The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1921-03-04
Happy-Go-Lucky
Roberta
BY H. LOUIS RAYBoLD

was executing new dance step De-
tween her rocker and the kitchen
range.
"And I'll never settle down until l
get married." flashed Roberts, be
cause then III sure enough have to-"
tits all very well to scOrn my adj
vice." said Aunt Julia severely. But
this going here, there and everywhere,
first with one. then with another,
doesn't 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
his hand on his successors shoulder
and telling him few things that would
be of advantage to him as he took UP
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 good opportunity for the
right man to build up practice. Bren-
toms a coming town.
'gThanks, DOCTOR" said young Doug
las Campbell, "rn 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
tnlked-of Doctor Campbell until sew
eral weeks after his arrival. But long
before she saw him she heard his
praises sung. 'In fact" she said to
herself one afternoon as ne drove by
the window and reused Aunt Julia to
flights of oratory in his behalf, I'm
getting a bit 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 a glimpse of a
decidedly good-looking girl at Miss
Julia's.
Aunt Julia certainty 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 lam and Lady Baltimore
cake.
] Roberta hung around and watched
the preparations with amusement. So
much fuss over n man young enough to
he their son! She hoped he was worth
1t. II suppose l can start the phono-
graph going after supper and we can
dance,r she suggested hopefully.
| Both her mother and aunt turned to
look at her. Dancer they questioned
in unison. ~You forget the doctor Is
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 Eighty. But I'm
not sure it's in you, child" she finished,
with sigh. Roberta regarded her
thoughtfuiIy. Then she dimpled. Her
aunts words had the effect of chal-
ienge.
Exactly five minutes before supper
time the guest arrived. Supper was
served on the dot. But Roberta was
ten minutes late. And her entrance
lost none of its effectiveness thereby.
Her mother paused in the act of pour
ing the DOCTORS cup Of tea-her aunt
broke off abruptly in the midst of a
flow of conversation. What had hap
pened to Roberta?
!, In place of the curly mop of hair
customariiy adjoining her well-shaped
head she wore couture so sleek and
demure as to have become Puritan
maiden. Her plainest dress had been
shorn of its fancy collar and turned In
at the throat. Her very expression,
as she slipped into her chair, was of
the butter-wouldn't-me
/ variety. And throughout the meal her
conversation was limited to yes" and
"No" and "If you please, quite a con-
trast to her usual lively, interested
comments on things in general. After
supper she gave her mother and aunt
no chance to rebuke her by accompany
ing them to the kitchen as they cleared
the table, but seated herself in the liv-
ing room and made great pretense Of
doing something with Aunt Julia's
knitting needles.
Out in the kitchen her aunt and
mother doing the dishes discussed her
aue~' ways and hurried their work
that the doctor might not be left too
long to his own devices.
But the doctor was not exactly bored
File was thinking to himself that there
was mistake somewhere. Suddenly
across his mind flashed, apparently ir.
relevantly, the words Of the old doc
tor, "Things aren't always what they
seem!" The words Of the doggerel
hummed in his brain.
Turning to Roberta. "Do you enjoy
dancing7" he asked suddenly.
"Enjoy dancingf Dancing?" accent
ed Roberta. Then, politely, do your
81 should say So" said the doctor. 81
can't tell you how I've missed it."
ST didn't suppose grave parsonage
like doctor ever did anything so friv
olous as dance" commented Roberts
primly.
"Try me and see" said the man
smiling and nodding at the phonograpf