The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1922-08-30
A
Square Deal
By MARTHA McWILLIAMS
10 by Mcclure Newspaper Synuicate.)


10 by Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.)
Torment! Where in the world are
your" Mrs. Reed half-shouted, half
whined, her head cooked sidewise on
her long thin neck.
Next door to right here! Here
Here y a gay young voice chanted, the
while a very handsome leg and a pref
ty foot became visible below the
spreading branches of the apple tree
in the Miller yard. you know waste
is wicked" it kept on. Haven't you
told me so ever since you came here
making me eat things l hated because
there wasn't a pig. And these streaky
II just cry out to be eaten. l had
to come over and help them. See
what a beauty basket I'm bringing
home?" she cried, swinging down deft-
ly In spite of her buroen.
Take YOU pick of 'em-then you
can't say I'm stealing-you know re-
ceiyers are as bad as thieves,'i step
ping lithely through a gap in the di-
vision fence.
Mrs. Reed sighed acidly. ITO think
your dear father was a minister" she
said primly.
IL was-I'm the reaction from his
painful piety," the girl flung back. S
guileless he never saw through peO-
ple-not ever YOU"
She merely thought the p~ostulate.
Since she must stay d while longer in
the house with this insufferable saint,
she would keep at least a gloze of
decency over the association. She had
not always been so wise-earlier,
there had been years of battle-it was
In them she had earned the nickname
of Torment, which she had stopped re-
senting when her father died. He had
gone from life clinging to her hand,
and murmuring softly: "Daddy's COM
fort" so low other ears did not hear.
She had understood-here in face of
death he was rendering her the JUS
tice love for her had withheld in life.
He had not wished to sharpen the
edged antagonism already existent
betwixt his child and the misfit new
wife. Needs must they live together
till Dare was one and twenty-then,
coming into her grandmother's money,
she could do as she liked. But she
was not quite sixteen-Ella for all her
castiron hardness would keep her in
safe comfort. She was rigidly just,
according to her own lights, which new
er took account of the mad distor-
tons of jealousy.
"Ain't non of the new apples can
match old streaked Junes," Mrs. Reed
mumbled, her mouth cramful, survey
ing as he spoke a deeply bitten core.
Dare nodded, then sprang up, saying
briskly: "By your leave or without it
apple dumplings. l feel in my bones
they fit the situation-not quite sure
though just what it Is"
who'll make 'em? l won't-you
can't" Mrs. Reed shifted. Dare
laughed softly. saying owe her Shout
der, "You watch me. Or rather
: don't. Wait till you see results. In
deed play company-Tll get the whole
dinner. Supper We ought to call it, to
save scandalizing the neighbors-"
I'm 'fraid you'll need a pig worse'n
ever one needed" Mrs. Reed inter-
rupted. Dare out in the. passage
laughed provokingly, Their banged the
kitchen door and bolted 1t fast.
Three hours later-they had been
strenuous ones indeed-she called
from the cool dining room, Dinner is
served, ma'am." And at just that in
slant came an intrepid knock on the
front door, undervoiced by the impa-
tent rat-tat of small high heels. Next
half minute Mrs. Reed ushered in a
tall young fellow and a small, very
pretty, very cross young woman, who
all but fell upon a rush-bottomed chair,
saying petulantly, "I'm here to get
whatever it Is that smells so good.
Motoring always makes me wolfish-"
1--WE have had a blowout-here half
way to our dinner" the man explained.
"While the repair man is coming could
YOU, would you, be good enough to
save me from being eaten alive? This
young person." nodding at his compan-
ion, has peer threatening it for half
an hour
eff l can feed you, too" Mrs. Reed
said with a wide, hospitable smile.
"Just as soon as you wash the dust
off I'll promise to find you a smack"
For the very first time she felt dis
tinctly proud Of Torment, who stood
unrufled, family flushed and beaming
proudly over broiled chicken, baked
cold ham, several manners of vege-
tables and relishes, hot biscuits, brown
bread, wafer thin, fresh butter and
crisp radishes set out In the best china
upon spotless linen, with the real old
silver cleaning in the low sunlight.
How had the girl done it? Mrs. Reed
had never suspected any such capacity
In her young antagonist. But she was
glad beyond words for this sudden de-
velopment Of 1t. She had placed the
strangers-young Thomas Clair and
the rich Miss Murray he was due to