The Jasper weekly courier., 1918-10-04
The Blue
Goddess
o0
By LOUISE OLIVER

Peggy lay awake at night listening
to the rain. Oh, IL 1t would only stopl
She had planned so many things for
the next day, the day Captain Pear
son was TO be In town and had asked
her If he could come to see her.
Come to see herl Peggy's heart
had futtered almost to, suffocation
when she read the few lines on the
heavy white paper. Come to see her
She had closed her eyes and pressed
the words to her heart in ecstacy. The
tall, serious officer she had met st
the Marstons, about whom al the
girls had been completely maj, includ-
ing herselfl
Then Peggy had done some officer
ing herself, as Peggy could. Her lit
tie hands, which took only a five-and-
a-half glove, could make Phil and lit
tie Chuckie step around more lively
In one minute than father and mother
word from her pretty red lips meant
more to Susan in the kitchen than a
whole regiment of orders from higher
up. Lola, her twelve-year-Old sister,
adored her openly, as did LOla's girl
friends, who met after school every
day for Peggy to instruct in knitting.
The offering Peggy did, on receipt
of Captain PearSons' letter, consisted
of disposing of the family for the day,
beginning with Philip and Charles,
and had gone on down the line until
no one was left but her mother and
father and herself. Captain Pearson
was to stop to dinner, and Susan was
to achieve the most delectable meal
Peggy's busy brain could plan.
In short, the program was to be as
follows: Morning, house cleaned up,
flowers arranged in bowls everywhere,
best linen and silver hunted up,
porches cleaned and everything In or
der.
Afternoon-The boys to go fishing
after school and to Aunt Mary's for
supper and to stay all night; Lola and
the club to go to Mabel Browns and
Lola to stop for dinner and all night,
as Mabel had so often cOaxed.
Peggy planned to put on her new
sport suit of army blue jersey and
with her own little car sparkling clean
was to take the captain for a ride out
to Bowling Rocks to see the view, stop
at the club and introduce him to a
few friends, then bring him home to
quiet, delicious candle-lit dinner for
four, Peggy in her new pink dress; a
whole delightful evening alone on the
Peggy found from the calendar whole
week ahead), and then-Peggy never
tried to look past that.
But-"The best laid plans of mice
and men gang aft agley."
1t rained, and it rained and rained
and rained The flowers would be
ruined, the tulips had been almost
ready TO drop anyway. The road to
Bowling Rocks was impossible now
even with a whole days sun, and the
boys couldn't 60 fishing. Mother
wouldn't let them when II was damp
After a sleepless night Peggy was
up at six. To her surprise, her mother
was stirring in the hall. Peggy opened
her door. what is it, mother?" she
asked.
'sIts Susan; she's sick. I've beer
up all night with her. 1 think she got
Oyerheated yesterday and then cooled
off too quickly I'll send for Doctor
B0yce soon, now, but l think she'll bt
all right in a day or two"
"A day or two! But, mother, Cap
tain Pearson's coming to dinner anC
there's so much to be done today"
'Tm sorry, dear, but we can't helI
II. I'm almost too tired to get break
fast"
Peggy's face changed instantly
"Don't you worry, momsy, dear. III
get breakfast. You telephone for th'
doctor, then 60 and lie down. I'll ge
the kiddies off TO school"
After that there was no rest fol
Peggy. The rain kept up and Susar
got worse. The doctor came ant
stayed, and Peggy had to be every
where ut once--in the kitchen on
minute. filling hot water bottles tn
next, answering the telephone. max
ing beds, washing dishes, gettin;
lunch. and n hundred other things.
Lunch over, the boys had to b.
warned TO come straight home from
school, for it was the kind of da.
when mother worried about them. And
as the Browns lived too far away, Lol;
was told TO come home also.
Lola forgot about the company an'
at four o'clock the entire knitting clul
walked in. The boys had brought
few extra spirits along too. Neve
was there such q hOuSeful.
Peggy by this time had accepted tn
inevitable, changed to a blue linei
dress with white collar and cuffs an'
apron. and decided TO make the bes
OF IL.
She was out sweeping some extra
large chunks of mud off the from
steps when Captain Pearson arrived
Peggy did not run, nor hide tn
broom. She stood smiling down n
him from the top Of the steps-a blu