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

Betsy stood looking into a store win-
dow with the sane curious intensity
o. desire found n q child fartening
its hose agaLns- the pane az the sigh.
Of una1Eainabie sweets. for with her.
also. desirabIIity rested largely upon
the IuEsoSsibiiICy OF attainment The
window held a miscellany Of articles
intended 70 appeal in some way 10 ~
eryone, bit 50 poorly arranged as al
most 70 escape the attention OF all.
Betsy did not know this. She saw
only ole thing-a perfect card index.
such as she had always dreamed Of.
She stood before Il with raQt gaze
First il was her cooking recipes which
she saw neatly catalOgued. then her
dress patterns. Again II vas q list OF
al the books she had read. Betsy
breathed & rapturoQs sigh as she
turned reluctantly 20 20 home.
Her sisters greeting held It's usual
tart note: HIN, late for dinner. And
you the methodlcai member OF the
family.4 But Betsy. unhee1lHg. saw
dreamily only the object Of her adora-
ton. wrearhed. as It were. In an aura
Of glory. Such a perfect card cata-
iogue. she breathed
Emily glanced up. "where'd you
see it,"
~Eber's window. Il would be per
feet for my recipes, or my letters,
or
~Grocers brls." supplied Emily.
"Two came this morning" Betsy
frowned. Aside from the joy Of cata-
loguing them. bills did not interest her.
Nevertheless they must be attended
10. She turned 10 the task assigned
her as the methcdicaI member OF the
family. and soon reduced the bills TO
q hopeless muddle. from which. as
usual. her sister found IT necessary 10
extract her.
Emily sorted them out. How much
was that card cataIoguef" she de-
manded suddenly.
Il didn't notice" Betsy was startled.
Guess I'll get 1t; some Christmas"
returned Emily. ut might pay"
Betsy looked az her sister gueerly
and left the room. Her own perrur-
baton surprised her. To own & card
catalogue had never occurred to her.
Ever since she could remember she
had dreamed Of what could he done
with this ideal possession, and It was
this alone which constituted her claim
rs the methoiical member. Her fam
ny had entirely overlooked the fact
that this dreaming was the sole evil
dence she had ever given OF orderli-
ness Of any kind.
Never for q moment had Betsy faced
the possibility Of actually owning one
Of the cherished objects. She was sat
isfied simply 10 imagine. But Emily
seldom spoke lightly. and Beisy's joy
at the thought Of possession was a
little dimmed. What would she cata-
1ogue?
Emily would expect her to do the
bills, but the very thought Of It tired
her a little. Nor her recipes. for the
old book she had always used was
Indispensable. Her letters - where
were they? They could be found in
every corner Of the house. Betsy
shrugged her shoulders.
Never trouble trouble till trouble
troubles you" she murmured, and
forgot the problem forthwith.
But Emily remembered, and Emily,
though sharp Of tongue. was kind Of
heart. and was saving up to buy Betsy
a card index 1t 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 It
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 Stil 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 gl0ated over her new possession
for week. that she began TO have a
qualm. What should she catalogue?
The old question was now startlingly
imminent. and she could find no salts
factory answer.
It 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.
"oh," she answered hastily, ST
thought our lists Of vegetable and
flower seeds would be about the right
thing for my new card catalogue. ave
begun 10 arrange them"
For a moment the scales seemed
lifted from Emily's eyes. and she
seemed TO see the real confusion and
fr- Al Is