Evening star., 1923-05-02

May dash us on the shelves-the
Steerman's part
Is vigilance, blow it rough-or-
smooth"
| ~ ANNOCK was pacing TO and
X fro for the last hour. Won
- dering what was OBTAINING
Jil-Bett. on this night OF all
| others. when he had such wonderful
/ news to unfold to her. He pondered
long and earnestly whether he should
go in search of her or wait her
! coming.
| All unconscious of the anxiety OF
+, her grandfather on this particular
night of all others. Jil-Bett had
| stopped at the Mudges' on her way
| home to change the dress she had
+. worn that day to the hospitals
, borrowed one from Mrs. Nudge
! and to try on one that good woman
was making for her to replace the
native dress she had always been
satisfied with until now.
II want to have clothes like the
wives and daughters Of the officials
| wear" she confided to Mrs. Nudge
| "a pretty white cotton. with nice
! founces edged in red. and stockings
! and slippers. instead oF bare feet ana
limbs"
she heard the girl speak 60 ,ss 50 bauG much
some stranger at the hospital she
readily guessed he was the cause OF
! Jil-Bett's longing to look like the
! girls in the English colony, and
surprised at this request; indeed
| she had been expecting 1t for some
| time. =,
/ Mrs. Mudge's gown. ill-fitting though
it was to her Slim figure, Jil-Bett de,
termined never to go back to the OLD
way of garbing herself. when not
Mrs Nudge was deft with the
needle. She had fashioned from PLAIN
! cotton sheeting a dress over which
! the girl went into raptures.
/ II copied 1T from the one that one
of the Eovernor's daughters is wear
| inc" s6e ndmitted. IL am sure no
one will mind; indeed. they are most
anxious that the women and youns
girls Of katar should dress as the
people of far-off England do. You
will see that they will be very p!easea I,
arm's-length for Jil-Bett to admire:
This. with a couple of standings OF
your pearls, will make you very
beautiful young lady; l should not
be surprised II you will want to give
~ That That 7 can never do" declared
Jil-Bett decisively. You know we
are. very poor indeed. and we de-
pend upon the money to live since
grandfather is no longer able to get
anything to do at his trade.
either man or woman. is short at
the best. Jil-Bett. What will you do
when that occupation fails you,
dearie?
IT will do as you are doing. Mrs.
Nudge. sew shirts for the natives TO
support my grandfather and my
You will perhaps end by marrying
one of the Arabs, providing Ben-Ali
does not force you into union when
he returns"
one whom I do not love"
She crept up to Mrs. Nudge. laying
her head in her lap.
Tell me about love, Mrs. Nudge.
she whispered. II want to know II
it is true that every, girl meets some
again what it was to her before;
and one face is always before her
in her dreams. and she would almost
give up her life for him-her only
great happiness being near him-jus'
being where he is." ,.
INJURED Mrs. Nudge, gathering the
girl closer In her arms, who would
have thought such fancies were In
her dear little head?" Aloud she
said: "You never had such ideas un.
til the nta fe d1w9 dd d' yon ans
Jil-Bett could not, or would not
1T is not wisest or best for a glrl
to let her heart 60 out to- a man
Of whom she knows absolutely moth
ing" she remarked.
jil-Bett lifted her face from her
lap. looking up into her face. Now
you are talking along the lines tina,
grandfather does. He remembers
nothing of 1ove-how should he--he
! is old, and has forgotten 1t long. long
ago. have read all the books over
and Romeo-and@
The entrance Of Nudge cut short
the conversation.
I'VE will resume the conversation
| the next time you come over. dearie,
she whispered as she kissed tho girl
stili lingering on the doorstep. she
looked up at the bright stars that
| gemmed the blue arched dome above
| her. murmuring:
"Oh. fair young mother, ir you
you would tell me IL it is right o,
wrong to think so constantly OF
Jack. Oh. mother! Angel mother
What would I do If he were ever
to go away and / should see him
, no more? Did you have such thoughts
about my father?" But the cleaning
stars made her no answer.
| There was another and quite i'm
portant matter which troubled Jill
Belts heart, and which she meant t.
confide to Mrs. Nudge, and that wal
that she had heard that one Of tn,
governors beautiful daughters hat
been visiting the hospital, taking {
great interest in her Jack.
Jil-Bett wended her way home
wondering what her grandfather
would say when he saw the prett,
| white dress and heard Of her determi
nation to dress like the daughters o.
the officials, who had clothes sent Il
them from Paris and London.
She knew she would be upbraidet
for staying out SO late. AS sh'
reached the door she was startled
by the sound Of sob from within
She entered hurriedly. surprising
her grandfather. who was on hi
knees before the lapidary bench
weeping as men seldom weep In
lifetime.
In the greatest Of alarm she RI,
to his side. crying: "Oh, grandfathe!
am here! Your own Ja-Bett! Tel
me. are you ill?"
She was almost stricken dumb a
the sight Of the face he turned 10