Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-09-25
THE DAILY NOVELETTE,
.Jin,mHs BonibsheH
ny STUART LANE

II NDE SChn
ID fatherw called Abigail after him
.Itaye you got your rubpers on7'
.,,eried Deborah, anIiously.
And don't forget the invalid chair
- trained nurse" added Jimmy, with
',...,o,t sarcasm, although her remark
Iva n.a N reach her father. who had
.arsed the door somewhat noisily behind
him. ,, n., ~.
..,srs why on earth do you persist
t. making an old man OF dadT she
-,,d IT'S absurd Anybody's think
,,,os ninety-one instead of middle
Ia efty-eight. know he losthes It."
"If you've finished your TRADE, I'll
,,,,,rne my work.; and sister Abigail
.I.red in her dustcr and stalked from
,he room. followed by, Deborah. Really
,or,ima was getting unbearable. What
,rouId happen to poor, dear father " he
a,art have them 10 look out for him
yes. temima was really her name:
u,er the twins had arrived the names
=, ,ro grandmothers had been bestowed
| :, ,bem Fourteen years later a third
,,r, had come, and her parents were
.s,rd nut TO Il to find a name that would
=, with Abigail and Deborah. Finally
al old aunt was recalled. and the white
a.rne,ed infant was christened Jeminna.
Not that It lasted long. As soon as
no,ber Nature loosened her powers OF
,neech the small Jemina renamed her.
sn,f Jimmy, and Jimmy she became 70
every one except the older sisters. 10
whom, perhaps, the boyish nickname
seemed to ridcuIe their old-fashioned
cognomens.
Jimmy's mother had died soon after
Iint,,y's birth. and the management of
tho Hampton household had passed into
tho hands OF a distant cousin, who had,
IN turn, been gathered unto her fathers,
IN the good old Biblical phraseoIogy. BY
that time Deborah and Abigail were old
,ro,,Sh TO assume responsibilities; and
,oday the household consisted of them,
Abigalrs meek husband, Jimmy. and
Jimmy's father. .... .....
Jimmy worked; thereby acquiring a
certain independence which annoyed her
sisters and discouraged an infatuated
Young doctor who feared that II would
be sheer impudence to propose marriage
TO a person earning almost as much as
he was. Consequently. he continued to
worship from afar long after Jimmy
would have permitted him to approach
the shrine considerably closer.
Perhaps II was with the idea Of stimu-
IatIng his courage through separation
that Jimmy planned to spend her savings
on little trip to n distant summer
resort
When she first 'rsade known her in
tentlon. Abigail and Deborah held UP
Ather hands in horror. A young, un-
married girl travelling about alone to
hotels Why, 1t would disgrace the name
of Hampton! whereat a whimsical
notion struck Jimmy. "AlI right" she
scquiesced, I'll take dad"
More CONSERVATION than over. Drag
poor, dear father at his age to a shore
resort, the worst place in the world for
rheumatism and neuralgia and sore
throat! Not that dear father had any
OF those afflictions but at his age one
couldn't be too careful.
But Jimmy and her father finally got
away. laden down with medicines, warm
fannels and good advice. That was
really the chief trouble with the Hamp-
ton girls-wanting TO run things.
And do you know" confded Jimmy
to her father, in the train, 1T would be
the best thing in the world for them to
get good jolt. like you losing all your
money or Abigails husband running
away with another woman. I'd like to
preciptate bombshell like that In their
midst" ':.5 go go
Now Jimmy wasn't so very far wrong
in her surmise as to how her absence
would affect Doctor Wales. That young
man worried from the time he arose In
the morning until he went to bed at
falling in love with somebody else. He
strongly resolved never to let her out
of$his sight again, and to offer her his
heart and hand ard income-such as 1t
was-the moment she returned.
Meanwhile, the absentees were enjoy
ing themselves hugely. 1t was too early
in the season for many people to be
around, but they made chance ac-
quantance with a young fellow just
convalescing. from an illness. Later he
introduced them to his aunt, a pleasant,
gray-haired little woman, with whom he
was spending few days.
He was'a likabie young chap. and he
and Jimmy found that they had many
father frequently left them laughing
over some book together while they ex-
pIered the neighborhood.
Yet in the letters home of Jimmy and
the people they had met Jimmy wrote
mostly about sunsets and sea breezes,
her father abou' the excellent food and
comfortable accommodations.
Then. out OF clear sky, into the
quiet Hampton home. fell the thunder
bolt Abigail was so prostra at ed that she
had TO cali in Doctor Wales for a seda-
tive and Doctor Wales, when he heard
the cause Of her disturbance, grew quite
pale about the lips.
The telegram was brief. but unmis-
taxable. win arrive at g.. Prepare. to
meet happy bride and groom. John
Hampton"
Copyright. 1890, By Public Ledger Co.