps I am only lazy and selfish
and cowardly and want to get out of
hard things, as you say. Well, till
can prove it isn't so-that what feel
is really right think ! ought to do
your way. I'll get my things And
! she was gone before Mrs. Gage could
! answer.
What has come over the child" she
exclaimed, as bewiIdered as though
Billy had spoken to her in strange
tongue.
Mrs. Gage thought best to ignore
Chloe's outburst and gave her list
of people to see with few matter-of-
fact directions. Chloe took it without
, comment, but, after she had gone, the
set Wilderness of her face troubled her
mother. She wavered. half inclined
10 run after the poor little soul and
let her off
/, But she has got to learn" she &C
knowledged. and set out almost too
heavy hearted to do her own part.