The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1920-11-06
OMITTING BETSY
BY MILDRED WHITE.
70. 1920, wosteru Newspaper Uutonl

But Elizabeth, coming to her nus
OaDos Office one day. promptly put a
stop to that
1T isn't that ain Jealous, Alan,"
she frankly said, but there is some
thing so appealing. so strangely win
some about that little creature TINT
just won't have her near You all the
time Why am seized with desire
to protect and befriend her myself,
every time she looks at me-"
Then guess II wifi be up to you
to carry out your desire" her husband
dryly remarked "for when nv old
friend, her fathers lawyer, sent Betsy
Blair to me with letter OF lntroduc-
ton, 1t was with the request that !
obtain suitable employment for her"
so Elizabeth Wendell with one of her
generous impulses, carried the Young
stranger home to act as her own so
cial secretary, and then finding that
there was not work enough IN that
line 70 sufficiently occupy Betsys
time. she suggested tentatively. and
with yelled eagerneSS, that Betsy
take charge Of her own two active and
difficult children. John and Jane.
were Elizabcths problem and to the
mothers surprise the girl gladly ac-
cepted the charge.
John and Jane and / love each 9th
er so much now" Betsy said, "that It
is hard for us to keep apart"
Thereafter, as far as Elizabeths
maternal problem was concerned, she
was happily freed from responsibility.
But Betsy had so many would.be
suitOrs that at first Elizabeth lived In
dread of losing her dependable one,
but Betsy's avowal, though unusual
coming from one of such charm. was
sincere.
Really" Betsy declared, 81 don't
want any Of them; | will not marry
unless ! meet man that cannot pos
sibly live without, which," added
Betsy piously "defers the evil day"
Elizabeth smiled relievcdIy after
ward.
THE separation of Betsy's parents
before both ried," she told her hus-
band, as responsible for her aversion
to marriage"
II was upon the evening of the
curate's arrival that Elizabeth sought
Alan Wendell in his smoking room.
"YOur sister and my sister have
come" she announced "They are in
their rooms dressing for dinner OF
course you know that both the girls,
with the bigger half of this eongre-
cation, are In love with Philip Dare.
And Oh! Alan, what shall we do
with Betsy? You know very we'll that
every man In sight naturally turns to
Betsy like the needle to the pole"
"If you feel that way about it." her
husband Smilingly suggested, "why not
go to the girl with your problemf Tell
her to make herself scarce" !
ut Is not" Elizabeth loyalty de-
Tended, that Betsy looks for con-
quest. Really she Is the most retiring
girl ] ever knew, She Just cannot
seem to avoid It, You remeEner when
Helen's admirer was here. Betsy put
on shabby old frock and went to
picking apples away back In the gar
! den, and when Mr., Raymond took 1t
into his head to stroll back beneath
the trees hard apple hit him In the
eye and though his eye was swollen
black, and though Betsy when she
scrambled down from the tree was
both disheveled and dlrty--it didn't
make bit of difference. Mr.. Ray
mond haunted the girl afterward I'm
til she was obliged to send him away.
and Helen was quite forgotten. She
will stay away like an angel, know,
when Reverend Philip comes, but he
always insists on having the children
down at prayers"
Alan grinned unsympathetieally.
"WeIl, have the children come
DOWN." he said, "but omit Betsy, the
Brighter
Elizabeth had arranged the study as
suitable place for family service.
Here the popular young curate would
have his study room. and Betsy. the
agreeable, was warned never to use
the side stairs.
Several times she had glimpsed with
her wistfuI, wondering eyes. Reverend
Philips tall and graceful figure from
her window. Resignedly Betsy dressed
her small charges for evening prayers,
and then to make final her refusal to
accompany them, she dOnned blue
and gold kimonO and loosened her wav-
ing hair. Still as she urged them
downward from the top Of the stair,
John snatched coaxlngly his loved ones
] hand, Betsy's little fiat slippers found
no holding on the shiny mattlng--and
SO she fell a fluttering, blue and gold
butterfly being, straight to the young
rectOr's feet He was alone In the
study as she lay a huddled heap be-
fore the mahogany stand. And when
he would have helped her to arise
Betsy waved the young man back.
my ankle is broken, l think" she
said quietly. And so It was. The
doctor found the painful break after
Philip Dare had carried the girl very
carefully. and very tenderly. up the
mating stair to her own sitting room
1t was here that Elizabeth Wendell ant
her husband found the two. returning
later from long drive.
81 would not have gone down." Bet
sy whispered, If had not fallen"
Elizabeth smiled resignedIy "Yo,
kept your promise, DEAR" she said