Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-04-05
TIE GIRL WHO
SMILED THROUGH
BY Marion Rubincam.
CotyrigLt. George Matthew Adsms'
LAWRENCE HAS A PLAN.

Alice Fairbanks has always won nx
way through life by her optimism; Tier
SUNNY nature has carried her through her
fathers death, her mothers invaiioism,
poverty, and necessity for hard work,
with n smile and feeling of hope. When
she meets David Thorne, falls IN love ana
becomes engaged to him, her cup oil nap
pness is full. -
An orphaned cousin, Lois kennedy,
comes to live with them. She wins away
David pcrsuades him to come to the city
and marries him. Alice is heartbroken,
and takes refuge in work ana STUDY
Lawrence Marlowe offers to help her IN
her studies.
The following summer baby is desert
ed by poor family. Alice wants to adopt
it,
CHAPTER 40.
Alice went over to the settlement house
the next morning happier than she had
been for a long time. She had been sure
all during the year she had been separated
from David that love would never again
enter her life. And now she felt that the
best substitute in the worid-a real
friendship-had been given her.
She was filled with curiosity. as TO
what had happened to the little deserted
baby. And so, for that matter, were the
small children of Shanty-town. She
found more than dozen sitting on the
steps of Happy Home waiting Tor her.
As Alice was usually the first worker
to arrive, she had the key and opened
up the place Some of the small girls VINO
had Joined the Little Mothers class and
the Housekeeping class, sat down patient
ly to await the arrival of the young aioe
who was TO take charge of them; the rest
gathered up their tools and followed hioe
back to the small garden.
For an hour she talked and WORKED,
demonstrating the best way to put IN
late corn. and giving Lesson IN trans
planting. Then, having finished the
.'sample garden" as they called the patcn
behind the house, she started oil with her
tro,Ipc To the vacant lot gardens.
These. according to plan, had been
portioned out to all the poor families who
anplied for them, and both the old and the
Young members of the families worked IN
them. Alice supervised, and frequently
did generous share of the work.
She was hard at it little after IL, when
Lawrence appeared.
lie perched himself on the top rail OF a
fence where tree gave little cool shade,
and Watched her and her pupils with
some amusement and lot OF genuine
admiration. Alice came over TO him tnaily
and sat down on the grass at his feet.
You look rather hot, was his rather
banal greeting.
Alice laughed and pulled off her hat
AZ the same time her hair, which always
looked as though it were about TO come
down. carried out its threat and fell IN
long coil down her back
Alice blushcd and started to hunt
the hairpins in order to do it up sgain
Il like it that way, Lawrence ap-
proved What a lot OF hair you nave
and such nice color! What do you do TO
il TO conceal its beauty when you wear
II done up >,
Il don know how to fix it, | suppose,
Alice confessed. II like the way your !.
cousin does hers. but haven t the skill.
"She would be glad 10 show you,
Lawrence remarked. Anyway, 1T doesn I
look pretty pinned up. And wish you
wouldn't work so hard.
II don't want to talk about myself.
Alice said with sudden resentment
Everyone tells me don't know how to
dress or make myself look pretty, ana L
know it, but am too busy to md out.
Tell me about the baby.
Exactly what came to do, Lawrence
said. quite unperturbed, and lighting q
cigarette Its a perfectly nice baby, II
didn't CRY or fuss or do any oil the thiilgs
babies are supposed to do, and II reaiiy
rather pretty Needs fattening Mother
fixed i. up in lot of clothes that had be
longed to a young cousin baDy, WHoie
outft made in Paris. The deserted child
of obscure parents graces lts expensive
wardrobe very well.
How dearr Alice commented. HAS
anyone decided to let me have II!
mo one knows YOU want It, and think
vo,,'re foolish 10 ask for il, Lawrence
answered. =. :,
But i saw it first and l want it, y
Alice answered
My dear girl, you are goose, Law
renee replied.
I'm not Alice answered with a
sudden show Of temper. 1T doesn I mat
ter If am poor, Mother and have enough
TO bring the baby up comfortably, Ger
tainlv in better way than It's parents
would have done. And 1t doesn't make
any difference want II.
''rhe unanswerable feminine reason,
said Lawrence, throwing away ms cigarette
Il suppose you can have 1t. But look
here, / wanted 1t myself.
''Your' Alice looked her amazement +"
ME" Lawrence echoed. you see,
it's this way. I've never IN my life done
ANYTHING for anybody, and I've never
been useful | have an easy position IN
NV fathers business, which / can leave
at any hour to sit on the fence and talk
10 YOU. I've never had a serious purpose
in my life. And / thought I'd adopt this
infant, and pay nurse to raise 1t properly,
and send it-her-to a good school and
eollege-well, take a waif and give it
chance to grow up into happy and
useful woman. It's probably the only
good thing III ever do IN my life; better
let me do IT, Alice"
The girl sat looking thoughtfully
at the busy workers in the garden. Then
she smiled up at Lawrence.
i like YOU for talking that way" she
said Its true you need serious ps,r-
poSf You're rather like butterfly except
when you're teaching me chemistry
You hutter from one enthusiasm to an
.other-and of course, if you adopt this
baby, you could give 1T many things
that | couldn't because you have the
money.
But she looked hopelessly detected
as she watched the workers In the gardens.
n