The Era-leader., 1917-07-26
A Mixed DISPOSITION
BY LOUISE OLIVER

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS N<tS<<SsSSS~~~
James Porterheld Morgan, known 10
the world as Jim Morgan, looked as
his sister quizzically.
"Madge, do you mean to say tna'
pollv Love is your ideal OF "om-
an?"
"Yes. Jim, dear, bright, wholesome
little Polly, with her silly gigeie as you
coll II IS nv ideal Of woman ana
wish you'd marry her. /
"Well, I like Polly, Of course, but
no f,ecked the ash off his cigarette ana
failed to finish.
"1 know what you mean, jim. Your
tyne is the dashing kind with a ols'
uosltion like all the months OF the
vear combined. June one instant,
April the next and regular January
freeze to follow. Jim, you men make
me tired with your queer ideas or
women. Take 1T from me, they aren't
the celestial beings you think, any OF
them-except Polly. She's an angel
IF she were here she would laugh
nt your wonderful Wit answered Jim
sardonically. "No doubt that's what
she's doing now anyway, wherever she
H. She's always laughing. And per-
petual good humor bores me as much
as incessant sunshine
Had Jim known it, he was right
when he said that Polly was laugh
ING And this was the occasion. That
morning a letter had come from Cor
nelia Graham announcing that she
wonld visit them for q week on her
I way to Boston.
Cornella was pretty rich and spoiled
, and the entire relationship held her
In reverential awe.
I "Oh, we can't have her with the
plasterers and paperhangers here,
D protested Mrs. Love in panic. "And
the rugs are all up and away at the
( cleaners, and we've no girl. Or all
. times for her to come! Why couldn't
she wait a week." -,
And then Polly giggled. isn't 1t
t the limit? Well-she isn't waiting
J. and II I'm not mistaken she's here
now, for there's taxi just stopping at
a the curb and-behold, milady."
U Polly rushed out to the porch. "Hel'
If 10, Cornelia! You dear! I'm so glad
h to see you. Come right In, but don''
YOU dare to sit down or you'll ruin
u that exquisite suit you have on. we
1t look like an accident ward in a hos
n pital-all plastered up"
- Cornella was led through shroudee
~ furniture and buckets Of calcimine anc
l. glue up to the second floor to Pollys
= room, the only room in the house fha'
, hadn't been dismantled.
- Then Polly flew to the kitchen te
ID see what she could scare up to eat
"There isn't much" she declared
: searching the cupboard, Here's
T. can Of corn and some salmon out
t. believe there's another thing. If nae
more eggs could mix up custara.
two aren't enough. I'll slip over Il
al 1,aura,s the back way and get som'
}. eors. I hate to borrow, but l must
polly got the eggs and went hom'
unseen by Jim in the library.
OF "That poor child" said Laura, u
i IN an awful fix. Cornelia Graham
"A that rich cousin of theirs, has jus
come and their house is mess. Can
'h you do something to help them ou'
Ie' Jim?"
"Do you mean that girl that wa
here last summer7"
"Yes."
"By Jove. you don't say! You be
I'll help them out. I'll telephone rlgf
away and ask her to lunch ana tn
lr- theater this afternoon"
On. When Jim called at the Loves
on workman had put ladder across tn
nod front door, so he went around bacl
,on Polly was at the stove getting the
own lunch the best she could. 81
was lifting a saucepan from the fiji
y when she heard Jim's voice. 81
ISL turned quickly, the pan bumped again
the high oven and the whole thir
for turned upside down on the floor
tax her feet.
and She was tired, hot and excite
company had come on top OF co
, 70 fusion, and here was man at II
so kitchen door whose good opinion 81
10 valued very much and who, she kne'
~ vas very fastidious. Yet Polly 81
' a.. gled!
80 "You two get out of here, s
.46 laughed "and I'll clean up tl!is mes
l. .25 No, Of course you can't help. I've 6
400 corn all over my shoes"
When they had gone, Polly calle
1 30 "Mother, can you come here? Mot
4 M erw There were tears Of pain in b
n o. eyes now.
,r;a "J~-I spilled the corn and 1t W
7ln hot. Some of it went on my foot a
w it-hurts."
rus Jim came in at six.
on "Say, Laura, / take back what
%, said about a mixed disposition Il