The log cabin Democrat., 1922-01-10
FAIRIES
  By IRENE BEERS

and let nurse put you to bed
 Betty Lou did so, rcfectng tha Aunt Louise was q most unsatisfaC tory storyteller of late. She would pause and stare into the fire as thougi she saw the fire fairies themselves quite obliviouS of her small niece Dur ing the progress of being undresset and put to bed, Betty Lou recalled tht joyous times she used to have witt Aunt LouiSe-special trips to the won derland of dolls, jars of barley candy and the jolliest automobile rides O1 course, those were mostly in Mr. liar risOn's roadster, when tucked in be tween him and Aunt Louise, the cal tore over miles of country road An( once there had been picnic. Betty Lou sighed rapuransIy over the mem ory of it, and. signing, fell asleep.
 Meanwhile, Louise Birch. the best beloved aunt, sat froWung at the blue and red fire fairies. dancing impudent. ly over the crumbling log.
 And they lived happily ever after she murmured. "Yes. l will write to Waffle and put it in the fire. At least 1t will be safety valve for my feel ings. He'll never see it, so I'll just write exactly as l feel, IL is seven weeks today that it happened. Surely he must have known there was some reason why l didn't keep that engage ment-only he's too stubborn to ask NI,,N ay,l.1,. 1,.l back to the table for her writing case. "I'll write couple of letters first and save Wallie's till last"
 It was late when at last a letter, whimsieally addressed to Wallace in care of the fire fairies, lay sealed on the little pile of letters, and Louise rose to crush a piece of paper to enliven the fire. II may have been the semi-darkneSS of the firelit room, or the binding tears in her brown eyes. or perhaps the fire fairies them selves that saved Wallace's letter from the flames At any rate, wIen she reached down a fumbling hand and. with a bitter little laugh. tossed let ter on the leaping fire. the envelope was addressed to Mrs Lawrence Cur ttS, and made no mention of fire fair ies
 Kind of post-mortem for Wal lie" she managed between Sobs. and without q glance at the other letters she went Wearily To he'd, determined to rout all thought of Wallace from her mind.
 Mother forbade Betty Lou to so much as tip-toe into Aunt Louise's room. The home of the fire fairies of Aunt LouSe's stories drew her over 10 the fireplace. There stood the biz armchair where she and Aunt Louise had sat when the latter told of the adventures of the forgotten prin- cess-and lying on the cushion was a little pile of letters, all sealed and addressed. waiting for stamps,
 Guess Aunt Louise wants these mailed" remarked Betty, lingering them euriously shed let me stick the stamps on and put em in the box if she was awake, Phaps they're awful important. I'd better ma,, 'eu."
 Now what do you think of that ,' she eXpo~tuated d. she laborlously d-lpHered TO Wallace. in care of the Fire fatr.-~.' "Aur Louise doeS be fe.e iH fairies. ibid BHiy so. Fire r-~ aeat bother witt maif The t.~-n4 brings teFer- She uu-t
 z-.tf~. -0H -.olg soady l .-- al#re-s la1~r.f l eu c- -#a. o. good a- EIly he'-
 -~.~. as, -ie pHupe. -- and w#h many ,. .er sa ..r... .ad sa, s-.-u ~--- t0'
 t~- -ss. ier. .,.-. ex..r. .N .-e- ..-, i- .a- a' .se E# ftst E-a Lot
 3 t.r1 .sat he fs ~ e- N-. ai .u ""- e 1. v-. >.1-eag.- apl. II.
 ---.E s,- - ,.,o 8f thel, .l-e- 1-a 9.e. ste aae heard uur-e 'e s.@ r..t .te =--ee Nr. Wal .s~- sae 7, I14a-s ar14.
 Ee.s1 L uatsae4 His at H. ,aar ae3 ar't-r replied tiat IT. rus, tas a4a..en Ar Wallace wAi.' A4:t L...-e as 'acre.
 Tt- ler. a.lat iaese na. Ho agool nlg'te fery fer Best; Lon. Auur Lou.e -remed To haze forgotten a ato1t tAe 0te falr.es although sh, had entrusted 'aau "Itn a very i'm por,aut lett.r HH - Betty Lot cou'd hasc u.,I gt rlc fire fair ie- ueacr far-ps-le oa teaeve in them They cE na rac chimney abroad In the world and 1iag yol your Aear- 1e#se lGM9 Brtt Lou have nos fary tac book witl colorcd picturc~> Uadut Aunt Louis kissed her small e.eae and told he that fairies reaI> lived: For tha afternoon Betty Lon had seen Nr Wallace race up the drive aud catch ing Aunt Louise in his arms. kiss hey And wasn't Sla tO pol Iipt ,IruaI