Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1920-06-01
THE GIRL WHO
SMILED THROUGH
By Marion Rubicam.
Conxrtpht- Georr~ Matthew Adams.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
Chapter XCVIII

"Alice. oh Alicer' Clara called across
ae street. But Alice walked on. She
had not even heard. =,
"Now that's queer" Clara remarked
10 the girl with her. That's the flrst
time Alice Fairbanks has acted absent
minded. She didn't even hear me. wonder
what the trouble is2"
The two girls turned into the post
office together and went to the main
window. Other girls were standing ABOUT,
reading letters or in line waiting tor them,
and there was the pleasant feeling Of
expectation in the air that is always so
noticeable when mail is due, or tram
or boat is about to arrive.
''She was reading a letter and was
awfully absorbed" the other comment.
cd. at must have been from man.
Eyes. she was reading. oh, is this allf
And Clara took the single letter the clerk
handed her, trying to look indifferent as
she glanced at the handwriting =,
We'll, you got a gray letter, too.
her companion remarked, glanclng curl
ously at the envelope Clara held, and
scanning the post mark.
'"roo?" Clara questioned indifferent
". She wished she had not run INTO TINS
other girl she wanted to be alone. Her
letter was from Lawrence and she want
ed to read IT.
Eyes. Alice had gray letter-tbat 8
what she was SO absorcd about.
ooh" was all the answer Clara made.
She was wondering how she could get
nd of her companion without being
rude. She did want to be alone to read
her letter.
But she did not lose the girl so easily
They walked back 10 Joyce together
the undrsired comradc chattering cheer
fully and little guessing the harm she
was doing :.
$50 your letter is from New York, !"
she remarked. IL didn't know you knew
anyone there.
ooh YES. several people" Clara iibbed.
You see. I'm going there III few weeks
Tor the summer. to learn more about run
ming childrcns speciality shop.
tim. yes-wcll. your folks will miss
Won. They 10 away all winter and now
sou go away all summer. ] guess prob
ably Alice will miss YOU too. She gets
= lot Of letters from the city now since
She went to school there, doesn't she?''
I'm sure ! don't know" Clara an
swcrcd So CURLY that she stopped all
further questions.
After the girl had left, she tore open
Iawrcnccs letter and read it eagerly:
sitting on the steps Of her porch and
unmlndfuI Of the chill that crcpt into
the spring air as the sun went down.
II was long chattv letter. Law
renee told her, rs he had told Alice. OF
concerts and theatres; he mentioned
several shows that would run all sum
MGR probably. and that he would take
her 10 sec when she came on.
I've found a nice place where YOU
can live" he wrote. You probably
have heard Alice mention Christine, her
roommate when she was at college
saw that young lady, who can be very
amusing when she wants 70 he. and she
knows several of the college girls who
are going 10 take a summer course and
who arc renting furnished apartments
over the warm weather. Ihev can get
them cheaplv because 50 many people
20 awav to the shore and rent at low
rates rather than carry their apartments
M n dead loss You can stay with two
girls who are taking a small place, and
aS it's near the subway. YOU wont have
any trouble reaching the business and
shopping district. So wherever YOU elect
10 work, You'll he convenient, and sure
of clean, comfortable home. I'm aw-
fully glad YOU are coming on, | don
know many people in this town and
none that | like especially. Wen have
some nice times together"
Well have some nice times togeth
err Clara repeated the sentence. star
ing across the lawn. A yellow forsythia
was Just in bloom. IT made a little golden
sunlight in a dark corner 81 the garden.
Clara looked at il with new appreciation.
How beautiful IL was. How lovely
the whole garden was, IN Its fresh new
green. How lovely the whole world was.
for that matter Clara realized she was
She went back to her letter. But it
was too dark to read easily. Such nice
gray paper! Suddenly the other girl 5
words came back TO her. Alice had
gray letter, that's what she was SO alb
sorbcd about.
She was reading a letter from Law
renee too Clara remembered it now,
it was the same curiously long, narrow
envelope
OF course, there was no reason why
Lawrence shouldn't write to her They
would be good friends always, she hoped.
And Lawrence was perhaps still IN love
with Aiice-in spite of the fact that he
seemed to he getting over that romance.
But it was Alices attitude that wor-
red her Alice was so engrossed IN that
lctter-what could Lawrence have said.
She had called quite loud and Alice had
not heard. Perhaps Alice was in love with
Lawrence In that case. there might be
some understanding between them
She shivered and got up. What an ugly,
gloomy garden it was, she thought
Tomorrow-Clara Goes Away.