Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-11-03
jIljIlIIilIulillIIIlIiiIilIIIlIIiIIlIIiIlIII
CHAPTER XIV. (Continued.)

I CHAPTER XIV. (Continued)
Eyes, I am" Connie looked at Lark
Il critically again. 1--WE must get Lark
\ some bright flowers to wear with the
& silver dress-sweet peas would De
GOOD. BIT l don't pay for them, ana
You can put that down right now
But what's the idea?" mourned
4 Lark. whats the sense in it? Father
said to be good to him, and you know
"a can't think Of things to say to
D millionaire's son. Oh, Carol, don't be
$50 mean
"You must practice up. You must
be sirlish, and light hearted, and In
III Renuous. you know. Thatl be very
Il effective"
"You do it, Carol. Let me be the
maid. You're lots more effective than
III am"
But Carol stood firm and the others
welded to her persuasions. They didn't
I approve, they didn't sanction, but they
q did get enthusiastic, and merrier
houseful of masqueraders was never
i found than that. Even Aunt Grace
n allowed her qualms to be quoted and
| entered into her part as semi-invalid
4 auntie with genuine zest.
"A
4 ready for the presentation. They as
semb1ed socially in the parlor, the
dainty maid ready to fly to her post
n at a seconds warning. AT O'CLOCK
\ they were little tagged and near the
point Of evaporation, but they SUI
I held, their characters admirably Al
half past four telegraph message
i was phoned out from the station.
Delayed in coming. VIII write you
later. Very sorry. Andy Hodges, Jr.
Only the absolute ludicrousness OF
4 It saved Carol from rage. She look
ed from the girlish tennis girl to the
n semi-invalid auntie, and then to the
sweet young daughter OF the nome
and burst out laughing. The others
though tired, nervous and d1sappolnt-
ed, Joined her merrily, and the vexa-
4 don was swept away.
The next morning Aunt Grace went
\ - usual to the all day meeting OF the
Ladies' Aid in the church parlors.
= Carol and Lark, with light lunch,
\ went out for few hours of spring
\ time happiness beside the creek two
miles from town.
"We1l come back right after lunch
n con-" Carol promised, 80 if Andy the
Y Second should come we'll be on hand
rob, he won't come today"
well, he'd just better get here be-
Z fSIe father comes home. I know faith
\ or wIff"si our plan after it's over, but
III also know he'll veto 1t If he gets
q home in time Wish you could go with
-, Connie"
ri sfhanks. But I've got to sew on
\ forty buttons. And-if pick the cher
s ries on the little tree, will you make
a pie for dinner?"
IS "Yes. II I'm too tired Larkie will.
\ Do pick them. Con, the birds have had
more than their share now"
After her sisters had disappeared
\ Connie considered the days program.
"I'll pick the cherries while it's cool.
Then I'll sew on the buttons. Then
I'll call on the Persons and they'll
probably invite me to stay for lunch
con" And she went upstairs to don
1 garment suitable for cherry tree SER
& vice. For cherry trees, though lovely
TO behold when laden with bright red
4 clusters showing among the bright
s green leaves, are not at all lovely to
y climb into. Connie knew that by ex-
& perience. Belonging to family that
4 wore its clothes as long as they pos
4 eessed any wearing virtue, she found
nothing in her immediate wardrobe
! fitted for the venture. But from rag
i bag in the closet at the head of the
stairs. she resurrected some remains
of last summers apparel. First she
nut on q blue calico, but the skirt was
SO badly torn in places that it proved
insuficiently protecting. Further
search brought to light another skirt,
blink. in a still worse state Of delapi--
1 dafion. However. since the holes did
not occur simultaneously in the two
garments, by wearing both she was
Z amply covered. For waist she wore
a red Grape dressing sacque, and
about her hair she tied a broad. ragged
ribbon of red to protect the soft
waves from the ruthless twigs. She
looked at herself in the mirror. Moth
ing daunted by the sight of her own
unsightliness, she took bucket and
went into the back yard.
Gingerly she climbed into the tree.
gingerly because Connie was not
fond Of scratches on her anatomy, and
Z then began her task. 1t was a glori
GUS morning. The birds, frightened
away by the living scare crow in the
tree, perched in other, cherry-less
trees around her and burst into deris-