The Washington herald., 1918-12-18
The LOVE AFFAIR OF A HOMELY GIRL
by JEAN LOUISE DE FOREST.

But he would know. He would
sense it in some way. Beauty is not
merely a matter Of looks. A beaut-
ful woman acts differently, talks diff
ferently even, from a plain one. A
beautiful woman can say tn ngs that
would make me appear fool Mother,
you surely realize that beautiful
women have an entirely different per-
sonality."
You could assume that personality,
couldn't you. just for him?"
why. mother" Rebecca had words
for nothing more.
After little she said. tanning her
! self, This is the second time that
have been angry today. don't re-
member ever being angry before, and
each time il has been connected with
Mr.. Lewis It's a bad beginning"
"a bad beginning makes" Mrs
Vanderpool sEas about to quote. but
again she did not put her thought into
| words. Instead she said:
"It becomes you, dear, to be angry
To tell the truth. II was time that
Rebecca experienced a violent emotion
of some sort All her life she had
been shrinking from emotion. How
ever. she was not ready as Yet to
| NlNlu- one AtlA dS AAAONEA ENAANAAA9
and incomprehensibly enJangIod in a
web OF circumstances out Of which
: there was no escape; nevertheless she
continued to struggle.
Mother, you don't seem TO grasp il.
to realize what 1t means. What right
had Maud to lie about me in that
way"
Lie is a very strong word" replied
Mrs. Vanderpool placidly. taking UP
her crocheung. and beginning to count
/ the stitches.
Rebecca was dumfounded.
Don't you resent it," she qUeried
"No, my dear" Mrs Vande-pool
| dropped her work and looked at her
daughter. In truth she was secretly
delighted that a handsome man. blind
or not blind, should believe her ugly
| duCking a swan. There could be but
one ending. so she unused; he would
grow to love Becky. and Becky-welL
! Becky would not mind the blindness
her heart was too tender for that
She avoided the thought that RebeCCa
would be easily won, inasmuch as
there would be no competition.
Mrs. Vanderpool commenced a new
rose.
Mother. what are you smiling
about"
! Rebecca's voice sounded fretful. For
a good fve minutes they had sat
silent. Mrs. Vsnderpool rocking back
and forth, while her delicate fingers
wove themselves in and out among
| the threads The pleased expression
| about her lips had gone on becoming
more pleased. until it had finally
grown into a broad, happy smile which
Jared sadly upon the girls irritated
| nerves.
In truth. Mrs. vanderpool was plan
ming little dresses and dainty caps
Of Irish crochet for her grandchildren.
| who, to the ears of her imagination.
were making the quiet old house ring
with their laughter And this is not
the slightest eXaggeration, for that Is
precisely the way in which magma
ton builds, given the tiniest founda-
ton upon which to rest
Was l smiling?" she asked. That
was queer. l was not thinking Of any
/ thing in particular"
As Rebecca looked at her, a strange
rebellious feeling came over her. It
| seemed somehow as though her
mother and Maud and Martin Lewis
were all in al conspiracy against her.
She rose abruptly.
I'm going up to dress for dinner
she said.
why, Becky. what forg'
ITO match my golden hair and
i creamy complexion" replied the girl
bitterly. Il shall wear the pink gown
| that I bought to pease Maud. 1t
makes me look more like a toad than
anything know Of, but it would be-
come the creature born of her fertile
brain. I'll play the game through.
never fear"
She turned and passed out OF the
room with as near an approach 70
hauteur as any one could hope TO as
sumo without practice.
Mrs Vanderpool smiled subtly as
she watched her daughters exit.
CTs be Continued Tomorrow.l