The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-06-10
THE REVOLT OF
VERA SANDERSON
BY JANE PHELPS
UNRECoGNIzED HERoTsM.


HEfkOlSN1.
CHAPTER Al.
f'Mamma!l Look your dress is afirei"
Gloria screamed in fright. Margaret
had dropped her cigaret on her light
chiffon dinner dress and in an in
slant it blazed.
I had read that when one Is afire,
If a rug is handy it will quench the
fire if the person is thrown on the
floor and rolled in the rug.
I grabbed Margaret, and by main
force threw her onto the rug. then
I had acted Immediately. and soon
smothered the fire. Margaret was
not at all injured save few small
burns on the leg. But my hands
were quite badly blistered.
you were rough enough" she
sputtered when let her up.
81 had to be. I tried to work
quickly"
IF you had let me alone I could
have put it out all right. I was in
no danger"
poor Aunt vera's hands are
! burned" Gloria said, touching one
of my hands with her fingers.
Margaret was busy pulling off her
shoe and stocking. + She paid no at
tention. But said:
Tell Annie to bring me the carron
oil in the bathroom medicine closet,
Gloria"
When Annie appeared with the oil
and lint bandages, Margaret had her
| help fix the blisters on her leg, then
was sending her back with the oil
| I had stood silently witnessing her
absolute oblivion of me and my hurts.
in establishment. knew, and I was
aware that Margaret also knew, she
! had been in great gander. 1t would
have been an insult to her 1ntell1-
gence to think otherwise. That filmy
chiffon dress would have been all
abiaze in a moment.
Aunt Vera's hands are burned
awful" Gloria again spoke.
| Annie turned to me, and with pity
| in her eyes she gasped her sympathy.
She had long ago learned not to say
| much to me before Margaret. She
swathed my hands tenderly in the
! oiled bandages, and then I went up
stairs. Keith had gone out and sat
I down by the window in the dark
room to wait for him.
My hands smarted but my feeling
of insult made the smart still harder
to bear Not only had Margaret be-
Titled what I had done for her, but
seeing my hands were far more in
need than her leg, she not only al
but had ignored my hurt entirely.
| "She might have died if you had
Ilet her alone" something within me
whispered, then you would have had
a home and Keith to yourself
I was inexpressibly shocked at the
unbidden thought, and felt so wicked
that 1 prayed to be forgiven.
When Keith came in, Margaret had
gone to bed. He came right up and
finding me in the dark, scolded little
you shouldn't sit incoming in the
dark, dear. When you stop reading
or whatever you happep to be doing
go to bed-why, what is the matter
with your hands?"
ST burned them"
1 "You poor child Howl" He
drew me down on his lap and kissed
my wrists where the bandages ended
II would have been willing to be ever
more painfully burned for that caress
4 told him the story from beginning
to end, without finding fault with
Margaret, or stating that she had paid
no attention to me or my burns.
did tell him that she seemed sure she
would not have been burned had lei
her alone.
but, Keith, she had on the thin.
nest sort of dress, and it would have
burned SO quickly"
"Of course it would! You were q
brave girl. People are apt to make
light of accidents when they come of,
with a whole skin. But fire is Away.
dangerous. I am glad you had pres
ence of mind to remember to roll hel
in the rug"
He helped me undress, and waited
upon me so tenderly that I told hin
that I would keep the bandages OF
always if he were going to be SO nict
to me.
At breakfast he inquired solicitousl.
latter Margaret's burns.
They sRarted SO I couldn't Sleep
she complained.
They wasn't half as bad as Aun
Vera's burns, Uncle Keith Gloria
, broke in. And Aunt Vera never mad,
bit of fuss. Mamma was so funny
She never noticed Aunt Vera at al
tonly to scold her. I'll never try t.
save anyone from being burned IL
get scolded."
keep still, Gloria! Children SHOULD
be seen and not heard" her mothe
said fmpatiently, while Keith quietl,
asked Margaret to let him see how
badly she was injured.
She stripped down her stocking ant
undid the bandage. Two or tire
small blisters, and a redness of tn
front Of her leg proved the extent o
her injuries.
(Tomorrow-Vera childishly prove
her injury)