Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-06-16
CLARA GOES AWAY.
Chapter 90.

Try as she would, Clara could not
help a little feeling that was almost
Jealousy. Love plays strange tricks
with peoples temperaments. 1t can
enoble and degrade, both at the same
time and in the same person. Clara,
fairly transformed by her new love for
Lawrence, allowed herself for a week
to nurse an unworthy feeling against
her best friend.
Alice, of course. never suspected
this. She pursued her usual routine
and merely wondered why Clara did
not come around to see her. She was
too busy to go to the Joyce's.
I'm tending the little garden in the
back yard of the Settlement House"
she told her mother. It's kept in
such fine condition no weed would
dare show its head above the ground.
We use 1t as a model for the children
to learn from, and have a sample
patch of everything the vacant lots
gardens grow"
What do they grow mostly?" Mrs.
Fairbanks asked. She had never aiken
a great deal of interest in the social
settlement work. To her simple mind,
the poor were poor and therefore mis-
cradle. Those with strength and am
bition, worked hard n ceased to be
poor, and were IN consequence less
miserable. The rich, being rich there
fore could not possibly be miserable.
This method of the well-to-do going
into the poor districts and teaching
aesthetic dancing, fancy sewing and
elocution, was a new and incompre-
hensible idea to her.
Alice smiled as she thought Of the
well-kept patches the various families
farmed.
onions and tomatoes-mostly on
ions, l think" she answered.
What does CARA teach now" Mrs.
Fairbanks went on.
-Sewing-but she hasn't been we
for two weeks. BY the way, she has
mt been around for a long time Alice
laid her book down. when was she
here last ?"
"wednesday a week." Mrs. Fair
banks answered promptly.
"Wednesday a week! This is Mon
day-why that's almost two weeks
ago. / wonder what the trouble is
I've been so busy 1 haven't kept track
of the time"
"I should think SO, running gardens
and classes over in Shanty town and
then working on our garden till past
dark. l wish you wouldn't work so
hard, Alice Mrs. Fairbanks was al
ways sure her daughter was over
doing herself.
Alice got up impatiently.
"Oh, I'm all right. What would l
do with myself If 1 didn't work T.
think I'll go around to Clara's and
see her. She probably thinks I've
been neglecting her"
She threw a light wrap o her
shoulders, n started out bareheaded
in the warm spring evening. Dex-
ter Street was delightfully."- quiet and
misty, and rather pretty in this soft
light. She passed several CUP of
children, playing tag with the shadows
TO make their game more exciting. and
14AIrA1 - oil tla 1f-A.- - H. rvtp
dows. Dining rooms were dark now.
kitchens were mostly black too, the
Dexter Street housewife had finished
her dishes, put the youngest children
to bed, n was nov going into the
sitting room to join father" and
perhaps to read the paper a while n
til time to call in the older children.
On such a night she had first walk
ed up this street-with David. She.
remembered the meeting in the early
evening at the Joyce'S, and how she
had sliiI1pe-d his PronIe but diIuiy in
the shadows of their v~lne-covered
porch. She remembered the soft.
rich quality of his voice-she had
liked that and liked him for it, even
before she really saw him.. And the
little ache that was always in her
heart for him. grew keener.
She came in sight of Joyce's and
ran up the steps. Mr.. Joyce came out
to her. evening paper in hand.
Hello Alice, you are a strangerl"l
he said heartily. II began to think
we never would see o around here,
now Clara's gone"
clara gonei" Alice echoed in amaz-
ment. why, when did h go?"
Three days ago-didn't you known"
mo"
II was sure she came around to
a goodbye to YOU She decided all
of a sudden to go to the city in May
instead of June, she packed up and
went off,"
How FUNNY 1 know she didn't
come around to the house, for either
mother or myself would have been
there. Mother was just saying she
wondered why we hadn't seen Clara"
well, of course she was busy get