New Ulm review., 1921-02-02
A REAL SISTER
BY Il. LOUIS RAYBoLD.

"All right. Betty said Jack
grimly, rising and reaching FOR his
hat. You say you have excellent
reasons for what you are doing, but
as long as you won't tell me what
they are, you can hardly expect me
to be satisfied. However-good- q,
And he was gone.
Betty Reynolds stood as he had
left her, then crumpIed into a for
lorn heap in the old rocker and sobbed
her heart out. Where was the joy
in noble self-sacriice she had expected
to feel? All her being ached to run
after the man she had just peremp-
torily dismissed, to bring him back
and tell him it was all a mistake
She did love hins-would marry him.
Wait-if she did, how about Sue?
Betty was one Of those lucky girls
with a sister just enough older to be
both comrade and mother to the young
er one. Even before the death of their
mother, it had been Sue who laid out
Betty's party frocks, who mended the
torn lace in her petticoats, who rif1ed
her own ribbon box for a bow where
with to adorn Betty's fluffy hair.
But now something more vital than
a question Of hair ribbons or vacations
had arisen, Which Of the two girls
should have Jack Hemingway?
Her opportunity had come. If she
refused Jack, she felt sure that, ulti-
| mately, he would marry Sue. Also, she
suspected that Sue cared for Jack.
Hadn't she of late caught a certain
happy wistfulness in Sues gray eyes?
The tall girl who entered the room
a moment later seemed more than
three years older than her sister. a
fact due, noEdoubt, to, acting as both
mother and father to gay little Betty.
She gave one quick glance at her Sis
ter. Then, stripping off her gloves,
she said quite casually: "Isn't Jack at
the corner?"
Betty looked up, startled. Then,
very brayely, she began her campaign.
HE didn't stay MS long as usual, prob
ably because you weren't here Il
Sue said nothing for a moment.
| Then she sat down on the arm of the
chair and put her arm around the
| girls shoulders. Little sister, she
! began lovingly, want a piece of
news? You know Doctor Delabarre,
my chief in the lab? Well-would you
fancy him for-for n brother-in-law ?"
Betty stared at her sister in bewil-
derment. Then in a flash realization
came to her. Sue Reynolds!" she
| cried, and leaping to her feet she
Whirled her sister i'll breathless dance
about the room. "Oh, thought
thought it was. Jack! And I sent him
away and now I can have him! And
oh, you darling, I'm so glad for you y
Sue was shaking. her; gently.
Listen, dear, you mustn't mention it
to soul. Nobody knows YETI
| Not even Doctor Delabarre? p
teased Betty, and in her happiness
missed her sisters startled glance.
"Oh, Sue, | must telephone Jacks
boarding house and leave word for him
| to come right up this evening. And
While I'm out to telephone I'll get a
whole chocolate cake and some straw
| berry mousse to celebrate ~
Sue sank down into the rocker
Betty had so recently vacated. And,
even as Betty had Sue buried her
face in her hands. Dear heavenl
Would that she had the right to say
| before the world that she was Doc
/ tOr Dalahorro,s q oA;opood ,,-;fo n,;l,,
| working with him in the laboratory
| Of the city hospital, she had come
| to look upon him as the most won
| derful man she had ever met.
AS it Was-well, she had done what
she did for Bettys sake. Jack, glum
and unhappy, had just told her at the
! corner how he loved Betty and how
Betty, for some reason she would not
give, had turned him down. And Sue,
with the tender intuition Of an elder
sister, put two and two together and
made exactly four-no more, no less.
Sue had herself we'll in hand by
the time her sister came home Betty
ellattered like a magpie and supper
was a gay affair! After a sociable
washing UP of the dishes the younger
girl came up to her sister soberly.
I'm awfully sorry, Sue, after what
you said-but you really didn't say
mustn't mention it. to him, and was
just coming out Of the shop loaded
with the cake and all and 1 bumped
right into him!. And before thought,
congratulated him."
"What- Betty?'
Doctor Delabarre, of course, . said
Betty. and he's coming up this eve
ming. / hope there's the bell! Jack Y
JOyfully she flew to answer. .
While Sue--welI, Sue was trembling
from head to foot. What would he
think She must get Betty to make
her excuses if he came. She could not
see. him. q. y. Il a.
But she had no choice. It was Doc.
tor Delabarre, not Jack, whom Betty
found at the door, although Jack was
| almost, at the steps. And Betty, be-
cause she wanted her moment with
Jack, sent Doctor Delabarre in alone.
Sues moment Of reckoning had
come. The doctor entered quickly,
both hands outstretched.
| /, Miss Reynolds--Sue y he cried.