The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-01-03
BAB'S DUPLICITY
Ry AGNES G. BRoGAN.
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90 1920. western Newspaper Union.1


a bench before the water. An early
moon shone over the ripping waves
and the summer scene was one of
! beauty and calm. But there was no
calm in Tom Webster's heart, for
since that deSolated member had set
tied down into one steady ache of
longing. calmness gave place to sor-
row and anger by turn. When Tom
reached the zenith of his hope in win
ming the hand and heart of the girl
he loved he had reasonably expected
the assured JOY of betrothal. But
'Babs" was not that kind of girl. In
fact there was nothing assured about
BabS.
The hour that raised Tom to
heaven of delight was certain to be
followed by several hours of uncer-
tainty and gloom. Babs did not in
tend to be unkind; frankly she de-
clared that she did not understand her
self I'm just the original Mary.
Mary quite contrary" she told her
| lover repentantly.
Babs was always breaking engage
ments and atoning charmingly after
ward. The months of Toms betrothai
| left him quite dizzy. He never knew
| exactly what Babs would do next, or
how she would welcome him, or, in
deed, if she would give him welcome
at all SO at last, the engagement
] was broken. This tragedy occurred
after Overstrained nerves had driven
. Tommy to reprOve his love concerning
her shortcomings, and the love"
would not be reproved. That was all.
| Barbara absented herself from the
usual haunts as though she had dis
appeared from the world. Tommy was
| consolable-Tommy was desperate.
! His pleading notes met with no re-
Spouse.
| If he could go far away where every
spot would not be eloquent of her pres
! ence. poignant with sweet memories
past-but the darned old business held
! him. In his last erratic effusion he had
besought Barbara. if she had the
slightest remaining feeling for himself
TO send some sign-to let him come to
/ her-and the heartless one made no
reply.
Tommy went back through the
shadows of the public park to his car
/ and swung it savagely from its corner
The homeward trip was light and
speedy. then-ye gods! from the rear
of the machine came a startled cry
Tom turned in his seat and stared. A
child sat on the back seat blinking at
him. golden-curled fairy-sort of
child. a. .s. III ,emt-4a 7oy,
where" she demanded, "is my
daddy"
i Gosh Tommy exclaimed. he shut
of the engine, "how did you get in
back there?"
The little girl whimpered:
/ Il s'eep," she explained, "a s'eep on
back seat. want my daddy"
Tpnderly Tom lifted the volunteer
passenger to a place beside him. She
had climbed in. he decided, while the
car was parked under th6atrees. Prob
ably she had taken his for her daddy
car and then had fallen asleep on the
| cushions. But now he was in n fix!
Tommy was a diplomat. "T'm going
to stop here and buy yOu lOllipop,"
he told the child, "thcn I'll take you
to daddy; wait"
Contentedly Helen-Jean, as she pro-
claimed herself waited.
Tommy was just in time. His an
nouncement to the park pavilion
brought immediate response. Anxiety
had been felt regarding the little girls
disappearance. Would he be kind
enough To bring her back at once to
the pavilion-or-this after a hurried
confcrencC-would ii he convenient
for him to drive Helcn-Jean to 40
Rose terrace? That was her home.
Tommy decided to take his charge di-
> rectly home.
When Tommy carried the little girl
Up the flOwer-bordered path to her
home her arms clasped his neck and
her golden curls rested against his own
dark pate. The housemaid who an
Swered TomrRie's ring directed him to
a rear garden; surely. the friends of
the lost one We're not unduly alarmed.
But there on the rear rose terrace he
saw slim Whitehead figure, a girls
figure so gracefully like to another,
that TOmmie's loving heart hammered
painfully; then the figure was coming
toward him and no one else was near.
"Babs," he whispered unbelievingly.
A demure and humbIed Babs reached
her arms to the child.
| "HelPn-Jean. darlingw she coaXed,
"cOme to Aunt Barbara"
But Helen-Jean. darling. evidently
inherited her aunt's perverseness.
won't" she briefly but emphatical-
~ remarked.
! I'm afraid" Babs insisted, "that
yOu will have to-"
! Then in some joyously bewilderine
fashion Barbara's arms, covering Hell
en-Jean's chubby ones, encircIed Tom
mics neck, while with unbelievable
rapidity his own arms closed about the
slim figure as well as the chubby one
you see" Babs was saying, "my
brother and his wife moved here from
New York only last week. Helen-Jean