The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-08-13

the stairs and into her little room.
The next morning she was awak-
ened by the sound of Flossie's voice
downstairs and in a few minutes
Flossie herself burst into the room.
She threw letter down on the GOV.
ers of her sisters bed.
Mother letter of coincidence, I
suppose" she said. "If I were you
I wouldn't read it'll just start
you to bawling again"
But Mary Rose had the envelope
in her hands. She knew that writ.
ing! 1t was the fine, dashing hand
of John Manners.
| Without opening the envelope, she
deliberately tore it in a dozen pieces
and threw them in the waste basket
in the corner. She felt that some
how or other it wasn't quite fair to
! Toms memory to read letter from
John Manners.
But for weeks afterward she Won
dered what he had written to her.
II came over to tell you some
news" Flossie said to her suddenly.
Something wonderful"
Mary Rose looked at her and saw
| that something rather wonderful had
happened to Flossie. Something
that had given her face a sweetness
and soft usefulness that it never
had had before. Something that
made her flush and laugh with a
kind of nervous, embarrassed hap.
piness under her sisters eyes.
"Yes-it's true" she said. I'm go
ing to have baby,
Mary Rose sat up in bed and put
both her arms around her. and they
chung together-closer in spirit than
they ever had been in all their lives.
Flossie spoke again in a voice that
was muffled by Mary Roses
shoulder: Sam S so tickled that he
could jump over the moon! We've
Eonly known about it for few days."
Il never expected Flossie Middle
ton to be like this over the prospect
Of a baby" Mary Rose confessed
to her mother that night. when
Flossie and her pathetically proud
young husband had taken themselves
off home. II thought she'd raise an
awful rumpus if anybody even
suggested that she have a baby"
Mrs. Middleton gave a comfortable
little laugh. "Oh, nature takes care
of these things, always" she said.
THE minute a baby is born, you'd
be surprised to know what mother
love is born with it in the heart Of
the woman who brings it into the
world! You just wouldn't believe it,
suppose. if I told you that when
was young. was just such a wild
young thing as F'lossie!"
Looking at her Mary Rose couldn't
believe II. 1t was impossible to
think of her mother. with her quiet
eyes and plain bands of gray hair.
as ever having been young and
beautiful and fy.away like Flos.
sic.
Life tannes us ALL said Mrs.
Middleton. Just give it time"
Mary Rose felt as if it had tanned
her already. Since Toms death. she
had not been able to think of going
out to look for a new job. She
couldn't bear to think Of facing PEG.
pie again.
And yet she knew she had to do
not much money in the savings
account at the bank Not much
more than a couple of hundred
dollars.
| I'll start out next Monday and
see what I can land" she made up
her mind.
On the afternoon of New Years
day, as Mary Rose stood at the bay
window Of the little brown house,
Mrs. Fitzroy's big black car rolled
smoothly down the street and
| stopped at the curb.
Ito, the Japanese chauffeur, got
out and came up the front walk.
with a black-edged letter in his
gauntleted hand.
1t was from Mrs. Fitzroy
Dear Mary Rose" it read. THE
doctor and l wondered if you and
your mother will come over to have
tea with us. 1t is very lonely here
for us and perhaps you are feeling
Toms absence just as keenly as we
are on this holiday. Ito will drive
you over Affectionately yours,
MRS. VAN NAULT FITZROY."
An hour later Mary Rose was sit
ting in the doctors study awith him;
while her mother and Mrs. Fitzroy
had a cup of tea over the fire in the
warm. rose-scented library of the
big. luxurious house.
THE house seems empty without
the boy" DR.. Fitzroy said presently,
not looking up from the flames that
flickered in the crate.
Mary Rose nodded, silently. She
noticed how much whittier the hair
on the doctors temples seemed to
be than ever before, and how deeply
the lines about his eyes and mouth
! had etched themselves this last week