Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1921-12-28
BETSY
1y GRACE c. FREESE.

dow with the same curious intensity
Of desire found in child flattening
it's nose against the pane at the sight
of unattainable sweets, for with her,
also, desirability rested largely upon
the impossibility Of attainment. The
window held a miscellany Of articles
intended to appeal in some way to ev-
eryone, but SO poorly arranged as al
most to escape the attention of all.
Betsy did not know this. She saw
only one thing-a perfect card index
such as she had always dreamed Of.
She stood before it with rapt gaze.
First it was 4ler cooking recipes which
she saw neatly catalogued, then her
dress patterns. Again 1t was list OF
all the books she had read. Betsy
breathed a rapturous sigh as she
turned reluctantly to 60 home.
Her sisters greeting held its usual
tart note: Hin, late for dinner. And
you the methodical member Of the
family" But Betsy, unheeding, saw
dreamily only the object Of her adora-
ton, wreathed, as 1t were, in an aura
Of glory. "Such a perfect card cata-
logue," she breathed.
Emily glanced up. "Whered you
see it?"'
"Eber's window. 1t would be per-
feet for my recipes, or my letters,
Or"
"Grocer's bills" supplied Emily.
1.-TWO came this morning" Betsy
frowned. Aside from the JOY Of cata-
loguing them, bills did not interest her.
Nevertheless they must be attended
to. She turned to the task assigned
her as the methodical member Of the
family, and soon reduced the bills to
hopeless middle, from which, as
usual, her sister found 1t necessary to
extract her
Emily sorted them out. "How much
was that card catalogue?" she de-
manded suddenly.
II didn't notice." Betsy was startled.
Guess I'll get 1t; some Christmas"
returned Emily. ut might pay"
Betsy looked ut her sister queerly
baton surprised her. To own card
catalogue had never occurred to her
Ever since she could remember she
had dreamed of what could be done
with this ideal possession, and 1t was
this alone which constituted her claim
as the methodical member. Her fam
lily 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 a moment had Betsy faced
the possibility of actually owning one
of the cherished objects. She was sat
isfed simply to imagine. But Emily
seldom spoke lightly, and Betsy'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 little. Not 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
card index. 1t would take three
years savings, but Emily did not
grudge a penny. She cherished the
family tradition that Betsy was me-
thodical, and she determined that at
last her sister should have the desire
of her heart.
Perhaps" thought Emily when 1t
arrived, Betsy won't need my ad-
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 her
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 week. that she began to have a
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 reply.
"Oh," she answered hastily, II
thought our lists Of vegetable and
flower seeds would be about the right
thing for my new card catalogue. 1--WE
begun to arrange them"
For moment the scales seemed
lifted from Emily's eyes, and she
seemed to see the real confusion and
lack Of order in her sisters mind.
Rut tho fro ditiOn wpS StrOnU IN hor