Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1921-10-15
BETSY

BY GRACE c. FREEsE

. A-4~ - Az---E@ ~s@s~-g7z S<1~---4z%A
Betsy stood looking INTO & store Ein-
6Ow with the sane curious intensity
@ desire found in child hartening
is nose against The pane al the sign;
q unz1rainzble sweets. for with her.
also. deslrabIlIIy rested largely upon
the IlpossiBllity Of attainment The
window held a miscellany O articles
intended 70 appeal il some way 70 e.
eryCae. but 50 poorly arranged as ST.
most 70 escape the attention q al.
Betsy did not knox this. she saw
cniy ole thing-a perfect card index
such as she bad always dreamed q.
she stood before Il with rapt gaze.
First It was her cooking recipes which
she saw realty cataIogued. then her
dress patterns. Again Il vas q list q
al the books she had read Betsy
breathed g rapturoas sigh as sic
rurned reluctantly 70 90 home.
Her sisters greeting held It's usual
tart nole: HIN, late for dinner. And
you the methodicai member Of the
famlly.s But Betsy. unheediRg. saw
dreamlly only the object Of her adora-
ton. wreathed. Sc ltwere. in an aura
Of glory. Such q perfect card cata-
logue. she breathed.
Emily glanced up. "Where'd you
see it,:
Eber's window. L would be per
feet for ny recipes, or my letters,
or
@Grocers bnls." supplied Emily.
1.-TWO came this morning Betsy
frowned. Aside from the 10Y OF cata-
logulng them. bills did noc Interest her.
Nevertheless they must be attended
to. she turned 70 the task assigned
her as the methcdicaI member OF the
family. and soon reduced the bills 10
e hopeless muddle. from which, as
usual. her sister found It necessary 70
extract her.
Emily sorted them out How much
was that card cataloguefa she de-
mauded suddenly.
y didn't notice Betsy was startled.
Guess III get It: some Christmas, :"
returned Emily. 1T might pay"
Betsy looked at her sister gueerly
and left the room. Her own perrur-
baton surprised her. To own & card
catalogue had never occurred 70 her.
Ever since she could remember she
had dreamed Of what could be done
with this ideal possession, and It was
this alone which constituted her claim
rs the methodical member Hsr fam
fly had entirely overlooked the fact
that this dreaming was the sole eyi-
dence she had ever given OF orderli-
ness Of any kind
Never for a moment had Betsy faced
the possibility Of actually owning one
Of the cherished objects. She was sat
isfed simply 70 imagine. Bnt Emily
seldom spoke lightly, and Beisy's joy
at the thought Of possession was a
little dimmed What would she cata-
logue?
Emily would expect her TO do the
bills. but the very thought of it tired
her a little. Not. her recipes. for the
old h-1k she had always used was
indispensable. Her letters - where
were theyf They could be found in
every corner Of the house. Betsy
shrugged her shoulders.
Never trouble trouble TIL trouble
troubles you,' she murmured, and
forgot the problem forthwith.
But Emily remembered, and Emily.
+h1r-~R = 4nv,e5r1 -
heart. and was saving up 10 buy Betsy
a card index. II would take three
years savings. but Emily did not
grudge a penny. She cherished the
family tradition that Betsy was me-
th0dical, and she determined that az
last her sister should have the desire
Of her heart.
Perhaps" thought Emily when 1t
arrived, Betsy won't need my adj
vice now about the bills" Advice
was an inadequate word TO describe
the bulk of the work. but still Emily
blushed at her selfish thought.
On Christmas day Betsy took hel
sister and her new card catalogue TO
her heart with untarnished radiance
Of spirit. For the first time in years
she had a moment Of perfect happi-
ness. 1t was not. indeed, until she
had gloated over her new possession
for a week. that she began 10 have a
qualm. What should she catalogue?
The old question was now startlingly
imminent, and she could find no salts
factory answer.
1t was the middle Of January be-
fore Emily spoke. THE bills and
receipts ought to be fixed up she
suggested. You can catalogue them
now, you know"
Betsy shrank. This was just what
she had begun to fear, and despera-
ton furnished her with a reply.
ooh" she answered hastily, 81
thought our lists Of vegetable and
flower seeds would he about the right
thing for my new card catalogue. i've
begun 70 arrange them"
For a moment the scales seemed
lifted from Emily's eyes. and she
seemed 10 see the real confusion and
lack Of order in her sisters mind.