Phillips County herald., 1923-09-06
HERSELF
BY MYRA ALICE L. DAVIES
rs ,nnm &c
'O' 1923. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate J

o"e sruy uttle n0tel r0om-n country
hotel room; she worked in Kent's gen.
eral merchandise store-the only one
IN the sleepy, aloof old village-at the
hardware counter, and, whenever she
went anywhere, she always went alone.
Nobody, evidently, was interested
enough to find out if any sort of party
invitation would be accepted by the
NIUE woman with the wan face and
pale hair and eyes. That was partly
habit, too, and habit that stuck till
the night of the big grange social-pub.
lie invited-when, in the first place, the
frantic chairman of the flower COM
mitee ran plumb into Jane as she came
from the hardware department.
The grange had not for nothing nut
MIS-. Leonard Kent on that flower com.
mittee. Determination had Mrs. Leon.
ard, and backbone. If every member
OF the committee had failed her at five
O'Clock in the afternoon, when there
were still fifteen begonias to be collect
ed from the neighbors, and bank of
white daisies and ferns to be added to
NV oiu stoNC, ycl tlltTe WIS
some way out. That was Mrs. Leonard
Kent, wife of the leading citizen, moth.
er OF Thomas, Jr., just home from col.
lege.
TO tell the truth, Mrs. Kent didn't
even look at Jane. She merely sensed
the TACT that human being was In
front of her, and that the decorations
Tor the hall were not 1t was the mat
ter of two minutes to explain the situa-
tion to Jane.
I'D love to help" trembled the
sweet, surprised voice. '1ll promise to
have every begonia there, and the bank
of daisies made. Some of the school
children will help, know, and"
Then Mrs. Kent did see that this was
the quiet little lady in her husbands
store, who always looked as If she
didn't know which way to turn. ''Oh,"
said Mrs. Leonard, grimly, probably l
can get somebody else. Capable hands
are quite necessary, you know. Maybe
my son, after he's through talking with
his father. You needn't bother"
But Jane Daniels was already on
her way TO borrow the begonias, her
heart singing song of being needed 1t
hhd not sung since her father was llv-
ing and she made his bread and mend
ed his socks.
Jane beamed so gloriously that hard
" begonia-lender that late June af-
ternoon recognized her as the sedate,
hlack-frocked miss who sat in .he back
seat at church, md certainly not as the
falnt-hearted little lady whose hands
always trembled for fear she hadn't
counted out the right number OF screws
at the store.
iJane Daniels put daisy In her hair
that evening, and a soft white collar
on her black voiie
II was a beautiful socInl, everybody
soc!able. glad to see everybody else,
everybody asking why there weren't
more of those parties. Gamesi Old
fashioned, jolly games. And Jane Dan
iels played at every one, cheeks flushed,
hair flying, eyes shining.
II WIS during the hands for part
nors" game, preceding the supper that
the next big thing happened. All the
girls stood behind n heavy green cur
tain with holes In IT, Through each
small hole protruded one feminine
hand. The boys were to choose their
partners from the hands. II seemed
To have been Tom Kent's idea, and, OF
course, young Kent was to lead the
grand march. Popular first and always
was he. His choice came FIRST. He
made Il with his customary aristocratlc
befring, but with the same good taste
In evidence that always made every
mothers daughter In Broxton hope
But there! -s
! II was an awes0me moment, while
tho fate Of the lenders partner hung
In the balance. Who would lead the
grand march with Thomas. Jr., and
eat strawberry Ice cream and four
kinds of cake-and-i
With n how Of triumph Kent made
his choice Of hand. and the big ball
thrilled during the brenthless second
while the owner OF the fuircst hand in
town tlp,oed quietly out from behind
the screening curtain. oh, II was
James own night. all right. For Jane
| II wns who stood beside young Tom.
Jano 50 surprised, 50 upllfted, 50 glad,
she hardly heard the mans eager whls,
I per.
II like you, Jane Daniels, because
YOU don't shout out to folks to notice
You. You're just Yourself aud II folks
don't see you 50 much tho worse for
thom. watched you In dads store
iodny for one solid hour. | was M In
the office. The way your hands want
cd ia help folks and didn't dare got me.
We're going 10 be- great friends, yam
and !. Jane Daniels n you'll lei US"
N,v there certainly Isn't girl in
BroNion happier or more cared nhout
than Jane Daniels. Mrs. Leonard Kent
admits ungrudsIngly that she's n dar.
ling.
ut was putting those field daisies