Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1920-06-03
THE Girl. WHO
SMILED THROUGH
By Marion Rubicam.
DOWNRIGHT. George Matthew Adams.
A BIRTHDAY.
Chapter G.


IL was a late spring that year, with
many cold DAYS and many windy, wet
ones that lasted far into May. The work
IN the gardens out ON the vacant lots was
often DELAYED for days at a time. Most OF
the peoplc who took advantage OF thus
opportunity 10 grow fruit and vegetables,
possessed one or more small babies, ana
these had to be brought along when the
family came to work in the garden. And
small babies could not, of course, come
when there was threat of rain
So Alice would see promising patches
spring up full of weeds, rows of delicious
peas choked out, tender young tomato
plants strangled by the sturdier parasites;
She wondered often why these men ana
women should care so much about the
weather. Personally, she loved nothing
better than to walk in a storm.
"Of course YOU can come home, get a
hot bath and change to dry clothes, her
mother reminded her. :,
.'Ycs. of course Besides, I'm healthy
sort of beast" Alice answered. Il guess
I'm plain impatient, or perhaps m
getting little tcmperamentai
As punishment to herself Tor her I'M
charitable mood OF the last several days,
Alice personally pulled the most dangerous
weeds from some of the ShantytoWn
gardens. Then she hit upon the bright
idea of making mackmtoshes Tor some OF
the small children who worked IN the
gardens by buying some cheap table on
cloth and cutting 1t INTO squares, WIN
holes in the center hlg enough Tor cach
child TO get his head through. ! ms made 2
sort Of circular cape which ilarod out on an
sides and protected the chlld down 70 INC
lncos These were loaned To all who
4. Il ~ won't her and tho
novelty proved great lnducemcnt he
carbon work went on better and the
Settlement House committee cheertulIN
naid for the oilcloth Even little Bcrcnlcc
had y cape. and trottcd along IN i and .
PAR of rubhcrs, and apparently enjoyed
tho wet
Mrs. Fairbanks did not entirely mp
proyc of the idea, hut rs long rs she know
tho baby had "A hot bath following such an
afternoon, She said nothing. As for
Rcrcnicc. she thrived with each passing
But even 81. Nice had 10 force herself
into a cheerful mood rs the month went on.
Its the deadly monotony Of the
whole thing, She broke out ono evening.
claw renee nj least was amusing, and Clara
was ycrv companionahic. Now both OF
them arc gone | suppose they are having
lovely times in town, she added wisttuliy,
thinking Of some of the colortul evenings
she had had carly IN the winter.
Perhaps you're sorry YOU sent Law
renee away. You could nave nun pack
vou know. Mrs. Fairbanks was always
hoping for this.
But Alice shook her head
II don't love him And I'm not so
badly off that ] have to marry man IN
order TO bc amused
pnc evening hate in May, about two
weeks after Clara had gone, Nice came
Ianc from her work. tired and q little
discouraged She had resoutey walked
home Nv way Of the open fields, around an
l5ndcycioned mart pf the town. instead Of
,rs,iur bv tho post office When she walk
rf into the house. She noticed that her
mother had set the table IN the living
roo,o-Tor convenience. most Of Dexter
street ate in It's kitchens-and that
Berenice had on her party frock.
."Why, who Is coming, she asked
noticing four places set instead ot two.
"Brfdav," Berenice shrlcked, throwing
herself joyiuily on Alice.
birthday? Yours Alice caught the
cliin little figure up TO her and Rugged II
hard.
J. Your hirfday,' corrected Bercnlce'
vriggling free, after the 'nromantic
habit of children.
NV birthday! Why. 50 i IS | haa
forgotten. Alice laughed suddenly and
cong 10 her mother, who bad just entered
from the kitchen, she waited tyr her
birthday kiss
Jbco She followed Bercnice, who was
pulling NJ her skirt. The little girl dragged
her over to a chair, and over the back OF It
She saw her present "a dainty dress Of the
prettiest blue orcandle.
..Clara sent me the pattern and dircc-
tions from New York, Mrs Fairbanks
sad happilv, and made It last week and
Bcrenice and I kept it a secret. It's the
very newest style.
80. Of course. Alice had to put il on, and
that meant combing her hair and powder
ing her nose and then putting on her new
high-heelcd pumps instead OF the old
shoes she wore during the dap She looked
very charming as she always did IN nice
clothes: the bouffant skirt with lis trim
ming of great roses made from the ma
tcrial seemed to give her height and
slenderness. and the color set oil her eyes
NV birthday-and I'm p, and 3
homeless old maid nov. She sighed as
She looked down at the trock.
But she saw the remark hurt her
mother. so she resoIutely was as merry as
Dossible the rest of the evening. The
snarty" was only Mrs. Myer and an
other neighbor. and Alice found them
both stupid. hut she would not show II
and pretended TO be having splendid
time
Tomorrow Again.