Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-05
THE GIRL WHO
ALMOST MISSED
BY Mary Douglass.
THE DARK DAYS.

ncle hurried me out of thc Stafion.
! ] asked him again. What is the matter
Unclc?'
lie mumblcd something AMI Stun
hlcd on
lis Mother sick?" spasm of pain
seeming to clutch at my heart
He NODDED
What is it?"
'Wait till We reach the house
| stopped there on the street. "iou
must tell me, what is it," said desperately.
Pneumonia, he ierkcd ont, and was
! silent
followed him hIindly now did not
sec the lights nor the people life was only
an agony Of waiting, of time, before |
should reach the little fiat
| Don't ring" Uncle cautioned, as We
stood in the dingy vcst;bulc
climbed the four fights Of stairs 50
quickly that | could not speak when |
reached our floor. | pushed on the door
| and Il gave softly 10 my pressure : tlp-
tocd in There was quletncSS, stiffness
rs though the very furniture were wrapped
in empty waiting.
Mothers door was closed.
Eliza crcpt to me from the kitchen
How Is sht9'' ! mot ioncd with my lin
Old Eliza shook her head mournfully
it, and followed h.r ~ the kitchen.
why w:lsnt I told2" | asked hercCly.
''1our mother didn't know herself,
, old Eliza mumblcd
she isn't dead
The silent grief, thn tears that struggled
down the wrinkles az Eliza $ face were my
answer
How the lirst davs passed ! never
knew \ certain numbress 1f feeling
seemed to possess ne could neither cry
nor suffer. /; was ~ houeh the emotional
part Of my nature had been lost
ltut 1T las walked from my apathy 20
end thar thor, was very real work for me
to do. near II hand Peggy.
Peggy, who had always been sheltered
from the hard knocks Of The world, who
had been Hattcrcd and pampcrcd until
She feared nothing believed that nothing
could touch hcr-was pathetic III her
grief
She had wild fits OF weeping, and still
more wild was hcr bitterness. her un-
willingness to surrender u the grief
She cred out against things n, they were
said that she would not stand It.
could do nothing rxrcpt forget my own
sorrow For little hcadstrong Peggy took
all my time and thought
'Oh. Peggy | cried in desperation ono
dav. there arc only two OF us left, and |
do 50 want to help you
Peggy looked across ut me where
sat You've never understood me.
Hazel, she cried. "v{,u'vc Just been
critical and always Thought that when
did q thing il was WIRING
oh Peggy, please, said softly,
81 love You, | will tn TO understand YOU.
| know can never take Mother place
but | do 80 want YOU to feel that YOU are
not alone that | viii do anything ] can
for yout'
Ii isn't IS though YOU say much
YOU never critic me to my face, but
always fe ] You think ! am wrong Just
because fiirt and do thing like hat
We are different, pleaded but
lets see If NC cant understand each
other, now that we arc alone
For the rest Of the day Peggy seemed
more gcntlc. more willing to sec things
IN their true light But soon realized
what she meant by understanding her
that She must have her ovn Wav com
plctely-that | must have I,cr point OF
view, otherwise Mas narrow.
But n lde up my mind i that was
the only pav could gam my little sister :
confidence II would hc the NAY | should
lake E0T ftlI til3T Tltw WIS itt lEilt' NiltH
we must draw near u each other, or grow |
fart her away than wc have ever been.
% when Nc went over. together, the |
few possessions thar were worth keeping, /
and Peggy SAID She wanted the old |
fashioned. thin silver and Mothers
cameo. and the lovely old ring that was 50
worn where 1T had circled Mother /
finger, / agreed silently What we're the I
mcreposScsslons.lf / could keep the memory /
and too my little SISTER love
You take Grandmother immature
Peggy said magnanInolIsly and ! smiled /
- think nat she wa- giving me what hsd
been always mnc
"Oh, Hazel, can 70 through the
-hings and pack them for stargae.
leggv cred | fen! things 81 much more
han YOU II would just break me up
/ doesn't seem T. bother you
= - mc fell thai PAINFUL task oi
roing through all ;he trunks and clothes
and small Accommodations Al times 1t
-"cned almost more thar | could bear
Tomorrow .Iame Mother
Lost something Try a classified adver- |