Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-02-14
THE GIRL WHO
SMILED THROUGH
BY Marion Rubincam.
Copyright. George Matthew Adams.
ROSES.
Chapter vi.

Chaptef VI.
care YOU going over to the Gaynor' s
dancc?" Clara asked, coming into the
kitchen Of the Fairbanks house early IN
the afternoon.
Alice turned from the stove, where
she was stirring kettle OF boiling iruit.
The house was flooded with the sticky
sweet odor and Alice's face was scarlet
from the heat and the steam, and her
hair chung in damp little tendrils to her
forehead. 4,
'Its Friday, isn't it p she asked
mo, don't think can go, Clara. Mother
hasn't been so well.
s.Not a relapse?' Clara asked in alarm.
She always resented vaguely the tate that
tied her young friend down to the wear,
ing routine of housework, gardening and
mo" Alice answered, eat least, not
a had one You see. she had word from her
sister Laura that she was awfully sick,
and of course, the news upset her.
al didn't know you had an aunt,
Clara commented briefly. She felt cross
because Alice was going to miss an even
ings pleasure. 49,,
II hardly know it myself" Alice an.
swered cheerfully. II never saw her, and
Mother hasn't for almost 20 years. She
married rich man and moved away.
"Oh, il she has money Clara be-
gan frankly.
'.She hasn't" Alice said with laugh.
.'She lost IL all sometime ago She has
daughter. but I've never seen her either.
''Just the same though you didn t
have to miss the dauce," Clara comment
ed when she went. "You don't look bit
sorry either don't see how you keep so
happv in the face of everything.
''Happv! Why shouldn't | be- It's
June-and look at the roses'
Happyl How could she help but he
so? David WAS coming to see her this
evening. She was going to put on the
freshly laundered blue gingham. the
one he had admired. She thought OF
washing her hair, too-it was always such a
a pretty color when she dried it IN the sun.
but it falls around your face SO, you'd
better leave it as it is | wish you d put
on hair net her mother SAID.
So Alice, with her good-natured laugh,
turned back to her work. The strawberry
preserves were gwen an nrprooff coating
of paraffin and labelled and set IN row
on the kitchen table right after supper
Then Alice flew TO make hurried toilette
before
David came up the steps before she
WAS fEtuNs anu NhS te'''fsE -"
mother. 1t was dark when she ran down
conscious of her prettiness, and suddenly
shv as a Young girl when she held out her
hand.
They pulled their chairs. out on the
grass. the moon came out, then present
lv Mrs. Fairbanks excused herself and
went indoors. with Alice to assist her to her |
room, and to help put her to bed. But |
soon Alice was back again. with the full !
glory of the moon shining down on her, |
and the wall of roses that covered the |
porch as a background for her.
They talked of the Model Farm
'I'm moving out there to live next week,
David said,-and OF her mothers I'll
health. David talked little OF his mother,
who had died some years before, and hls
voice grew gentle.
And Alice's voice grew gentle and sym
too, as she answered him.
And the inevitable magic OF the moon
grew more and more powerful.
And the odor OF the roses stole
put through the night, like incense through
some marvellous cathedral.
"They smell so sweet, you-you can
hardly bear it." Alice said with a little.
stamrner after short silence.
David looked at her. The most critical
person could not find q flaw tonight.
She had dressed carefully, and the moon
never shows defects.
.eYou are all blue and silver, Alice,
said David.
He had never called her Alice before
And to every girl there comes that sud-
den thrill, when the man she is falling in
owe with uses the sweet familiarity OF
her gwen name for the first time. Alice
'elt her heart pound rapidly.
And the magic of the moon grew even
more powerful. Alice felt she should move
AWAY, or say something, but to break the
spell would be sacrilege.
Suddenly David put out his hand and
covered hers as il lay on the arm of her
chair. Instinctively she started to draw it
away, her cheeks flooded with color. But
,he let it stay, trembling little.
Then she jumped up.
Don't, please don 'tr she managed to
breathe out. And to his utter surprise,
he ra- INTO the house. leaving him alone,
n the moonlight and the sweet smell OF
he roses.
Monday-The Happy Lady.