Middletown transcript., 1920-10-02

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time, she suggested tentatively, ant
with veiled eagerness, that Bets!
take charge Of her own two active ant
difficult children. John and Jane
were Elizabeth's problem and to thu
mothers surprise the girl gladly &C
cepted the charge.
"JOhn and Jane and l love each 9th
er SO much now," Betsy said, "that i
is hard for us to keep apart"
Thereafter, as far as Elizabeth.
maternal problem was concerned, sh'
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, II DOM
want any Of them; I will not marry
unless I meet man that cannot pos
sibly live without, which," added
Betsy piously, "defers the evil day."
Elizabeth smiled relievedly after
ward.
'The separation of Betsy's parents
before both cied," she told her hus.
band, "is responsible for her aversion
to marriage"
It 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 congre-
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
60 to the girl with your problem? Tell
her to make herself scarce"
1T 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 remember when
Helen's admirer was here, Betsy put
on a shabby old frock and went to
picking apples away back in the gar.
den, and when Mr.. Raymond took II
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 dirty-it didn't
make a bit Of difference. Mr.. Ray.
mond haunted the girl afterward un.
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 unsympathetically.
"Well, have the children come
DOWN. he said, ''but omit Betsy, the
Blighter.'"
Elizabeth had arranged the study as
a 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 wistful, 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 a blue
and gold kimono and loosened her wav-
ing hair. Still as she urged them
downward from the top of the stair.
John snatched coaxingly his loved ones
hand, Betsy's little fiat slippers found
no holding on the shiny matting-and
so she fell fluttering. blue and gold
butterfly being, straight to the young
rector's feet. He was alone in the
study as she lay 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, I 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 tf@
mating stair to her own sitting room
It was here that Elizabeth Wendell and
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 resignedly. "You
kept your promise. DEAR" she said,
'but somebody else has fallen-in love
II can see that already"
"Well," remarked Betsy, "as for
that, If had known what Philip was
going to be like, would never have
given my promise"