The St. Johns herald., 1922-12-28

l puucllAlOuSly-dn lSSS puucClFOt65Iy added: Nonsense. This Is going to be papa's little party"
 ''But we had the engagement with Bobby, It was an engagement" t "Well." said Ina, q think we'll just set that aside-that important en- gagemenf, I think we just will"
 Papa E9Ob9H '=sant to be the one to pay for Jennysand l."
 "Dip Ina's voice dominated all 'Will you be more careful of your grammar or shall I speak to you againT
 "Well. I'd rather use bad grammar an-than-than-" she looked re- sentfully at her mother, her father. Their moral defection was evident to her, but it was indefnable. They told her that she ought to be ashamed when papa wanted to give them all treat. She sat silent, frowning, put upon.
 Look, mammar cried Monona, swallowing a third of an egg at one impulse. Ina saw only the empty plate.
 Mammals nice little girlT' cried she, shining upon her child. The rules of the ordinary sports of the playground, scrupulously applied, would have clarified the ethical at- mosphere qf this little family. But there was no one to apply them.. =. = When Di and Monona had been e3- cused, Dwight asked:
 Nothing new from the bride and groom?
 te t'.No. And, Dwight, it's been a week since the last"
 "See-where are they then2"
 He knew perfectly we'll that they were in Savannah, Georgia, but Ina played his game, told him, and retold bits that the letter had said.
 q don't understand" she added. 'why they should 20 straight to Ore gon without coming here first"
 Dwight hazarded that Min probably had to get back, and shOne pleasantly in the reflected importance of a brother filled with affairs.
 "I don't know what to make of Lu- lu's letters," Ina proceeded 'They're sO-so-"
 "YOu haven't had but two, have you?"
 That's all-well, of course it's only been a month. But both letters have been so-" .s.
 Ina was never really. articulate. Whatever corner of her brain had the blood tn it at the moment seemed to be operative, and she let the matter go at that,
 1T don't thinEE' it's fair to mamma-, going off that way. Leaving ker own mother. Why, she may never see mamma again" Ina's breath caught Into her face-came something of the lovely tenderness with which she sometimes looked at-Monona and Di. She sprang up, She had forgotten to put some supper to warm for mamma. The lovely light was still in her face as she hustled about against the time of mammals recovery from her tantrim. Dwight's face was like this when he spoke of his foster mother. In both these beings there was something which functiOned as pure love,
 Mamma had recovered and was eat ing cold scrambled eggs on the corner of the kitchen table when the ice cream soda party was ready to set out. Dwight threw her casual Bet ter come, too, Mother Bett," but she shook her head. She wished to go, wished it with violence, but she con- trived to give to her arbitrary refusal a quality of contempt. When Jenny arrived with Bobby, she had, brought a sheaf of gladioli for. Mrs. 'Bett, and took them to her in the kitchen, and as she laid the flowers beside her, the young girl stopped and kissed her. "You little darlingw cried Mrs. Bett, and clung to her, her lifted eyes lit by something intense and living. But when the ice cream party had set off at last, Mrs. Bett left her supper, gath cred up the flowers, and crossed the lawn to the old cripple, Grandma Gates.
 "Inie sha'n't have 'em." the old woman thought.
 And then 1t was quite beautiful to watch her with Grandma Gates, whom she tended and petted, to whose complainings she listened, and to whom she tried to tell the small events of her day. When her neigh bor had gone, Grandma Gates said that it was as good as a dose of medi- cine to have her come in.