The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-12-17

bred homely girls. In their simple
linens Charlotte, rather severe type.
cycglasacd at Is. her thick. light
brown hair plainly brushed on her
face and knotted on her neck. was
obviously the opposite OF everything
Billy was. conscientious. intellectual,
and conscious OF her own righteous.
ness, sh. could not compete with her
cousin In nilly's Held. she very sen.
ribly made the best OF her own field
Isabelle was stout. clumsy sirl Of
10. with a metal bar across her large
white teeth. rcd hair. and a creamy
skin. Little Florence was only nine.
a thin, freekled. sensitive child. with
a shy unsmlling passion for dogs
and horses. and little In common with
the rcnt Of the world
Their mother had expected sons Ia
every ease. and still felt a little BAT
lied by the fact OF hcr childrcn'H
Sex. Charlotte proving "a Eirl. rhe
had said calamity that uhe must have
little brother TO play with Char
lotte." Isabelle duly arriving. prob.
ably played with Charlotte much
more amiabiy than brother would
have done. and Mrs. Haviland bland
ly accepted her existence, but In her
heart she was FAR from feeling salts.
ned She was. 81 course. an absolute
/ b. competent mother to girls but she
feh that shr would have been a more
capable and wonderful mother TO
/ boys
More than six years after ist'
t-s,lc's birth Florence iIayiiand began
/ 90 talk sminnsiy Of my boy p"
-Oarsincr wor-hips the girls" she
said with wifsly Indulgence. but !
know he wants son --and the giriies
need brother" A resigned HhruE
ended the sentence with. so m IN
for the whole thing AGAIN.
u was said that Mrr Haviiand
| greeted tho news that tho third child
was a daughter with a mechanically
bright smiie. as ono puulcd beyond
all words by peryernc event q
that her spoken comment was the
sinRie mild ejaculation; "EHtragr
dlnaryr'
Now the two older HnViiand kris,
| following their mother into her bed.
I room. seated themselves there while
-Se changed her dress. Florence st..
I IN passionate argument with the but
/ Ter over the death OF one 81 the draw
Ing room goldfish. remained down
stairs. Mrs. HaViland. casting the
hot. high coiiarcd silk upon the bed
took a new embroidered pongee from
box. and busted herself with its
unfamiliar hooks and straps. Char
lotto and Isabelle wero never quite
spontaneous IN their conversations
with their mother. their attitude In
talking with her being ono OF alert
afri cautious scif'consciourness, they
did not breathe quite naturally, and
they laughed constantly Yet tbry
both loved this bis frm, ornnipotcnt
being. and belivcd in her utterly and
completely
1--WE met Dr. Gregory and Charlie
near tho club this morning. Nina
volunteered Isabelle.
And they asked about Mrs. Row
dltch's dance" Charlotte added. with
lit,lc innocent craft But ! said
that Nina had been unable 20 de
eide. Of course. I said that We would
Hike 20 40. and that YOU knew that.
and would allow q II you possibly
couid"
That was quito right. dear" Mrs.
Haviinnd said to her oldest dauRh.
ter. calmly ignoring tho implied qucs'
ton. and TO Isabelle she added kindly
Nina doesn't quite Bkc to hear you
calling a young man you hardly know
by his FIRST name. Isabelle. or
course. there's no harm In e. but u
cheapens a girl just a little. While
Charlotte might do Il because she Is
older. and has seen Charlie Gregory
AZ some 81 the little Informal affairs
last winter. you are younger. and
haven't really seen much Of him
since he went 90 college. Don't let
Nina hear you do that again"
Z Isabelle turned a lively scarlet. and
oven Charlotte colored and was ri
lent. The younger girls shamed eyes
met her mothers. and she nodded In
quick embarrassment But this ncit
I consent did not satisfy Mrs. Havi
/ land.
You understand Nina, don't you
doar7' she asked. Isabelle murmurcd
something indistinguishable.
Yes Nina" said that lady her
self. cncouraginEly and briskly. lsa'
| belle duly echoed n husky yes.
Nina"
did you give my message 20 Miss
] Roper. Charlottc?' pursued the ma
7 iron
"she wasn't al church. Nina" said
/ Charlotte. taken unawarcs and IN
/ stinctivcly uneasy. Mrs. Roper said
I she had n heavy cold. she said she d
been sleeping on the sleeping porch.
so Mma's message was foi got
tenn" the mother asked, pleasantly
Charlotte perceived herself 10 be In
an extremely dangerous position.
Long ago both girls had lost. under
this close surveillance and skiiful
system OF oss.cxamination, their
original regard for truth as truth.
That they usually said what was true
was because policy and self protec
ton suggested II. Charlotte had time
now for flying survey Of tho situa'
ton and it's possibilities before she
answered. somewhat uncertainty:
- asked Mrs. Roper TO deliver It,
Nina. Wasn't that" Her voice
faltered nervously. was II some
thing you would have rather tele-
phoned nbout2"
Would rather have telephoned
ahout7" Mrs HaviIand corrected au-
tomatically. "Weli. Nina wou
rather feel that when she sends a
message II Is given to just the person
to whom she sent II. In Just the way
she sent IT, However, In this case
no harm was done. Don't hook your