Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-03-31
THE GIRL WHO
SMILED THROUGH
BY Marion Rubincam.
A NEW SUMMER.
Copyright. George Matthew Adams.
Chapter XIV.


DAYS of June came again, and to Alice
they brought rather painful memories.
Only year ago she had met David, only
year ago she had believed herself the
happiest girl in the worldl
The odor of the roses, climbing in such
profusion over the porch of the little
house. nauseated her. On ono June night,
with the moon casting its magic and the
smell of the roses making the whole earth
fragrant-on one such night, David had
told her he loved herl Alice could not
sit out on the porch these nights: she
stayed indoors persstently studying
when she was not working.
Lawrence Marlowe never came in
the evenings, but he dropped in fire.
quently on the afternoons when Alice
was not at the settlement house, and
together they worked over the chemistry
Alice was so determined to learn.
"Id like to get him interested in some
of my other studies" Alice told her
mother" but he simply laughs at me- He
says he doesn't care how chickens and
vegetables are brought up"
sDo YOU think it's doing you good2"
Mrs Fairbanks asked with gentle scep-
ticism. Scientific farming and scientific
housework were unsolved mysteries to
II. 4
taught as girl were all she ever could
know about either.
Look at my gardenp' Alice answered
triumphantly.
at always was the best garden in this
end of the town-exeept perhaps Mr..
Joyce's Mrs Fairbanks did not want
even Alice herself to slur her past ac-
complishments.
"Well. then. YOU should see how much
I'm teaching the kids in Shantytown,
Alice answered. and it's fun learning
so much about things.
Alice was learning about more things
than scientific farming and chemistry.
Atleast, she mastered the first lesson which
is necessary before one can learn any
thing at ll-consciousness OF ignorance.
Ii happened that, some weeks after
Mrs. Marlowe had told him to bring
Alice around TO tea. Lawrence remembered
the invitation. The fact that he had for
gotten it. proved to himself, at least,
that he was not in love with this girl
from the poor section Of the town. i3ut
one day, while he WAS explaining some
chemistry experiments to her, he told
Alice that his mother wanted to meet her.
Suppose | come for YOU about 4
O'Clock for tea" he suggested
Alice agreed, delighted, and little
afraid at the prospect of meeting one
of the richest women III Pennington.
"One thing | learned from LOIS, she
told her mother. And that Is that people
Of leisure serve tea at or 5 o'clock. If
it hadn't been for her, Id think he meant
to take me To an early supper. AT least
| have one thing 10 thank Lois for
Alice dressed herself carefully, for
-, No. hnr hut hunL
and put in enough hairpins so the knot
would hold firmly. She even put on hair
net to hold in the wisps Of halr that al
WAYS made her look untidy and careless.
She put on the blue gingham David had adj
mircd. now in its fourth season and hope
less " out of date But she was pleased as
a child at the prospect of tea IN the big
Marlowe house, and gave little thought
to her appearance. Not even the sight Of
her stained fingers against the egg shell
china teacup worried her.
But she learned a lot Of things that
afternoon She summed 1t up to her
mother when they sat that evening over
their supper
Lois was right about me, mother
/ don't know how to dress or how to make
myself look pretty, and it Is my own fault
] don t know how TO be nice TO men. and
that's my falHt-because. after all.
certain amount Of attention Is desirable.
we know that Mrs. Marlowe was
the daughter Of a wretchedly poor little
farmer, and that she worked in a mill
once. Mr.. Marlowe-I met him, too-is
Just a kind hearted, coarse-manncred
man. except that he looks rich because
he dresses well But she has made herself
into a lovely, lovely woman. Her hair
is so smooth and sleek. vet it's soft look
ing too. Her skin Is so fine it's almost
fragrant. Her hands. which are really
large and ugly in shape, are exquisitely
kept. Not only that, but she's learned
how to use them so they don't seem ugly
She's learned to subdue her voice so its.
pretty, and not loud and common-like
Rosie Myers, for instance
"A young niece came in while / was
there-she was as dainty as Lois, and
thought she was pretty at first. Then /
discovered later that she really wasn't
as good looking as am. But she knows the
sort of frocks to wear and thinks of things
to talk about don't remember what,
but things that make a conversation go
easily. couldn't think up a word TO sayP'
Alice rose from the table and walked
into the little living room.
I'm SO discontented," she turned
around to her mother, II want things
different. but | don't how know TO make
them So"
Tomorrow-The Wanderers