The Elk Mountain pilot., 1923-09-06
through one of Mrs. PenhelTs win

through one of Mrs. PenfelTs win
dows.
She took up her sewing. Mrs.
Wopple's gloomy eyes fastened upon
1t with glowing curiosity.
"What in time you maxim" she in
Quired.
Mrs. Penfield exhibited the pink
garment, rich with basting thread.
''This here's a sweater for Lettie."
Mrs. Wopple reached over and
nipped piece Of the goods between
two thin fingers. "Ain't that under
wear silkT
''It sure is. It's going to make
beautiful sweater"
"H'm! Tain't suit'ble for Lettie."
mot suitable! Why, ev'rybody's
wearing EN-"
'Not silk 'Tain't noways suit'ble
to dress Lettie SO fine"
Mrs. Penfeld laughed. would you
suggest my making her a calico
sweaterY' she asked pleasantly. "No,
Mrs. Wopple, 1 been wishing 1 had
some nice clo'es for that child, cause
she needs 'em to pull herself up with.
Amt nothing going to help her SO
much as taking pride in something,
and she's the kind that'll live up to
her clo'es. Poor dear, she's always
been doing IL; 'tain't NO wonder she
hasn't riz faster"
Mrs. Penfeld reached for a soft roll
Of white goods. Look here. Didn't
this wash fine? Couldn't anything
pleased me more'n white corduroy.
Yes. I saw that streak; it had an ac-
cident spilled on it, guess But TAX
ing that out. there's 'nough for collar
and cuffs for Lettie's sweater and
'nough for skirt, too. I'm going to
let her wear 1t Sundays when she's
been good through the week. It'll be
reform dress, If there ever was one
She's going to be the happiesr child in
The Custard Cup. Myi 1 can't source
ly wait for her to get home; I want to
see her as happy as she's bound to be-"
"If was in your place, Mis- Penfield,
l wouldn't count on 1t too much. I've
always heard that If folks wasn't happy
inside 'em, there couldn't nothin' make
'em happy from the outside"
Mrs. Penfield smiled. Eyes, that's
so, but there's something got to start
the happiness going inside 'em. Some
folks have got a factory of their own,
and they make their happiness fast's
they can use it. and some folks have
had so many hard knocks that their
happiness machinery has grown rusty
and set. Then it's got to be oiled up
and started going. Why. look at the
birds, Mrs. .Wopple. You never heard
bird sing on the ground; but give him
a bit Of encouragement in the way of a
fencepost or bush or something with
an outlook to it, and he'll sing his
little head off, cause he's so bubbling
over with Joy. It's up to me to give
Lettle that encouragement"
Mrs. Wopple rose. II must be goin'.
All got to say is. it's mercy you got
such faith in Lettie. 1 sh'd call her an
affiictien If she was to my house"
So far Lettie had merely changed
her allegiance and her boarding place; :;
the routine Of her days had not been
disturbed. The lust for loot was In
her blood; and now that she was well
IL CdlCu WCil 1Cus IL udu DcCOIDG n
sort of frenzy. She knew little about
putting gratitude into speech, having
always employed that medium for
vastly different purposes. The more
thankful Lettie felt, the higher grew
the heaps Of rubbish In Mrs. Penfield's
back yard.
AS another savage collects his beads
and blankets. so this one collected the
superfluities Of human living, the by
products Of organization and reorgani-
cation, the driftwood that eddied In
from the wrecking of many households,
Mrs. Pentield, tolerating the instinct Of
acquisitiveness In Crink as more or
less natural phase of boyhood under
stress. was frankly dismayed over the
far stronger trait In Lettie, and she
looked forward to the time when she
could fill the child's life with other
interests. Only in such wise could she
effect change, because vacuum in
occupation would have drawn from
Lettie the adherence which 1t de-
serves. And surely in a few months,
clothes could be accumulated and book
money saved, so that it would be pos
sible to send the child to school.
When Lettie returned, it was to the
accompaniment Of a mixed. sound, rasp-
ing and swishing around the house and
across the board walk in the back yard.
She had chanced upon a scene Of tree
trimming and had acquired many
branches. which she had jubilantly
,lERlIN 4 |RlIN