The Little River news., 1919-09-10
JOSEPHINE By MILDRED WHITE.

dear" David Craythorne said, had il not been for Josephine. Josie is 8 difficult child.' he sighed, ''hel mothers doting sister was obliged te give her up in despair How. then dare l impose this burden upon you 1 because of your patient love for her father? A stepmothers position is usu- ally problematic and no one is more aware of Josephine's faults than l, who indulge her; for the child with all her waywardness, influences me against } my will. l. myself. am often very 7 trying; are you sure that you are will ing to sacrifice your peace to our great need?'
 Millicent smiled "1 don't expect to sacrifice my peace" she said but to bring peace into both your lives, and manage you beautifully" David Craythorne smiled also, but lis eyes were troubled. Many have tried to manage Jo- sephine," he warned her. r Perhaps Millicent suggested, ''there were none who could find the way to her heart"
 'I doubt if she has one" the father whimsically replied, beyond her own furbelows."
 He sat looking at the dainty woman before him, and the tired lines of his his face softened into tenderness
 ''f you could know, dear" he said, "how long I have loved you, and have suffered in my determination to keep my secret"
 While all the time" laughed Milli- cent your love was no secret at all, but an open book to be read. Almost in self-defense I decided to propose myself
 Dearest begged the man his tone was intensely eager; "when will you come to be my wife?"
 "When I have found my way into Josephine's heart and confidence" she answered him gently
 The hopeful light left David Cray thorne's face.
 You must change that decree Milli cent" he said seriously. "It has been in waiting for Josephine's unreasoning jealousy of you to subside, that I have grown sad and weary"
 Millicent stopped to pluck rose.
 "Never before then, David" she an- swered firmly. "So as I must hasten in finding my way to Josephine's heart I am going to her now. We will have visit at least, and a-sort of look over the battlefield" She laughed back at him as she passed through the opening of the hedge from her garden Into his.
 Josephine possessed a weakness for purchasing for herself any new and unnecessary article which might take her fancy. The punishment for this further offense would be term begin ming the following fall of boarding school. Josephine detested the rou- tine of the boarding school. Her ia ther, noting her silence, had been ap- prehensive that she had again dis obeyed, entailfng upon himself the pain of carrying out his decree.
 There would be a violent scene he knew, and Josephine would not suffer alone in her punishment. As he watched the figure of the little woman he loved pass through the hedge. he re- f1ected upon the difference between the two.
 Josephine, stormy, self-willed, com manding. Millicent, radiating sunshine, confident always in prevailing good, and. bearing out her own confidence Which, naturally, would triumph in that lonely home of his? Which would he conquered?
 Would Millicent return, discourage ment written upon her sweet face, and must he wait again long, through the succeeding years!
 Just at sunset the gate opened, ana the two women--for Josephine was entering womans estate-came into the garden together
 David Craythorne sat up suddenly and gasped. The unreconcilable had be come so quickly reconciled, Josephine's Opeu TcNOlL 1du ulefSeu uilThcuiOuSly into friendly understanding of the other
 His daughters handsome black eyes met his placatingly.
 Daddy" she said, T did not know Miss Millicent before; I never knew that any woman could be so generous and kind. And I've wanted to know it, I think, all my life. We are going to be happy, Daddy, we three together you'll see'
 Millicent smiled into David Cray thorne'S happy, perpleXed afce.
 'Once upon a time" she explained, II was a young Josephine. with the same preiudices, the same impulses though not always expressed" And as she walked on through the garden with the girl at her side the step mother-te-be threw an arm about Jo- sephine's shoulders.
 ''So you bought the forbidden hat at Joslyn's?" she asked. "It can be easily transferred from your fathers account there to mine. And because