Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-03-17
THE GIRL WHO
SMILED THROUGH
By Marion Rubincam.
Copyright. George Matthew Adams
THE LITTLE THINGS.

THE LITTLE THINGS.
Chapter XXXIII.
Having delivered her blow. Lois left
IS soon as possible. In fact, she packed
IN II remarkably shert time, and took
the afternoon train, by changing to =
sleeper at town, so miles away. Lois
could reach New York early in th,
MOI ming.
Alice did not see her. After Lois
had told her news, Alice had stayed
in her room, irving to stifie the sounds
Of her sobs as best she could partly
80 her mother would not grieve, partly
out of pride, so that Lois. in the next
room, could not hear. Meantime, Mrs
Fairbanks stayed alone in the kitchen,
heart-broken herself, longing TO comfort
her daughter, yet wise enough TO know
that there ATE some sorrows that are
easiest to bear alone.
Hours later, Alice came downstairs
Her face was still white, her eyes were
swollen and red-hdded, her hair had tum-
bled UNDECIDED down her back.
81 forgot the dishes" she said in a
curious flat voice. Her mother looked
up and held out her hand.
II did them" she said
In spite of her pre-occupation, Alice
was amazed.
s'Why, Mother, you haven't done
,s.ich thing for years. You've never
! been able to stand that long. A re
you sure you haven't hurt yourselfY"
ssThere are times, daughter" Mrs.
Fairbanks remarked slowly" when the
best thing in the world is necessity
You've petted and pampered me so
never had to do any work, I'm afraid
I've not made strenuous enough efforts
to get we'll / didn't have to do the dishes
they could have waited, but | wanted
TO. so / made the effort-and did them.
"Arent YOU exhausted?" Alice forgot
her own grief in her anxiety over her
mother.
.'Tm tired" Mrs. Fairbanks confessed.
81 haven't walked about so much nor
stood on my feet so long for years. But
! believe it has done me good, and shall
always fdo the dishes in the future. z
So a tiny ray OF comfort crept into
Alice's heart. This was the irst sign her
mother has shown of recovery.
Next day Alice arose early, prepared
breakfast, swallowed some hot coffee,
and having hastily busted and straight
aned the house. she went out and down
the street She heard Lois stirring. and
and she knew she could not face her. She
Gfu not NtIl tp sly Ailll1E tfslANs tuh
the verv thought of the girl who had playe
with her and deceived her and made off
with the one treasure in her life, made her
blindly and furiously angry
So she turned away from the main
streets and went over TO the foreign sec
ton. Peppita, sitting in her doorway.
greeted her with an enthusiasm that she
was wonderfully comforting
Il thought YOU never would come
again" she said, her dark eager eyes up
turned to Alice.
''Of course | would come again, dear
Why did you think that?
''Oh. they said and Peppito pointed
towards a group of children playing in the
street, they said YOU had married
md gone way of to live.
I'm not going to marry, and I'm not
geing way off to live Alice said, her
voice betraying her emotion IN spite of
herself.
Aren't YOU? I'm awful glad" Pep
pita's ewes shone with Joy.
'Sne would not live without her Happy
Lady" Peppita's mother said, coming
up to them, and smiling affectionately at
Alice The mother had eyes as beautifully
dark and expressive as her daughters.
Her voice had the soft musical quality OF
most people from southern Europe.
Peppita fondled Alice's hand. and talked
about the newly christened baby next door.
and the newly arrived one in the house
behind them. and the latest trouble"
that poor Mamie Mulligan had gotten into
Alice usually was amused by the joys and
scandal of the neighborhood, and Pep
pita, whose sole contact with the world
was local gossip always saved up the
choicest items to hear Alice laugh al them.
The crippled girl kissed her goodbye
with almost passionate warmth and made
her promise 10 come within the week. And
Alice turned home with a warm feeling
around her heart again, IN place oi the
queer dull numbness that she had been
conscious of when she started out.
After all, there are some things left.
she argued to herself, as she climbed
fence and followed a path over . vacant lot
to her own part of the town.
There's mother little better Peppita
couldn't get along without me And I've
David books, if | haven't David. But
must do something must do something
i can't stand things as they are,'
She had been talking aloud to herself,
as she did occasionally
when planning busy days work.
IN take position this winter" she
SAID To herSe1. And IL study. wont
think about this thing-I mustn't"
The tears were in her eyes and running
down her cheeks now. She dried them,
however, and tried to look calm a she
went up Dexter street. With a sudden
rush of tenderness she saw Clara turn in at
her gate. What a dear friend she wasi
After all, there was some Joy in the little
things of life.
Tomorrow Needed Friend.