The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1921-01-08
Happy-Go-Lucky
Roberta
BY H. LOUIS RAYBOLD

loull never get married until yo,
settle down." warned Aunt Julia. nip
ping or her thread and looking over
her sewing glasses at her niece, who
was executing a 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-
ITS all very well to scorn my ad-
vice. said Aunt Julia severely. But
thls going here, there and everywhere,
nrst with one, then with another,
ooesnt 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 alluring charms
as to make her crazy to try it. At
the same time that Aunt Julia was
speaking her mind to her niece Bren-
tons elderly practitioner was putting
MS hand on his successors shoulder
ana telling him few things that would
ne or advantage to him as he took I'D
the work the older man was LAYING
| down.
AT first the place will doubtless
strike you as dead little hole" he
said. but remember. things aren't al
ways what they SEEM and / assure You
there's q good opportunity for the
right man to build up practice Bren-
tons coming town
Thanks, doctor" said young Doug
las Campbell. IN 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 sh9 saw him she heard his
praises sung. "In fact" she said to
herself one afternoon az he drove by
the window, and reused Aunt Julia to
flights Of Oratory in his behalf, I'm
getting hit 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 glimpse of a |
decidedly good-looking girl at Miss
Julia'S.
Aunt Julia certainly prided herself |
on the doctors acceptance, and she
and ROberta'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 man young enough to
he their son! She hoped he was worth
1t. Il suppose l 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 flighty. But I'm {
lot sure It's in you, child" she finished,
|
Then she dimpled. Her [
lunt's words had the effect Of a chal- I
enge. Z
Exactly five minutes before supper !
ime the guest arrived. Supper was s
erved on the dot. But Roberta was v
en- minutes late And her entrance t
ost none of it's effectiveness thereby. b
Ter mother paused in the act Of pour O
ne the doctors cup Of tea-her aunt r
rOke off abruptly in the midst Of a c
Ow Of conversation. What had hap
ened to Roberta?
In place of the curly mop of hair
adjoining her well-shaped Il
cad she wore a couture so sleek and r.
emure as to have become a Puritan
laiden. Her plainest dress had been 81
horn of it's fancy collar and turned in o.
t the throat. Her very expression. IL
5 she slipped into her chair, was Of
le butter-wOuldnt-me a
ariety. And throughout the meal her le
was limited to Eyes" and di
No" and eff you please, quite a con- a,
asst to her usual lively. interested vi
on things in general. After az
upper she gave her mother and aunt m
, chance to rebuke her by accompany nj
e them to the kitchen as they cleared til
e table, but seated herself in the liv- OF
2 room and made great pretense of ez
ing something with Aunt Julia's 81,
lifting needles. re
Out in the kitchen her aunt and
other doing the dishes discussed her
eer ways and hurried their work
at the doctor might not be left too 81
NJ to his own devices. m'