Omaha daily bee., 1918-08-26
Author OF "Pollyanna."

.she comes and tells me his every last
move (and he's making quite num-
Der of them just now), so | think she
does sea little"
The young rascal! But she doesn't
care"
81 think not-really. She's just ex-
cited now, as any young girl would
be; and I'm afraid she's taking lit
tie wicked pleasure in--not seeing
him."
"Humph! l can imagine it." chuck
led Mr.. Smith,
But it's all bad-this delay"
chafed Miss Maggie again. Don't you
see? It's neither one thing nor an
other. That's why I do wish that law
yer, would come if he's coming.
81 reckon he'll be here before long"
murmured Mr.. Smith, with an elabor-
ately casual air. Butt wish you
were coming in on the deal" His
kindly eyes were gazing straight into
her face now.
She shook her head.
I'm Duff, not a Blaisdell--except
when they want" She bit her lip.
A confused red suffused her face. Il
mean, I'm. not Blaisdell at all" she
finished hastily.
"Humphl That's exactly itr Mr..
Smith was sitting energetically erect.
You're not Blaisdell-except when
they want something of you'll"
"Oh, please, I didn't mean to say
I didn't say-that," cried Miss Mag
gle, in very genuine distress.
"No, I know you didn't, but ] did,"
fared the man. Miss Maggie, it's a
downright shame-the way they i'm
pose on you sometimes"
Nonsense! I like to have them-I
mean, I like to do what I can for
them" she corrected hastily, laughing
in spite of herself.
"You like to get all tired out, sup
pose"
II get rested-afterward."
"And it doesn't matter, anyway, of
course" he gibed
Not a bit" she smiled.
eyes, I suspected that" Mr.. Smith
was still sitting erect, still speaking
with grim terseness. But let me tell
you right here and now that / don't
approve of that doctrine of yours"
"'Doctrine'?"
THAT It-doesn't-matter' doctrine of
yours. l tell you it's very pernicious
very! I don't approve of it at all.
There was a moments silence.
"No?" Miss Maggie said then, de-
murely. "Oh, well-it doesn't matter
If you don't"
He caught the twinkle in her eyes
and threw up his hands despairingly.
"You are incorrigiblep
With a sudden businesslike air of
determination Miss Maggie faced
him.
"Just what is the matter with that
doctrine, please, and what do you
mean?" she smiled.
Il mean that things do matter and
that we merely shut our eyes to the
real facts in the case when we say
that they don't. War, death, sin, evil
the world is full of them. and they
do matter"
"They do matter, indeed" Miss
Maggie was speaking very gravely
now. "They matter-woefully. /
never say 1t doesn't matter to war,
or death, or sin, or evil. But there are
other things"
"But the other things matter, too,"
interrupted the man irritably. Right
here and now it matters that you
don't share in the money; it matters
that you slave half your time for a
father who doesn't anywhere near ap-
preciate you; it matters that you slave
the rest of your time for every Tom
and Dick and Harry and Jane and
Mehitable in Hillerton that has run a
silver under a thumb, either literally
or metaphorically. 1t matters that"
But Miss Maggie was laughing mer-
rily. "Oh, Mr.. Smith, Mr.. Smith, you
don't know what you are sayine|
"I do, too. It's you who don't know
what you are sayingp
But, pray. what you'd you have me
say?" she smiled.
"I'd have you say it does matter.
and I'd have you insist on having your
rights, every time"
"And what if I had7" she re-
taliated sharply. my rights, indeed!
The man fell back, so sudden and
so astounding was the change that
had come to the woman opposite him.
in a marked decrease in automobile