Evening star., 1928-03-25

rounds. ANY messages for your friends
downstairs?"
"Oh, Miss Print. I have q new pink
dress and everything, and Bunny is
planning on coming" walled Patricia.
But the door closed firmly and deci-
sively.
Patricia lay staring ruminatively at
the ceiling Funny" she thought.
Before / went home didn't care q
whoop whether / went TO the mid-year
or not. and now can't 60 ! want to. !"
She sighed and reached for her hand
mirror. which lay on the bedside table
IN company with various medicines and
the thermometer In its glass Of anttsep-
tic liquid. She gazed at herself in
tently, dragged down her eyelid as the
doctor and nurse had done. TO see for
herself what they had found so enter
tanning, discovered that her eyes looked
strangely opaque and yellow, that her
complexion had Mongolian cast.
reached for her nail file, which she used
vigorously, and dropped asleep With II
sti1 in her hand.
As the days slipped by. Patricia found
much time for meditation. She thought
over the things her father had told her,
and resolved to bend every effort TO
fulnll his expectations by putting dis
appointments behind her and facing
each event as Ii came along with new
courage. A feeling Of responsibility
came 70 her and she realized that her
| little girl days were passing, and with
them the little girl habit Of crying over
/ failures. She read ayidly everything
that was sent by the friends who re-
GREETED her absence. and when Louise
sent up her well worn copy OF Thomas
HaFdy's Return Of the Native. Sne
poyed over il, enchanted. She read II
twice, her disapproyal Of EuStacia
changing 70 sympathy as she knew her
better and saw her the prey 70 an en-
yironment where she was surrounded
by misunderstanding. Dimly she SenSeo
the fact that the tragedy Of her tate
might have been averted had she. ike
/ Patricia herself, had q father TO whom
she could turn for the sympathy aglo
, wisdom bred from experience ana
knowledge OF human nature.
In contrast 10 the sufferings Of tne
unfortunate Eustacia the fact that khe
was obliged 10 miss the dance sank into
insigniflcance and she sent message
by Miss Print that the pink frock was
10 be- worn by dTab little Jane smith,
who was known 10 be In school through
| the benefcent charity Of Miss Stan.
! hope. After that her spirits ugntencc
| peTceptibIy. and when she was allowed
| 70 zee visitors she listened 20 the plans
/ for the dance with as much enthusiasm
at IL she had been taking An active
part. When the long evening
arrived she asked " have the doors Iefl
open that she might hear the distant
strains Of the music floating up tht
stairs. She imagined James appear
&nce and WA delighted when she ran
up between dances 10 show herself 9
| gay little butterfly emerged from ia
| humdTum cocoon, atl flushed and
5reathless with happiness. Her sallov
| cheeks reflected some Of the pink ol
! the dress and she Was almost pretty.
+. On the whole, after the first few
i days Of extreme misery had passed
Patricia rather enjoyed her invalid
state and the complete rest which Ehl
needed more than anything else. Flow
ers. fruIl, notes, books and frequent
visits from the girls Fetuted Patricia
theory that no one liked her, and Giia
oontentsdiy admitted 10 herself thAi
right. ~ usual Bunny sent lettei
which contained four pages Of disap'
| pointment and along with II came
great box of PINK roses.
Good gracious. lls must think yol
are expensive" remarked the ire
pressible Mary Harris as she counted
the blossoms found there three dozeI
and placed them on the dresser wher'
the mirror doubled their number. SIN
herself Was laden down with a grea
basket u California grapes and dist
Ut snow.
why the snow, desT7" demanded
Patricia The grapes are simply mar
velols, DsIt ! know they won't ist m'
eat snow '
NO. I s'p0ss not, and isn't u |