Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1920-11-17
A REAL SISTER
BY H. LOUIS RAYsoLo.

@'' ny mcclure Newspaper synaicate
IAN right Betty" said lack
grimly, rising and reaching for his
mat You say you have excellent
reasons for what you are doing. hut
as long as you won't tell me what
.hey are, you can hardly expect me
TO be satisfied However-good.hv, !"
And he was gone.
Betty Reynolds stood as he had
leit her, then crumpled into a for
lorh heap in the old rocker and sobbed
her heart out. Where was the low
ID noble self-sacrifice she had expected
10 feelY All her being ached TO RIM
AFTER the man she had just peremp-
'oriiy dismissed, to bring him back
ahu tel him 1t was all a mistake
sne did love him-would marry him.
Wait--ff she did. how about Sue?
Betty was one of those lucky girls
WIN a sister just enough older to be
ooth comrade and mother to the young
er one. Even before the death of their
mother, 1t had been Sue who laid out
betty's party frocks. VINO mended the
torn lace in her petticoats, who rifled
her own ribbon box for bow where
with to adorn Betty's fluffy hair.
But now something more vital than
a question of hair ribbons or vacations
mad arisen. Which of the two girls
should have Jack Hemingway?
Her opportunity had come. If she
refused Jack, she felt sure that, ulti-
mately, he would marry Sue. Also. she
suspected that Sue cared for Jack.
Hadn't she of late caught a certain
happy usefulness in Sues gray eyes?
The tall girl who entered the room
a moment later seemed more than
three years older than her sister, a
fact due, no doubt, to acting as both
mother and father TO gay little Betty.
she gave one quick glance at her sis
ter. Then, stripping off her gloves,
she said quite casually: isn't Jack at
the cOrnerT'
Betty looked up. startled. Then.
very bravely. she began her campaign.
He didn't stay as long as usual, prob
ably because you weren't here"
Sue said nothing for moment.
Then she sat down on the arm of the
chair and put her arm around the
girls shoulders. Little sister," she
began lovingly. want piece of
news? You know Doctor Delabarre,
my chief In the lab? Well-would you
fancy him for-for a brother-in-lawr'
Betty stared at her sister In bewll-
derment. Then in a flash realization
came to her. "Sue Reynolds she
cried, and leaping 10 her feet she
whirled her sister in breathless dance
about the room. "Oh. I thought
thought IT was Jack! And I sent him
away and now can have hinl And
Oh. you darling, I'm SO glad for you"
Sue was shaking her gently.
Listen, dear. you mustn't mention 1t
to a soul. Nobody knows yet"
mot even Doctor DelabarreT
teased Betty, and in her happiness
missed her sisters startled glance
'Oh, Sue. / must telephone Jacks
boarding house and leave word for him
to come right up this evening. And
while Tn ont to telephone TIL get
whole chocolate cake and some straw
berry mousse to celebrate!"
Sue sank down into the rocker
Betty had so recently vacated. And.
even as Betty had, Sue buried her
face in her hands. Dear heavenl
Would that she had the right to say
before the world that she was Doc
tor Delabarre's affianced wife, Daily
working with him in the laboratory
of the city hospital, she had come
TO look upon him as the most Won
derful man she had ever met.
- AS 1t was-weil, she had done what
she did for Betty's sake. Jack, glum
and unhappy, had just told her at the
corner how he loved Betty and how
Betty, for some reason she would not
give, had turned him down. And Sue,
with the tender intuition of an elder
sister. put two and two together and
made exactly four-no more, no less.
Sue had herself we'll In hand by
the time her sister came home. Betty
chartered like magpie and supper
was a gay affair! After sociable
washing up of the dishes the younger
girl came up to her sister soberly.
'T'm awfully sorry, Sue, after what
you said-but you really didn't say
mustn't mention II to him, and was
just coming out of the shop loaded
with the cake and all and l bumped
right into himl And before I thought.
| congratulated him."
"What--who-Betty
Doctor Delabarre, of course" said
Betty. "And he's coming up this eve
ming. l hope-there's the bell! Jack!"
Joyfully she flew to answer.
While Sue--well, Sue was trembling
from head to foot. What would he
Think She must get Betty to make
her excuses if he came. She could not
see him.
But she had no choice. 1t was Doc
tor Delabarre, not Jack, whom Betty
Il