The Meeker herald., 1923-01-13
DREAMS
sy LOUIS RAvsoLp

Mary Louise hA0 mated hef environ
ment; hated the sone-to.seed street
she lived on: hated the dinsy, paint.
peeled house where her aunt took
boarders; hated the dining room where
three times day she served scant
portions to the joshins young men who
formed her aunt's clientele.
But most Of all she hated the kitch.
en-. where for hours ON end she stood
at the sink and labored at greasy
dishes stacked interminably high.
It was to mitigate all this that Mary
Louise had invented her same-not .
Pollyanna game. whereby she con.
soled herself BY thinking how much
worse of she could have been. To be
frank. she didn't believe she could
have been worse of.
Her game was one Of lima sinatlon.
and distance. She played she was elae-
where. That was all. To her aunt, she
appeared to BE- standing, Q drab. un-
tidy figure. above q steamlng dishpan.
But to herself. to Mary Louise. she
was sitting At . little round table be-
side q blue, blue sea, ordering water
cress salad or peach Ice cream. Or
else she was on q hilltop capped with
daisies. dancing with arms out.
stretched to the four winds. OF heaven.
Mary could play this game with In
finite variations, for every spare mo-
meEit she could grasp. she read--read
the newspapers. stray books left
arpund- BY the boarders. Apd as . re-
suit, she could exult over her drudEery
and sing. "I'm not hare At all. I'm
away. away. awayF
Yet It was this very saving expedi.
ent which nearly cost her her life and
happiness.
To begin with, there came one day
to the house IN applicant for . room
| who was di6efeat from the usual run
| Of boarders on the street-A young.
| clear.eyed man who said he was q
doctor In training and wanted TEN.
porary accommodation near the hos
pitai.
His first glimpse Of Mary Louise
occurred under circumstances that
were equivocal. Youns Dr.. Stewart
passed through the hall just In time
| to hear her refuse 10 20 to the NOV.
Ing pictures with Sandy BriggA. q
persistent tormentor Of the girl. whom
she could not stand.
"No. thanks" said Mary Louise to
his solicitation.
"Shouid think you'd, jump at the
| chance!" And Sandy's tone was .
sneer. "Never going anywbere~
"would your said Mary Louise
lightly. "weli. don't worry about me.
whIle you're At a stufly movie IL
! shall be dancing to heavenly music on
q pavilion BY the sea In the arms Of
ga prince!"
The doctor had only overheard the
words, had not seen the whimsical
face Of the girl. sooeriy he reflected
that q dancing pavilion and the arms
Of the sort Of man she would doubt.
less designate a. 4 prince were no
place for his landlady's niece. II won
der her aunt allows IT," he ruminated.
and then forgot Mary I.suise entirely.
The summer days arrived heat.iaden.
One morning over the steaming snds
Mary tainted. One day, two days.
three days In bed brought no improve.
ment. Wan and still she lay and re.
fused to eat. her eyes always On the
window. Aunt Jennie. suddenly bereft
Of the faithful service Of years, IN
something like q panic thought Of
young Or. Stewart in her second floor
front and summoned him.
And 10 Mary Louise was DR.. Stew.
arts very arst case outside the hos
pltal. Brain fever" he called her III.
ness.
The young doctor. becoming dea-
perate. realized that not only was It
because she was his first real patient
that he could not lose her. but because
she had come to mean the whole world
TO him. and more.
MARY Louise! Mary I-ouise!" he
whispered brokenly one day when
Aunt Jennie had left the room on some
errand. "Stay with me. dear!"
And Mary Louise. lifting thin-veined
lids from her wonderful eyes, had re-
sponded In sheer amaxement. And had
stayed.
Some weeks later, dining In q hotel
veranda at WAIKIKI, outside Honolulu.
where Or. Stewart had gone to take
over part Of . fellow physiciah's prac-
tice grown too large for one man. he
surprised o faraway lock In bis young
wlfe's blue eyes.
MARY LOUISE" he demanded stern
~, and grasped her two hands. where
are you nOw?"
Mary Louise smiled tenderly into his
eyes II was thiaking what long.
long way I had come to be here, hg-
uratively. l mean. As for where am
I'm at q little round. round table.
by q blue. blue sea, eating peach Ice
creami" Then she sobsred and held
his hands sishtiy. "Oh. my dear. you
have done the most wonderful thing
q man can do for ws1an--and that
II. to make her dreams come tfue!"