The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-07-25
A Confidential Diary

DORA Gl0 not see morton ne" OeIly
after time, of course. She shared
all the social activities and pleasures
OF the family, so far as her shy tenn
permanent would let her.
But for three-quarters of an hour
she stayed behind in the kitchen until
that place was as shiningly clean as
Aunt Maude desired, and until the
dining room table was set for the next
mornings breakfast. Then she ran up
to her room TO comb her hair into
order again-hating its limpness, ana
IN her hurry, making very unDecom-
ing arrangement OF 1t.
Then she went down to the ''parlor"
to find Gladys playing the piano. Jesse
standing by her singing and Morton
standing a little way off, smoking
cigar and looking as though he wished
he could sing too.
You've got a beautiful voice" Jesse
was complimenting Gladys. Nov,
let's try this new one. Judson only
got it in yesterday"
Gladys began to play it. She had
rich voice which made up in volume
what it lacked in fneness of quality
Aside from the usual singing exercises
at school, it was trained solely by
initiating the vaudeville artists" who
played now and then at the one small
theatre. This meant that she forced a
natural contralto to high soprano, with
somewhat disastrous results. jesse
impressed by sound and strength real
ly thought it remarkable.
Gladys was particularly good at
coon songs" She reached the chorus:
"Oh, how | love you, ba-baby,' and
rolled her great eyes at Jesse with
telling effect. When Jesse joined in
the song, one could feel the room
shake a little.
''Um, gee, that's great, isn't it," was
as far to a compliment as poor Morton
could get.
But it was quite all right; Gladys
took even generalities to herself. She
favored Morton with part of a smile.
and turned at once to Jesse. That was
the only attention she paid to her
second guest that evening.
Morton, making conversation desper-
ately, asked:
Don't you sing, er, Miss Nicholson?"
Dora shook her head. She had a
sweet, unframed little voice. But when
she heard il, she was so terrified 1t
froze in her throat. She sang at church
when the congregation was large
enough so her vocal contribution was
quite droWned-and once in d while
she sang when she was alone.
After the two men went, Gladys
remarked:
Now, why did Jesse bring that idiot
again? | can't stand him. shouldn't
think he'd want to come arounl with
out being asked. He can certin!y see
| don't pay any attention to him. But
some people have no more sense
than"
Unable to find a comparison she
began yawning instead, and PRESENT.!
went to bed AS for Dora, her one
caller had been ruthlessly taken away
from her by Gladys-taken, and dis
carded. The add little elated feeling
she had because someone actually haC
asked to see her was quite destroyed
it was succeeded by an even greater
depression.
He won't come again." she said tt
herself. Why on earth should he
Gladys was rude to him, and couldn'
think Of a thing to say to make hi
evening interesting.
She thought about this so much tina
she could not sleep until even late
than usual. When the waking hour
dragged out to a nervous extent, sh
usually got up and read for a while
finding this quoted her into drowsi
ness. But once in awhile when sh
was feeling rather badly. she sat an
scrubbed in diary-notebook that sh
had. This was a fairly thick volume
with heavily gilt edges and clasp an
key, that had been her mothers. ]
was one of the few articles that ha
belonged to her mother that sh
possessed.
In the early part of the book, he
mother had written stray items of il