, 1918-06-20
Meeting Sister
By CATHERINE PARSONS
Copyright. 1913. by the Mcclure Newspa-
per S~yndicate.)

we oASotp
you're a hopeless woman hater,
Kenny" groaned Lieutenant Campbell,
But If you refuse to meet my attrac-
i've sister-in-law, at least, you will
consent to meet my attractive wife
she quite harmless as far as you are
concerned and well worth knowing"
Kenny grinned.
You bet, I'll meet your wife, Fred
the sooner the betteri It's only a lot
of silly girls / can't stand"
well, she's here now. She's taken
a little apartment about a mile from
camp-10 Main street. Wen expect
you to afternoon tea tomorrow-that
will be before her sister gets there, so
you won't have to worry. Is that
o. K.?"
ut sure is. So long, now-Tve got
to get back to my job"
The next afternoon was cold and
clear, and Kenny walked briskly along
and thought rather pleasantly of the
hot tea he would soon have offered to
him. And he vas really anxious to
meet Fred's wife, too. They had known
each other since they were boys and
his friend had married only a month
or two before-just after he left train
ing camp. The girl he imagined Fred
would pick out would be tall and
stately and dignifed and very good
looking-he could see her perfectly In
his minds eye.
But he had quite a shock when his
ring was answered and he was ush-
cred into the tiny living room to Mrs.
Campbell's apartment. To be sure, his
hostess was there-very much so-but
she was small, very pretty and ridicu-
lousy young looking-Fred should
have prepared him a little for this.
"We're glad you could come, Lieu
tenant Kenny. Fred took my sister
out for a few moments, but they will
be back directly. Do sit down and tell
me something about the camp-Tm
dying to heal all about it."
"Sisteri" thought Tom Kenny,
groaning inwardly. "Then she did come
after all. Curse my rotten luck |"
Aloud he said:
I've just been thinking it's SO won
derful out-perhaps you would like to
see something Of the place yourself
we could take a little walk oil in the
direction of camp If you want to and
you think Fred won't mind"
His me idea was to get outside be-
fore sister r~eturned-he hoped she
never would returni
Mercy, no-Fred won't mindl He'll
be only toe glad to get me off his
hands for a while"
Having made up his mind to make
| kIN I@~k 80 It--e T@.. rN,rn1 la- HAL
companion decidedly good company.
She laughed at his jokes and made
herself so agreeable that he found him
self feeling almost disappointed when
they finally turned towards home. But
the whole afternoon she never men,
toned her husband once. When they
first started out Tom had turned to
her questioningly:
"You are quite sure your husband
won't care If you do go off like this?
MY husband" echoed the girl,
blankly. Then light dawned in a mo-
ment and she turned her head away
to hide the twinkle that shone in her
eyes.
He'd trust me with you, I know"
she returned, smiling. "Tm just going
to have a good time and forget all
about him."
When they got back to Mrs. Camp
bells apartment 1t was so late that
Tom begged to be excused, as he had
to be back at camp in time for mess.
Fred's wife did not urge him to come
in, but asked him to come to tea two
days later to meet her sister. He tried
to refuse. on some sort of pretense,
but he found 1t too hard to refuse any
thing this girl asked him, when she
really wanted to have her own way.
So he promised and went back to
camp, thinking that Fred was a pretty
fortunate man to have such a wonder
full little wife, and wishing there were
more women in the world like herl
On Friday afternoon he found birth
the ladies home, and he went through
the painful ordeal Of meeting sister.
She was far more stately than Fred's
wife, and ,.ossibly very charming, but
Tom hardly noticed her at all.
81 was so sorry about the other af-
ternoon," a~pologized Miss Ely. Erred
told me 1t would only take a minute,
and then 1 found so many things l had
to attend to that before I knew 1t 1t
was terribly late. I was so sorry not
to meet you"
"Mrs. Campbell was very kind, and
entertained me royalty" assured
Kenny.
"Tn bet she did" agreed Fred Camp
bell, and a CLEAN of amusement passed
between him and his now very demure
little wife who was seated at the other
end of the room.
1--WE had a beautiful time Freddie.
denr,' she cried enthusiastically, "And
I've been thinking we ought to get up
some nice little parties while sister is
here-just the four of us. l do so love
to chaperone.'