Omaha daily bee., 1922-04-30

clusyeness which made him shy of tramped
paths and platitudes and resonant enthusi-
and pep, was just what she specially adored
him for. This was all fine spinning, Of course.
Really. to the eye of common sense. everything
was as jolly and nice as possible.
She and Wilfred found heavenly little six
room cottage that was within the compass of
what Wilfreds wages as designer in an archi-
tects office would run to. provided he didn't
lose his Job. They furnished 1t sketchily. but
with q good general effect. Her mother show
ed q lovely liberality in the matter Of dresses
and household linen: her father gave her a
massive silver service. complete from platters
to saltspoons. (She was conscious of an un-
gracious wish that his gift had been ptano.)
She was duly showered and feted by friends.
and they were married upon the date she had
snatched at random to stun her father with
that Sunday afternoon in February
Precisely 50 weeks from that same mo-
mentous February Sunday she bore son and
named him James Fulton, after his maternal
grandfather. He was big baby. and she had
rather desperate time with him. 1t had want.
ed all the skill Of the eminent accoucheur who
attended her to avert a catastrophe. but every
thing turned out we'll as possible The child
thrived nightly under the most enlightened Of
modern conditions. She nursed him herself
until he was 10 months old, and she as stringy
and thin as = bantamweght boxer Shed
hoped to do all her housework, too (they were
nara up OF course, WIN tue OulIQIN8 UuSAHeSS
shot to pieces the way 1t was), but this was
beyond her. The least she could do with was
part-time girl who came at and stayed till
--or later in the evening for 80 cents extra,
when she and Wilfred wanted to 60 out any
where.
Well. there you have the life history Of
Charlotte Blunt as she would have recounted
it up to the time two years after her marriage.
when her fathers and mothers trip to Hawaii
made II seem the pleasant and natural thing
for her little sister, Anne. aged 1s, to spend
her Easter holidays from school visiting her
and Wilfred.
Anne, you may have noticed does not figure
very largely in Charlotte's biography, for all
her miraculous and ecstatic entrance upon the
scene. For the two or three years that real
babyhood lasts, Anne had meant a lot to Char
lotte; source Of pride and responsibility. q
developer Of maternal instincts But long be-
fore she was years old Il tell you they're
born that way, these young ones), Anne discov-
cred that her big sisters authority had no
punitive and little remunatory sanction behind
It. And by the time she was she was defi-
nitely leading her own life, 80 far as Char
lotte was concerned. Charlotte might have
fought 1t out with her. but fighting. unless you
absolutely cornered her. wasn't Charlottes way
This visit she told herself. was going to be
good thing. 1t was dreadful that two sisters
should be SO little sisterly; and now that Anne
was on the threshold. they say, OF woman
hood, here was q chance to welcome her IN, win
her confidence. make a companion OF her. II
only she and Wilfred weren't 30 desperately
hard up 1t would be easier 1t wasn't until she
saw Anne on her own threshold that her mind
missave her. The problem was going to be not
to win Anne's condolences, but to protect her
own.
The only serious change in Anne's appearance
since Christmas was her bobbed hair. and this
she explained as she took Oft her hat. She'd
resisted the hair-bobbing epidemic at school
until the morning when Miss Hood. the prin-
cpal, promulgated the rule that no more Of the
pupils would be permitted to bob their hair
without express parental sanction. Instantly.
thereupon. Anne had bobbed her own and tele-
graphed her father, explaining the fait accompu
and demanding. by wire. the requisite authori-
zation. She then informed the principal Of both
these acts and argued successfully for a stay
in execution until her fathers telegram should
have had time to arrive. Anne didn't regard
this at all as an exploit: it had been rather a
bore. really. But you couldn't let people get
away with things like that. Also, she was
rather sorry for Miss Hood. who poor.
fluttery old thing-the girls spared her when
they could.
Charlotte. during that first half hour she
laughed and chatted. exhibited the baby and
busted herself with the score Of pleasant un-
essential services which make YQ tha ritual Of