Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-04-09
CHARLES GIRL
BY MILDRED WHITE.

You cannot blame Belle and her
mother for being discouraged about
it; there all those years they had look
ed forward to Charles getting so he
could help out a little at home, an as
soon as he finds a good position in the
city, he goes and engages himself TO
girl. Even Charles pa said she
looked like one of them picture act
reSSeS.
Charlie had asked 'em all to the
theater, Mr.. and Mrs. CantWel an
Belle, to meet his girl. High SHOES,
she had on, an a rose colored coat an,
light blue silk skirt peepin' beneath
her dress. How'd Charlie expect to
keep all that up, they Wonderedf II
he'd stayed on takin' care of his IA
theirs store when Mr.. CantWelln got
too old to tend to it, he'd taken up
with a sensible girl in town, an not
brought some one into the family too
good to work.
"Like as not" Belle said, "she'd be
comm out to visit afterWard, ana
would sit with those polished hnger-
nails of hers, expecting to be waited
on" Belle wouldn't do it. She had
run around enough after Charlie, get
tim him put through college, an now
on top of the news that he was en-
gagged, came word that he'd been draft
ed an accepted into the army, an
very soon he'd have to be leaving for
camp. They had almost forgot their
disappointment in this new sor-
row, when Charlie up and wrote that
he'd marry the girl before he went
away.
"She's never had a home" he told
'em, "goin' about from place to place,
an I'd like to leave her safe with
you"
They gasped at that. "Goin' about
from place to place" didn't seem much
of a recommendation, nor no family
neither, and as for Twin with them,
it couldn't be done. mercy knows,S
Belle and her mother had enough to
do now, an old Mr.. Cantwell too tired
to speak evenings, as he sat Figuring
up" So Belle wrote prompt an told
him, an they guessed it made him
mad, for he never answered. When
he didn't come out from the city, they
lust knew he was married.
Mrs. Cantwell's eyes were pretty
red from crying one evening, when she
went to answer. the door-bell, and there
right into the room walked Charles
girl. She smiled and took of her rose
colored coat with the gray fur col
lar.
"I've come to stay over night she
said, land get acquainted with Char
lies folks"
"You are married to him?" his moth
er asked. The words most killed her.
"No," answered Charles girl. =
wanted to wait, until you knew me
better"
So they took her to the spare room
an she went on talkins pleasant, an
layin' out her things. That night Mrs.
Cantwell was taken sick sudden.
Belle heard her coughin' an got up
an phoned the doctor, but he was'out
Of town. Then her mother gettin'
worse and being kinda desperate, she
woke up Mis- Delia-that was Char
lies girl.
eff you'll just sit by mother" she
said, "I'll go out an try to find our
practical nurse, she hasn't got a
phone"
It was about two o'clock In the
morning, so Miss Della says: swat
until I see her." an in a moment all
businesslike, the way nurse does, she
was feeling the mothers pulse, gently
touchin' her head. 'I've been studying
nursing" she says, land know just
what to do. It'll be pneumonia unless
we work quick" an they did. When
Doctor Bronson come in, in the morn
ing, he said the care had pulled Mrs.
Cantwell through.
"You're a wonder" he says to Miss
Della. you'll honor your calling.s
Well, all day she went stepping
about in her little white dress and
shoes, things seemed just to grow neat
where she was, she'd pat Mrs. Can't
wells hand soft like, as it lay on the
pillow, or smile as she'd smooth her
hair.
Recreation hour" she said in the
afternoon to Belle. 81 must go for my
walk"
.You amt going back to the city,"
Belle asked fearful to be left alone.
''No, indeed" Charles girl replied.
"Not It'll your mothers better"
would you mind" asked Belle,
stopping at a music pupil of mine,
tell her I can't get out today to give
lesson" And what do you suppose?
When that Miss Della came back all
glowing from her walk she was laugh
ing.
81 gave that music lesson" she said.
1.-THE child didn't want to miss 1t, and
here's your money"
There didn't seem to be nothing that
actress-looking girl couldn't do. TITS
the result of my adventurous life" she
told Charles pa. "When ones alone
in the world" she says, and then sud-