Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1919-03-21
Brown-Betty
d..
By AGNES G. BROCAN
Copyright. 1913. Western Newspaper Union

Barney DEAR" said the girl, please
&oh, please do not ask me again. I
have thought it out through a long
sleepless night. I never can marry
you, Barney, you are far too beauti-
full"
Beautiful -, sscoffed the man, "well
OF all the absurd reasons
1T is not absurd" Betty protested,
'everywhere you go to sing, the women
flock about with adoring eyes. AS if
your face and figure do not make you
fascinating enough without the addi-
tional charm Of a golden voice. just
could not stand it-being your wife I
mean.
MY nose turns up" the girl went on.
"You see that, don't you?"
tits cute saucy nose," her lover
insisted.
"And my mouth is large" Betty add
ed mercilessly.
Its a l0vable mouth" said Barney.
"When you see me-" Betty confessed,
II am always at my best. dress up
for you Barney, study colors and
things. But some morning when I'd
hurry down to the breakfast table look
ing sallow, I'm often yellow in the
morntng-you'd be comparing me dis
contentedly, with some lovely face
among your admirers, and oh! Bar
ney-" Unexpectedly Betty trembled
into tears.
"Why you foolish child" her lover
murmured huskily, with his arms
around her.
Betty drew him to the mantel glass.
"You can't deny that you are hand
some, Barney" she challenged.
"Oh! swush !" said Barney .:
"Or that am brown as-as brown
betty teapot" persisted the girl.
"Brown-betty teapots are mighty
comfortable things to have around"
Barney remarked. We have a sort of
Dresden fancy one at our house. I'm
always afraid someone will knock the
dainty thing over in my lap, or that
it will crack with heat. But the little
brown-betty looks like home to me
comfortable, coZy."
The girl laughed.
''That's very kind of you, DEAR" she
said, ''but Concert singer does not re-
quire cozy-comfy sort of a wife. Any
way" Betty frowned determinedly.
II am not going to marry you, Barney;
I won't give myself miserable future.
And that is what my jealousy would
make Of it. So you know now my
despicable nature"
Barney McClaren turned away i'm
patiently.
II know" he replied, "your perversity
Betty, and it hurts. OF all the idiotic
reasons for refusing man: You don't
love me, that's the truth
Betty made no denial it seemed wis
er to leave it that way.
The girl with hair and eyes all duly
brown, waited TREMENDOUSLY.
I'm going to enlist, now" Barney
snapped, and was gone.
She wrote to him at the camp, oh.
tanning the address from his mother
CHEEKY, friendly letters they were with
no reference to love or its disappoint.
ments. And the soldier whose golden
voice was silent now in his country's
need. responded to the letters in man.
ner more perfunctory than pleasing.
Over in France-for her lover had
gone into active duty-some charming
French girl might prove to him how
mistaken he had been; and he would
write then to thank her for her wis.
dom. At this consoling thought the
perverse Betty bent her head in tears
It was one morning when she went
down the street upon her usual round
Of errands, that Betty learned most
surprisingly that Barney McClaren had
been sent home-wounded. That was
why she had received no response to
her later letters.
MY nurse is beautiful" Barney
wrote. II don't quite know just how
to describe her, sort Of dresden
china woman-all daintiness and soft
COLOR AS an afterthought, he had
added postscript:
II still prefer Brown-Retties," it
said.
Suddenly Betty pushed the letter
away. Unsummoned, she would 60 to
him. If he had fallen in love with the
nurse, we'll, it would be good for her
to know it.
There was restraint in Mrs. McClar-
ems manner as she admitted the girl
Barney was better, she said, but
he had strange aversion to seeing his
friends. She was almost sure that Bet
ty would be refused.
Betty, painfully perplexed, waited
long for the mothers return, and when
she did not come, like little brown
shadow the girl crept anxiously up the
stairs. Then before the open door of
the soldiers room she paused. and all
nat once Betty understood.
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