The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1920-06-03
"A Calico Girl
~
By VICTOR REDcL1FrE
Copyright. 1919 by tho Western News.
paper Union.)

paper Union.)
"Good-by till next year, little Doris y
hailed Sidney Throop from the old
fashioned carryall, conveying himself
and three fellow vacationers from
camp to the little railroad depot.
He waved his hand in kindly fare
we'll at the forlbrn figure of a girl Of
sixteen, Doris Lee who stood at the
rustic gate of her unce's home. She
smiled bravely, then turned her head
away, and Paul Faber, at the side of
Throop, noticing fluttering handker-
chief, remarked:
81 declare! That little sprite is
sorry to have you leave-she's cry
ing"
81 am sorry myself" replied Sidney
gravely. ut has been a pleasure to
know such an unspoiled child Of ma
ture."
"She hasn't been the same since yes
terday-seems to have avoided the
crowd for some reason or other"
81 can tell you why" piped in an
other. "She looked positively awed
when Faber's sister stopped at the
camp in her automobile. I suppose the
poor little wild flower was stunned at
the magniticence of the acknowledged
belle Of the season."
So the episode passed, but Sidney
Throop sat silent and thoughtful. Their
camp had been located in close prox-
unity to the farm owned by the uncle
of Doris, and it had been her task to
bring fresh milk and cream morning
and evening to the temporary sojourn-
ers. An artless. innocent child, she
had the good fortune to deal with real
gentlemen, and as the days ran on
grew to regard them as true friends.
IF I am to do the extra chores Of
carrying milk and eggs and chickens
to the picnickers," said Doris to her
uncle the next day, you must allow me
a little pin money"
"Why not?" interrogated Mr.. Lee
good naturally. But I hope seeing
these gay people from the city hasn't
put lot of vanity into that sensible
little head Of yours"
Ever since the day she had met the
fashionable Miss Anice Faber there
had become model established in the
mind of Doris as to what the real lady
of society should look like.
81 suppose Mr.. Thorpe made some
wide comparisons between that silk
and-lace beauty and humble little me
In Calico" unused Doris, and naturally
a trifle bitterly, and then a change
came over her. She nurtured species
of reserve and every penny of pin
money she acquired she put carefully
away. Gradually her wardrobe began
to include little articles Of feminine
adornment dear to the girlish heart.
A year had rolled around and Mr..
Lee informed Doris that ''the crowd Of
young fellows" as he termed it, had
advised him that they would take the
old camp cottage for month.
Doris was in a bewildering state of
animation. For full year she had
dreamed, planned and saved. It almost
took away the breath of the poor va
cationers when there burst upon their
vision the afternoon of their arrival
a new and gloritied Doris.
She wore a silky, scaly dress skirt,
quite ''vampish," having a certain trail
ing arbutus effect. 1t fitted like the
fuzz of clingstOne peach. Her breath
& came quick, her eyes glowed like dia-
mondS, but as the four young men
greeted her friendly enough but vague
ly, Doris shivered. Somehow she
traced not only surprise in their faces,
but certain reproachful, plying sen
timent.
The unusual gravity of Thorpe
crushed her. The young face clouded
when she had ascertained what sup
plies they would require daily from
the farmhouse. Doris FASTENED from
the camp, reached a covert, and threw
herself on the ground in wild par
oxysm of veXation and disappOint-
menr.
"What is the trouble little friend?'
spoke Sidney who had followed her,
anu she CHILE W Lei lcGt dHoIS anu
defiant She darted one look at him
and fled precipitately. To both cor
rect conception had come. Sidney at
once comprehended that the foolish lit
tie maid had modelled herself after
Miss Faber to appear modern and i'm
pressive, and she realized that she
must appear grotesque and out of her
element, and her vanity was wounded.
Like some penitent she appeared at
the camp in propria personae the fol-
lowing morning, her own modest nat
ural SELF. She was reserved and
looked panied and BUNDLED. Sidney
accompanied her as she started home.
"Dear little friend" he spoke almost
tenderly, lit seems good to see the
bright fairy we all of us love once
again as nature intended her."
"And I did 1t all for you ~ sobbed
Doris. "Miss Faber-"
"AIiss Faber, confdentially, has
wrinkles to conceal, and none Of your
lovely roses on her cheeks" observed
Sidney.