The Press., 1919-01-02
Settling Beatrice
 @o
By s. B. HACKLEY
Copyright, 1918, by the Mcclure Newspa- per 'Syndicate.)

traught, Doris. Living ill little place like this with so few social equals is enough to drive one wild"
 Mrs. Eileen Campbell. wife of the lime manufacturer at Bardstown, roll ed her china-blue eyes deprecatively. eff it weren't that Frank is making money hand over fist as he calls it, here, 1 simply could not endure it."
 Mrs. Carter, wife of the road-build- ing contractor nodded appreciatively.
 "Tlats what tell Gene. How long are you going to stay in New York with the Macons. Eileen?"
 "Oh, two weeks, probably. Now that Bee leaves tomorrow with Alethea Me Cue for the house-party. l feel safe about her. Alethea has been begging me to let her stay on with them through the summer. Sammy" she lowered her voice, Sammy is going to be there!''
 "How very opportune :" commented Mrs. Carter.
 Beatrice. an involuntary listener, with her piquant face. her charactorful mouth and blue eyes, both dolorous and indignant. hastily left the library. Her father, a serious looking man with red hair. met Ter in the hall, "Oh, daddy, let me stay home with you while mother is away" she whispered. "I want to sO!'
 "Your mother would have a fit if you missed that McCue blowout. sweet heart. We can't go against her in this, r let hot n away to your bed. But wait. Kitten, here's a check I promised Pryor, Ad- dress it to him, and drop 1t in the box, will you?"
 After an interminable time. It seemed to Beatrice she heard her parents go to their sleeping rooms, but sleep would not come to her. She arose finally and drew on her dressing gown.
 "I wish l could tell daddy!" she thought as she went to her writing desk. "rll write to Louie--he can't help me, but I've got to tell somebody nOwv'
 "Bardstown N. C.. August ?, 1o1G
 "Dr. Louis NJ. AcheSOn. PendletOn. Oregon" she wrote at the top of her page.
 ''Dear. Dear Louie.-I promised you I'd tell you the minute I found the prince, hut I couldn't, though it's been four months: I was too hanny. for a little while, and sinoe-Oh. Iouie-Fye got to tell somebody my troubles. or I'll burst.
 q guess I've told you in this tiny old place, there's a 400 only here it's g s5Q,' mostly the Macon family scions. The Macon father was an old seanns drel 0'm quoting da'ddy), hut he owned the big resort hotel here and nearly everything elses Mfs: -Atlee; Jeffers and Mrs, Felix Landrth. twd of the daughters, live here. Mrs. Landi rith married an old, old man. some; thing like a Maharajnh for wealth fh@t must have been beast judging by her unhappy face), and she's got rege ular castle overlooking the town.
 "Well, mother considers them. andl her very special Mrs. Doris Carter. aEyi 8 few others, her social equals. q wouldn't say it to anybody but you, Louie, but you know it already: mOthI CT and her friends just live for danct ing and entertaining, and clothes-f nothing else! Daddy told her yester- day their chief occupation as he sees 1t Is the 'ornamentatiOn of the chariots that carry them through this little arc in the circle of beingn
 fBut because the Macon sciOns arg sort of patrons of Arland, the little - church here, and attend services once in a blue mOOn mother does, too, and I've been attending the Arland Sunday school, and other services right along, without protest from her. Early this spring, Mir, Lowrie, the old pastor, died and the board that pays the minister's small salary, sent Glenn Pryor. He isn't exclusive, and just 'churchy,' like Mir. Lowrie, He wants to help everybody and every thing, and he makes friends with all the poor and neglected. He's started a branch of the Good Citizens league, and now you can't find a rusty tin can or homeless cat in the town. He doesn't trouble himself so much about the '5O,' except that he calls on them and Is pleasant to them.
 "And he's started Young Folks circle for Wednesday evenings that does things like singing to sick folks, and the jail folks, and the county in- frmary folks. I knew he was the "prince" the first time I heard him speak. Of course, he didn't know right off I was the "princess," but he came to know. Uouie, I'm like daddy T love people, just because they're people), and he liked my way, I know, for he-he'd got so his eyes were glad when they turned to me! And I was happy.
 ''Then the first of July the season opened at the hotel, and they begun those Wednesday and Saturday night dances. The first Wednesday night we were to go after the circle met to sing for old Mrs. Hilbert (she'd been on her death-bed for month), and I'd promised her I'd sing an old, old bal lad she loved. None of the other girls knew it. But mother wouldn't listen to me, and made me go to that hateful dance. We didn't leave until one o'clock, and just as we came out of the gate where they've got big electric light that lights up everything q was Walkin. In front with that horrid. rich Sammy McCue, Mrs. McCue's brother in-law), we met Mr. Pryor.
 "His eyes looked positively reproach- full when they met mine. He lifted his hat, sober and unsniling, and passed. and I felt my heart break under the weight of his misunderstanding. I heard it break, Louie. And next morn ing I found out Mrs. Hilbert had died at midnight I couldn't make any OK planation to him without appearing to censure mother. so I didn't make any.
 "So, July, a wretched month, has passed. Mothers swept me into the hotel social life until I haven't had minute (nOt even Sunday) for my friends. q ought to have stood up to mother but I hate row; I am cow:rd. Louie, and because I am, r l>l