The Washington times., 1918-07-29
The PLOtte1rs
A SERIAL OF EAST AND IVES T
Clifford Asks His Mother to E. :rpLGin
Who Elizabeth Really Is, and dm Her
Failure His Suspicious IncYS ,nSe.
a H

the parcels by which ] FRS. ChaDin
was surrounded. Elizala tn came to
his assistance.
Here give me some Z those ana
help your mother she ordered
. He did her bidding. and as She
mounted the steps wit an aru1ful
OF groceries she droppe q one of the
parcels.
Stopping quickly. sh q picked Il
up. As she did so. th z letter she
had tucked into her be = slipped to
the ground.
She did not see II. ] mt went On
into the kitchen with her burden
Returning a minute late y she found
Clifford standing at the foot Of the
steps. her letter In his hand His
mother had gone into q Se house b.
the side door.
you dropped thIS" he tremarhsd
still holding the eplstie. I picked
It up"
-oh, thank your She h, Id out her
hand for her property, an he gave
II 70 her. looking her 4 u In The
face as he did so.
The address was upper1 ioSt. and
she noted with a shock that the
number of Douglas Wad' 5 p. o.
box and ',RiverhflL Wye :" were
stamped on the corner Of Ie envs-
lope.
THANK you." she repeated conf1s-
edly. II did not know b d drop
ped f."
She was glad that Dough- = nzno
was not on the envelope. 'erhaps
Clifford did not know VIII re the
owner of the farm was nvi 8 now
Yet, as she went up to hf E room
she was acutely uncomf ! rtabla
Could she have heard the co. versa
tion that took place a few / dnutsS
later between Mrs. Amos Cha in and
her son she would have been acute
ly miserable. s-
Mrs. Chaplin was in her roo n lAy-
ing on her hat when Clinc sd en-
tered unceremoniously.
Mother" he said wtthou 3 pro-
liminary, "how many childrS n has
your cousin, John MooreT'
The secret Out.
Martha Chaplin was not d ne
habit Of practicing hnesse car dE
plomacy, and for the momen was
OF her guard.
Three" she replied promptisL
Two Of them are boys. % rent
theyy' Clifford asked with ass med
carelessness.
why, no-Cousin John never! had
a boy-excent one that died hen
he was an infant. He's got only
girls, and guess they have . lard
time to get along"
Then she stopped. her face red
dening. She remembered the role
that Elizabeth Wade was playiE q.
a = q A
when there's only girls. it's har Il to
support them. Girls can't work the
way men can"
Her son smiled sarcastic 4 ny.
yet, in spite OF all that. one o.. the
daughters has a good educatioh and
dresses in clothes of a different cut
and style from those worn by f1ost
poor working girls" he Knocked.
Clifford" The matron's face was
pale now. Don't talk in that time,
dear. I wish I could explain u cut
it all, but can't"
II don't need an explanation, Ter
haps," he said slowly But u do
wonder what kind Of a girl you
think this so-called Lizzie Mooiss u
in her own home town"
shes a dear, sweet girl" bis
mother declared. "And Tn sprry
for her. She is doing just What
she's been told to do-though
don't understand about it II thar6S
any fault it's not hers"
Clifford Chaplin was watchfnSI kn
mother euriously.
YOU" he pronounced each Wed
deliberately and sternly, -are "a
most gullible. least suspicious per
son / ever saw. And fathers ~
bad However" with a shrug of.hb
sholders, ~of course, it's nonei e
my business
CTo BE COntInued)
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