The Era-leader., 1919-01-30
A Mixed DISPOSITION
BY LOUISE OLIVER.

James Porterfeld Morgan, known tt
the world as Jim Morgan, looked al
his sister quizzically.
"Madge, do you mean to say thai
Polly Love is your ideal OF a WON
anY"
"Yes, Jim, dear, bright, wholesome
little Polly, with her silly giggle as yol
call it is my ideal Of woman and
wish you'd marry her"
"Well, I like Polly, Of course, but
he flecked the ash off his cigarette and
failed to finish.
IT know what you mean, Jim. Youl
type Is the dashing kind with a dis
position like all the months of the
year combined. June one instant
April the next and regular January
freeze to follow. Jim, you men make
me tired with your queer ideas Of
women. Take it from me, they aren't
the celestial beings you think, any OF
them-except Polly. She's an angel
IF she were here she would laugh
at your wonderful wit" answered jim
sardonlcally. mo doubt that's what
she's doing now anyway, wherever SHE
is. She's always laughing. And per
petual good humor bores me as much
as incessant sunshine"
Had Jim known it, he was right
when he said that Polly was laugh
Ing. And this was the occasion. That
morning letter had come from Cor
nella Graham announcing that she
would visit them for a week on hel
way to Boston.
Cornelia was pretty rich and spoiled
and the entire relationship held hel
in reverential awe.
"Oh, we can't have her with the
plasterers and paperhangers here
protested Mrs. Love In a panic. "And
the rugs are all up and away at the
cleaners, and we've no girl. OF all
times for her to come! Why couldn't
she wait week"
And then Polly giggled. "1sn't II
the limit? Well-she isn't waiting
and If I'm not mistaken she's here
now, for there's a taxi just stopping at
the curb and-behold, milady."
Polly rushed out to the porch. "Hel'
10, Cornelia! You dear! I'm so glad
to see you. Come right in, but don't
you dare to sit down or you'll ruin
that exquisite suit you have on. We
look like an accident ward in a hos
pital-all plastered up"
Cornelia was led through shrouded
furniture and buckets Of calcimine and
glue up to the second floor to Polly's
room, the only room in the house that
hadn't been dismantled.
Then Polly flew to the kitchen to
see what she could scare up to eat.
"There isn't much" she declared,
searching the cupboard. "Here's a
can Of corn and some salmon, but /
believe there's another thing. If / had
more eggs I could mix up a custard--
two aren't enough. I'll slip over to
Laura's the back way and get some
eggs. hate to borrow, but must"
Polly got the eggs and went home
unseen by Jim in the library.
"That poor child" said Laura, us
in an awful fix. Cornelia Graham,
that rich cousin Of theirs, has just
come and their house is a mess. Can't
you do something to help them out,
Jim?"
do you mean that girl that was
here last summer?"
"Yes."
"By Jove, you don't say! You bet
I'll help them out. I'll telephone right
away and ask her to lunch and the
theater this afternoon"
When Jim called at the Loves a
workman had put a ladder across the
front door, so he went around back.
Polly was at the stove getting their
own lunch the best she could. She
was lifting saucepan from the fire
when she heard 5im's voice. She
turned quickly, the pan bumped against
the high oven and the whole thing
turned upside down on the floor at
her feet.
She was tired, hot and excited,
company had come on top Of con-
fusion, and here was a man at the
kitchen door whose good opinion she
valued very much and who, she knew,
was very fastidious. Yet Polly gig.
gled!
"You two get out Of here!" she
laughed, "and I'll clean up this mess.
No, Of course you can't help. I've got
corn all over my shoes"
When they had gone, Polly called:
mother, can you come here9 Moth
er!' There were tears Of pain in her
eyes now.
J--I spilled the corn and 1t was
hot. Some Of 1t went on my foot and
Jim came In at six.
"Say, Laura, take back what I
said about mixed disposition this
morning"