Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-04-14

! sitting on the big couch with one foot
tucked under her and peering up to
smile a shy Hello" AS IL 1t had
been only yesterday, I could hear
Meals reply:
81 thought you were just a Kid"
! And Phoebe's:
I'm a grown woman-seventeen"
| How they had laughed together
! then and how happily they had sat
| side by side. finding each other and
! forgetting in the JOY of that the
! hurt of the thorough snubb!rg Nir-
| ginia had given Neal for his pre-
sumption in calling her ''Nirglala."
| and for his awkwardness in Stun
! bling on Pat Dalton's name.
1t began that very night, I suppose.
They didn't know it, but even those
two young things were reaching out
to each other with shy, half-guessed
! lCngings.
Neal had brought her the greatest
gift OF all and Phoebe had forgotten
the lesser gifts. But seeing her now
avid for excitement and luxury
and attention. knew that Phoebe
had Travelled a long road since the
autumn day when she bade the SOL
dier Neal fearful Goodby and
pressed her lips to his diamond circ-
let as it nestled on her hand
Yes, there was one thing for me t"
do-send FOR Neal.
| would write to Father Andrew,
ask him to work hard to help Neal
get his discharge, and to persuade
the boy to come back to us as soon
as he was out of the army.
In that moment the kinship of the
Harrisons. in spirit as we'll as blood,
,I. h. A
pride in common and stubbornness.
Perhaps his sister also shared Jim's
need of dominating the one he loved
didn't know. But of this l was
ccrtain-NirSinia had wrecked ner-
self on the reefs of her own pride
and stubbornness: Jim and l Were
drifting into dangerous waters bs-
'ausc OF these same things. And
ow Phoebe. My own pride, my own
bride. my own need of freedom
might work enough damage so that
Jim and l would be shipwrecked too
in the end. | dared not think of that
now.
What the present demanded vas
that | save Phoebe.
We had taken the Circlet of dia-
nonds from her hand and had sent
II back to Neal. We had taken love
from her. And Phoebe had turned
to the least of her gifts and exalted
II to first place. Excitement vas
her patron saint now, and I would
wreck poor little Phoebe unless
some one saved her from herself.
OF course | didn't formulate my
thoughts in the minute. of silence
while l stood staring at Phoebe. |
had been thinking and breeding all
through the long morning while
had waited her TO awake. All that
came to me then was the decision
to send for Neal To Phoebe l said:
That carved jade. dear-do you
gifts"
Phoebes face dimpled with mis-
chief.
Did you see shelly's face when he
held my pretties? My wasn't he
jealous! I'll wager he sends me
whole garden of American beauties
to-day"
Phoebe l cried in real repug-
nance. you're playing those men off
against each other to see which will
do more for you, which will send more
wonderful presents"
Phoebe took a sudden impulsiva
step toward me. There was a wistful
look on her face and it seemed TO me
that she was going to be gentle and
repentant. But what she said at last
was:
You think that! This jade
Then her voice grew impish We'll
think away, Anne, think away. The
necklace cost $500 and the earrings
$50. Now, what do you say to that?"
"Phoebe" l cried furiously, You
can't do such things. You shan't ac-
cept such gifts from mem"
Mo-" asked Phoebe suavely.
who's to stop me-"
Then a voice rang out from the
other room:
Hello, the house! Who's to stop
what? and who's to welcome me
back to the big city,"
1t was Neal
CTo Be Continued.)