Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-11-23

Copyright, 1922, by W. Werner)
The Misses Lothrop first saw Billy
when he was twenty-four hours old.
They went to inquire about his moth
Their and bear her an offering of
flowers. His grandmother showed
him to them, where he lay in his
swing-creche.
Miss Rosa gave a little gasp of de-
light. "Darlingv' she murmured.
Miss Grace was more critical.
Ozark like his mother?" she sug-
ges. ed to his grandmother.
Mrs. Lebarr smiled. cts too soon
yet to tell. Some times his first hair
falls out and gives place to hair
quite Of another color"
As the two sisters returned to their
beautiful and stately old house
where they lived alone together, MISS
Grace remarked: 'How frighttully
puckered and pink he was. 1t must
be distressing to pretty girl like
Edna to have such an ugly little
mummy for a baby"
Miss Rosa was Mortified. MISS hoso
uaa fair and doll-like, with roman
tic tendencies. She had had an uii =
happy love affair. The lover Aa1
died and, though Miss Rosa was
| much better off than she Woulo nave
baen had he lived and married her,
She felt that the circumstances hao
soft her apart, individualNed her, III
a new and interesting way, a way
which Grace could not understand,
for Grace had never had, nor want
| ed, a lover.
Miss Grace saw that she had
shocked her sister and she said no
more about Billy's looks. But she
| did try to avoid making a daily visit
| to his shrine. When she saw that
her Indifference panied Miss Rosa
she went dutifully, bearing some tri'
vial offering.
| Billy's mother was flattered by the
attention of her notable neighbors
but she was not obtuse enough tC
fail to see that they came, not out
of defer ence to her, but out of a real
interest in Billy.
AS for Billy, in course of time, ne
ceased to be pink and puckereo ano
grew rose-leafy and blue-eyed. Inc
| dark hair fell out, as his grandmoth
er had foretold, and was replaced
by curling golden locks. He woulc
never be pretty and he had a rather
blank way of staring. But still he
was interesting. Miss Grace was
| quite won by his charms and became
quite as fond Of him as her sister.
| Somehow they seemed to feel that
they had something in life worth
| looking after. They knit shoes fol-
him, sweaters, caps and cute little
socks out of the finest wool. They
embroidered for him until he grew
| too old for embroidery. Then they
bought him toys. Billy had every
imaginable plaything-so many, ir
fact, that he never got thoroughly
acquainted with any of them. The
young Herrons were in modest cir
cumstances and all these things
helped out amazingly.
When he was eighteen months old
Billy had commissions from endeav
ing to cut five teeth at once. Miss
rosa nearly had commissions, too
IF he should dier' she moaned
You don't know, sister; II feel as
if I should die, too"
'He won't" promised Miss Grace
and she fought side by side with the
doctor till Billy was out of danger
He had no more commissions. He
waxed fat and sturdy. The sisters
loved to take him to drive with them
behind their gentle old horse, which
ambled obligingly in the shafts of the
arlstocratic phaeton. Old Mr.. Cree
gan, their man-of-all-work, drove the
horse. Mr.. Creegan called Billy cit
tie shaver"
The drives agreed with Billy. Ev
erything agreed with Billy. H,
grew and he grew. He was the de
light of Miss Rosa's eyes, the joy o.
Miss Grace's heart. He was always
running into their house. He mad,
as free of it as if it belonged to him
He called them 1.-THE Aunties" ant
| he looked for them for everything
| from caps to dogs.
Then suddenly he was six and go
ing to school. Miss Rosa was quite
inconsolable. "I have lost m!
baby" she mourned.
your baby?" questioned Mis-!
Grace.
"Well, admit he is quite as much
yours"
II should say" suggested Mis-
Grace, that he belongs first Of al
to his parents"
Miss Rosa said no more. It wa!
evident that she was preparing tt
endure whatever ensued.
Billy grew robust. He began tt
take an interest in baseball. HI
found out that Miss Grace did mo-
know now to make kite of paper
and stick a string. George Twadel
could make beautiful kites. He found
out also that Miss Rosa was afraiG
of worms. and worms helped to catcf
fish. He made a little fun Of theil
feminine tinidity-"such great big
ladies to be afraid Of toads!' Per
A ~ ~ m ~