The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-07-02
EffervesCent EvertOn
A COMPLETE NOVELETTE, By Evelyn Gill Kahr
By Evelyn Gill Klahr

need be, held the gate firmly in hts
two strong, little hands and reasoned
in his grave, earnest way
But why did you come without a
present."
But l didn't have anything"
you should have bought some
thing"
But there wasn't time"
YOU'D have time to get something
now and be back before the party is
over"
And the baffled little guest had to
run home frantically, in desperate fear
of missing the party altogether and
had returned in due time, bearing his
! tribute.
So the party had been a perfect sue
cess, and Everton had come home
glowing with delight over the way it
had all turned out so beautifully for
the birthday child
Ruth with her half-hearted atten-
| ton gathered little of this from his
discourse, but Evertons mother gath
cred enough to send her flying to the
| telephone.
Presently, look of Mortified amuse-
ment on her face, she came out to
the veranda to find Ruth.
'That outrageous child"
| Everton followed her to the veranda
and listened, gravely interested, while
his mother explained the outrage of
the afternoon to Ruth.
at was a good idea to have him
go home for the present." he insisted,
cause then Efie got the present"
"Everton, Everton" cried his weary
mother, you've just got to stop hav-
ing ideas.
ideas are all right for grown up
folks, The explained to Ruth. Don't
you wish they was some way"
There were," his mother corrected.
There were," he agreed amiably.
Don't you wish there were some way
you could have trap door for little
boys ideas so they couldn't get out
couldn't get out at all-until they were
grown up?"
His mother shook her head hope
lessly.
Don't l wish there were!" she
sighed She turned to Ruth. What
am l to do" she appealed to the girl
"but spank, just plain spank?"
Ruth's protest was faint, weary.
She had paid so cruelty already for
her interest in the problem of Ever
ton that she hadn't any spirit left
to go on.
But after supper when the child
and his mother gravely retired to-
gether to an upper chamber, she
waited mise1ably in the swing, guilty
to think that her championship had
been so feeble.
Presently Everton rejoined her on
the veranda and with a book seated
himself on his little chair. He was
very serious and quiet, but there was
no tinge of resentment in his manner,
nor indeed of any emotional disturb
ance, except that as he leafed through
his book he occasionally winked very
hard.
The bond of sympathy that draws
together unhappy souls soon brought
Ruth to the child's side, and because
it is easiest to unburden ones heavy
heart to those whose hearts likewise
are heavy it was Everton who first
heard of Ruth's broken engagement.
won't he marry you at all?" in
quired Everton.
Never" said Ruth, never in all
this world"
He looked at her pitingly, gravely,
and though he had no words of sym
pathy to offer Ruth felt a little com
forted.
|
the generous mind of Everton had
already begun to reason out some
thing to help her A party, he thought.
Parties had been, on the whole, dis
astrous for him, but he had not lost
faith in them, especially parties with
presents, for see how happy little Ellie
/
had been at hers!
So he slipped out of his chair and
down the street, pleasantly aglow
with his generous purpose, little
knight ever ready for kind deeds and
| for the serving of others-no impul-
sive little blockhead rushing thought
iessly into action, but philosophet
carefully working from cause to effect,
For example, with each of the many
invitations he issued that evening he
carefully explained the entire tragic
situation of his deserted aunt, know
ing full well that sympathetic heart
makes a generous hand.
He invited alike the discreet and the
gossip, unaware that the eyes of the
gossips danced at the news and that
they chafed to be off and spreading it.
He came to Frank Graham, and
stopped hesitant
Graham stopped, too. "Hullo, son"