The pioneer-review. [volume] (Philip, Haakon County, S.D.) 1920-current, 1921-04-28
Happy-Go-Lucky
Roberta
BY FL. LOUIS RkYBOLD

You'll never get married until you
settle down." warned Aunt Julia, nip
ping off her thread and looking over
her sewing glasses at her niece, who
was executing new dance step be-
tween her rocker and the kitchen
range.
And I'll never settle down until
get married. flashed Roberts, "be-
cause then I'll sure enough have to-"
It's all very we'll to scorn my ad-
vice." said Aunt Julia severely. But
this going here, there and everywhere
first with one, then with another
doesn't get you anywhere. It's going
steadily with one that does It,"
But Roberta was not impressed.
Marriage as endured by her two older
sisters. held no such alIuring charms
as TO make her crazy to try it. At
the same time that Aunt Julia was
speaking her mind to her niece Bren-
t"u's elderly practitioner was putting
his hand on his successors shoulder
and telling him few things that would
be of advantage to him as he took up
the work the older man was laying
down.
AT first the place will doubtless
strike y0G as d dead little hnie," ne
said, "but remember, things aren't al
ways what they SEEM and assure you
there's a good opportunity for the
right man to build up a practice. Bren-
tons a coming town.
"Thanks, Doctor" said young Doug
las Campbell, "I1I try to make good"
And with his first patient, who hap
pened to be Aunt Julia, the new doctor
made especially good
Roberta did not meet the much
talked-of Doctor Campbell until sew
eral weeks after his arrival. But long
before she saw him she heard his
praises sung. "In fact" she said to
herself one afternoon as he drove by
the window and reused Aunt Julia to
flights of oratory in his behalf, "Pm
getting a bit fed up with that man."
And then one night he came to sup
per. Possibly the doctor accepted that
invitation the more readily because he
had recently caught a glimpse Of
decidedly goOd-looking girl at Miss
Juia's.
Aunt Julia certainly prided herself
on the doctors acceptance, and she
and ROherta's mother plotted to do
themselves proud in the way of fried
chicken and snowy biscuits and dam
son plum jam and Lady Baltimore
cake.
Roberta hung around and watched
the preparations with amusement. So
much fuss over a man young enough to
be their son She hoped he was worth
it, 81 suppose | can start the phOnO-
graph going after supper and we can
Dance" she suggested hopefully.
Both her mother and aunt turned TO
look at her. Dancer" they questioned
in unison. "YOu forget the doctor is
a man." said Aunt Julia gently, mot
one Of your boy friends. And If you
ever want to win the attentions Of a
really worthwhile person, Roberta,
you want to be less fighty. But I'm
not stlre it's In you. child" she finished,
with sigh. Roberta regarded her
thoughtfully. Then she dimpled. Her
aunt's words had the effect of a chal
lenge.
Exactly five minutes before supper
time the guest arrived. Supper was
served on the dot But Roberta was
fen minutes late. And her entrance
lost none of it's effectiveness thereby.
Her mother paused in the act of pour
ing the doctors cup of tea-her aunt
broke off abruptly in the midst of
flow of conversation. What had hap
pened to Roberta?
In place of the curly. mop of hair
customarily adorning her well-shaped
head she wore a coiffure so sleek and
demure as to have become a Puritan
maiden. Her plainest dress had been
shorn Of its fancy collar and turned In
at the throat Her very expression.
as she slipped into her chair was of
the butter-wouldn't-melt- mouth
variety, And throughout the meal her
conversation was limited to Eyes" and
mo" ande'If you please, quite a con-
trast to her usual lively, interested
comments on things in general. After
supper she gave her mother and aunt
no chance to rebuke her by accompany
ing them to the kitchen as they cleared
the table, but seated herself in the liv-
ing room and made a great pretense of
doing something with Aunt Julia's
knitting needles.
Out in fhe kitchen her aunt and
mofher doing fhe dishes discussed her
que. wavs and hurried their work
that the doctor might not be left too
long to his own devices.
But the doctor was not exactly bored
He was thinking to himself that there
was mistake somewhere. Suddenly
across his mind flashed, apparently ir-
relevantIy, the words of the old doc
tor, "Things aren't always what they
seem - The words of the doggerel
hummed in his brain.
Turning TO Roberta, "Do you enjoy
dancing?" he asked suddenly.
Enjoy dancing? Dancing?" accent
ed Roberta. Then, politely. ''Do your