The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1922-01-27
FAIRIES
--e--
BY IRENE BEERS

.
$50 the Are fairies found the lost
prince, and he and the forgotten prln'
cess were married and lived happily
ever after. Now kiss me, Betty Lou
and let nurse put you TO bed"
4 Betty Lou did so, rejecting that
Aunt Louise was a most unsatlsfac'
tory storyteller Of late. She would
/ pause and stare Into the fire as though
| she saw the fire fairies themselves,
/ quite oblivious OF her small niece. Dur
ing the progress Of being undressed
I, and put to bed, Betty Lou recalled the
joyous times she used TO have with
Aunt Louise special trips to the won
derland Of dolls, jars OF barley candy
and the jolllest automobile rides. or
/ course. those were mostly In Ar. Har-
rison's roadster, when tucked In be-
tween him and Aunt Louise, the car
tore over miles OF country road. And
once there had been picnic Betty
Lou sighed rapturousiy over the mem
DRY of II, and. signing, fen asleep,
Meanwhile, Louise Birch, the best
beloved aunt, sat frowning at the blue
and red fire fairies, dancing impudent-
ly over the crumbllng log
"And they lived happily ever after"
she murmured. "Yes, win write to
wallie and put II In the fire, Az least
II will be safety valve for my feet
lngs He'll never see It so Ill just
write exactly as feel. II is seven
weeks today that II 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
for an explanation" She reached
back to the table for her writing case,
'I'll write couple OF letters first and
save walllc's till last"
II was late when ut last a letter.
whimslcally addressed 10 Wallace In
care OF the fire fairies, lay sealed on
the little pile OF letters, and Louise
rose TO crush piece OF paper to
enllven the fire. II may have been
the semI-darkness OF the fire-llt 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. when she
reached down a fumbllng hand and.
with bitter little laugh. tossed a let.
ter on the leaplng fire. the envelope
was addressed TO Mrs. Lawrence Cur.
tbs, and made no mention OF fire fair.
les.
kind Of a post-mortem for Wal.
lie.r she managed between sobs. and
without glance ut the other letters,
she went YEARLY to bed. determined
TO rout oil thought Of Wallace from
her mind.
Mother forbade Betty Lou 10 50
much as tlp-toe Into Aunt LouIse's
room. The home OF the fire fairies
Of Aunt Loulse's stories drew her over
to the fireplace. There stood the big
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
little pile OF letters, all sealed and
addressed, waiting for stamps.
.'Guess Aunt Louise wants these
mailed" remarked Betty, lingering
them curiously. shed let me stick
the stamps on and put EN- in the
box II she was awake. P'haps
they're awful important. I'd better
mail EN-"
"Now what do you think OF that |"
she expostulated rs she laboriously
deciphered "To Wallace, In care OF the
Fire Fairies" aunt Louise does be-
lleve In fairies. I told Billy so Fire
fairies don't bother with mail. The
postman brings letters. She must
have forgotten-oh, goody. goody
I'll write the address myself. can
print most as good Us Billy n he's
nine"
without further ado. she pumped
down on the floor, and with many
wrlnkllngs Of her small forehead she
printed the well-knewn address. for
Wallace lived right next door, except
now. In the summer. when he was at
the seashore. Now that Betty Lou
considered, 1t seemed funny that he
had not been to see them all sum-
mer, and It was September now. He
used to spend lots Of time at their
house. and once she had heard nurse
tell cook that she guessed Mr.. Wal.
lace was Miss Louise's beau.
Betty Lou mentioned this Mt the
table, and mother replied that she
must not mention Mr.. Wallace while
Aunt Louise was there.
The next night there was no good
night story for Betty Lou. Aunt
Louise seemed to have forgotten all
about the fire fairies, although she
had entrusted them with very i'm.
portant letter. But, as Betty Lou
could have assured you, the fire fair.
les never forget II you believe In
them. They fly up the chimney
abroad In the world and bring you
your hearts desire. Didn't Betty
Lou have new fairy tale book with
colored pictures? Hadn't Aunt Louise
kissed her small niece and told her
that fairies really lIved7 For that