Mexico Missouri message., 1917-12-06

Z
of with, her.
"You would laugh to see her, Aunt
Grace" Fairy explained. "They are
generally half intoxicated, sometimes
wholly. And Carol trips by, clean,
white and shining. They are always
lounging against the store windows or
posts for support, bleary-eyed, dlssi-
pated, swaggery, staggery. Carol mods
and smiles as only Carol can, Good
morning. boys! Isn't this q lovely day2
Are you feeling wellP And they grin
at her and sway ingratiatlngly against
one another, and say, 'Mornin', Carol.
Carol is the only really decent person
in town that has anything to do with
| them"
Carol means all right" declared
Lark angrlly.
Eyes, indeed" assented Fairy. "They
call them the Slaughter-house quartet,
auntie, because whenever they are
sober enough to walk without police
assistance, they wander through the
| streets slaughtering the peace and Sc
renlty of the quiet town with their
| rendition of all the late, dlsgraceful
| sentimental ditties. They are in many
ways striking characters. / do not
wholly misunderstood their attraction
for romantic Carol. They are some
| thing like the troubadours of old
only more So"
| Carols face was crimson. 81 don't
| like them" she cried, "but I'm sorry
| for them. want to show them that
| the decent element, we Christians, are
/ sorry for them and want to make them
! better"
Carol wants to be an influence"
! Fairy continued. "Of course 1t Is a
little embarrassing for the rest Of US
to have her on such friendly terms
with the most unmentionable charac-
ters In all Mount Mark. But Carol is
like so many reformers-in the pres
ence of one great truth she has eyes
for 1t only, ignoring q thousand other
greater truths"
II am sorry for them," Carol repeat
cd, more weakly abashed by the pres
ence of the united family. Fairy's dis
sertations on this subject had usually
occurred in private.
Mr.. Starr mentally resolved that he
would talk this over with Carol when
the others were not present, for he
knew from her face and her voice
that she was really sensitive on the
subject. And he knew, too, that it is
difficult to explain to the very young
that the finest of ideas are not ap-
plicable to all cases by all people. But
it happened that he was spared the
necessity of dealing with Carol pri-
vately, for matters adjusted them
selves without his assistance.
The second night following was an
eventful one IN the parsonage. One
of the bishops of the church was in
Mount Mark for a business conference
with the religious leaders, and was to
spend the night at the parsonage. The
meeting was called for eight-thirty foI
the convenience of the business mer
concerned, and was to be held in the
church Offices. The men left early, fol
$ lowed shortly by Fairy, who designed
to spend the evening at the Averys
home, testing their supply of winter
apples. The twins and Connie, witt
the newest and most thrilling bool
Mr.. Carnegie afforded the town, wen
e upstairs to lie on the bed and tak'
S turns reading aloud. And for a few
:. hours the parsonage was as calm anC
g peaceful as though it were not de
S signed for the housing of merry min
= ister's daughters.
+ Aunt Grace sat downstairs darnint
r stockings. The girls intentions hat
Y been the best in the world, but in les
|, than a year the family darning hat
n fallen entirely into the capable ant
e willing hands of the gentle chaperon
It was half past ten. And suddenly
d from beneath the peach trees clustere'
d on the south side Of the parsonage,
d burst Of melody arose.
h "Good morning, Carrie, how are 20
= this mornlngf"
It The girls sat up abruptly, starin
e at one another, as the curious, ugl
% song waited In upon them. Convictio
er dawned slowly, sadly, but unquestior
Is ably.
"a The Slaughter-house quartet was SCI
enading Carol in return for her wiz
b some smiles!
Carol herself was literally struC
te dumb. Her face grew crimson, the
white. In her heart she repeate
es psalms Of thanksgiving that Fairy wt
d. away, and that her father and Il
ID, bishop would not be in until this c
Is lOssal disaster was over.
cd Connie was mortified. 1t SCENE
- like a wholesale parsonage insul
be Lark, after the first awful realizatio
to lay back on the bed and rolled co
vulsively.
I'M The rollicking strains of "Budwt
us ser" were swung gayly out upon u
night.
Die Carol writhed in anguish. The ser
lie, made was bad enough, but this unmt
IDS ciful mocking derision Of her ador
pa twin was uncomfortable.
H.. -