The Dolores star., 1918-12-06

down ut the dainty table. II couid
make lot of those stories into strong
hction by few touches. The mugu.
zine is sadly in need of new hrains
Just now. I've "A mind to 1hip them
In shape and bring out Philip Cheyne
as q writer"
"oh. Helen wouldn't that he greatf
I just wish ] weren't SO stupid and
could help you"
"Nou can help by being lust your
sweet, l"vable feminine little self.
can put you right into those stories.
You are the type that's needed here.
So you see, denrie You will he the
means of many big checks going into
that lin box for Philip Cheyne when
he returns from the war"
little silence fell on the two en-
,husinstic girls.
Each felt the sinister chill Of those
three words. when he returns"
a month or two passed happily and
healthily by. Helen RandOlf took tire.
nendous amount of pleasure in whip.
ping the strangely acquired stories Of
Philip Cheyne into shape and as eacl
was finished giving it a place ON tn,
pnges Of the big successful mayazinr
fhey turned out even better than ST.
| had anticipated. She was more that
proud of her new writer and prOm
nence was given them. The iilustrn
ions Were delightful
The checks paid for those stories
we're so big that one would have paid
the rent of No. . Tidy lane for som,
six months. Instead Of paying for any
thing each check was placed carefully
IN the tin box that Alice had dug ~
while planting the hydrangcas.
The girls had been in the wonderful
Straying cottage of Tidy lane some
seven months and five of Philip Chey-
mes stories had been published
Then, by telegram. came the all-tOO-
sudden news that Cheyne had been
brought home, wounded soldier. to
recupcratc in his Long Island cottage.
Helen and Alice We're grateful that
he had ut least returned alive. They
could not help regret or two at lcav
ing the little village to which they had
| both become attached
A tiny cottage that had not Straycd
from the fold but remained in the tidy
row WAS happily vacant
'DO YOU think we could furnish II
| and when Arthur and are married
! suggested Helen, 1--WE could keep it for
II weekend cOttuge?"
,,,r,,l tIinn Inc, b,,t,
to leave Tidy lane and 90 back to the
| Stuffy city"
So together they refreshed No. .
with understanding flowers. left every
thing attractive for the home coming
| of It's soldier owner and moved to
| No. Z.
| 81 wish we could peek through the
window and watch him open that box"
pinned Alice, as with four large checks
| topping it they closed the box and left
it cOnspicuously on the center table.
Beside it We're the four magazines
open to display the stories to Philip
| Cheyne.
"Lordy, Lordy!" exclaimed that
young man when, battered as to body
but CHEEKY as to spirits. he arrived in
| No. O. "some good fairies have been
nuttering about my dump" He hadn't
known just how good it would be to
get back home. In his heart he longed
| for the one being that makes a home
home. and knew that he was going on
| still hunt for that one person. He
| had been single long enough and now
that he had been humanized by the
war and its tragedies he realized the
need of cOmpaniOnship.
He was so amazed at the seeming
miracle of his stories that he sat down
| and read every word of them before
an hour had passed. He grinned at the
| sight of his own name in print and was
delighted beyond belief The checks
too. were immensely gratifying, but
somehow the qreerness Of fate held
him in silent thought. OF course he
WAS determined to unearth the good
fairy Just ms his tin box hal been I'M
carthed.
It would not he difficult for he had
the editor of the magazine to consult
| Cheyne also knew that he was going TO
he able now to produce more and bet
ter stories. Many big things had come
to him ont there in No Mans Land.
Thus 1t was that he stopped one eve
ming at Tidy lane and having stopped
| fingered.
Helen always said she saw the way
the wind blew that very first day, and
not long afterward Alice moved into
the little cottage that had struggled
from the fold and became its mistress
and Helen and Arthur were married
the week-ending in No. 7.