The Republican., 1929-08-01
WISHBONE
TURNED TO
BACKBONE
:eotooeppoD9 9Uoteooce
&c by D. J. Walsh.)


f1ounced on up the street, sounding
contemptuous little "ump!" as she
went.
Her eyes flashed. She was still ag-
gressively antagonistic to the world In
general, because of the uncalled for
blows she considered had been dealt
her, when a moment later, she met
Alyse Hayes.
"Hello Bet!' Alyse called out, BEAM
ing upon her friend. "Whats wrong
this morning? You look like canni-
bal about to devour an unsuspecting
missionary"
'T'll be forced to do just about that
II my present state Of pocket-book
keeps up," Betty grumbled gloomily.
"If I didn't have to be nurse as well
as wage-earner, could"
"Betty Ollowell!" Alyse interrupted
testify. perhaps it's none Of my busi-
ness but I'm here to tell you you'd
better count your blessings. If my
mother was spared to me and was
given the privilege Of caring for her,
nothing else would matter"
Mothers, sick or we'll, have to be
fed, don't they?" Betty retorted Bit
terly. "And they have to have medi-
cines and extra comforts and things.
How am to get all those when I'm
only able to work at homer"
"You try too hard and worry too
much," Alyse answered kindly. "It I'M
fits you for giving your best. Plainly
speaking, dear, 1t tells In your work.
Maize Walkers the kind that wouldn't
say word-she'll just take her next
blouse to some one else but love you,
Bet, and want to see you throttle this
monster that's dragging you down, so
I'm going to tell You forgot to stitch
in one sleeve of that blouse you made
for Maize and it ripped half way
out while she was at party"
Betty groaned aloud and tears came.
"Oh, what's the use!" she finally said
hopelessly. 81 tried so hard on that
blouse, 1 worried myself thin over it."
"There you are! Worry is the dis
ease Of the age-doctors admit it. 1t
brings wrinkles, exhaustion, indiges-
tion-what preachment I'm wishing
on you! Anyway, think 1t over, Bet.
Tn on my way to inquire about opera
tickets for Saturday."
"How l envy you! To have the price
of opera tickets! OH"
Haven't yet, but I'm sure if it's
y.io 70 hn rrioa'l tI1rn
up from somewhere. Try little of
my philosophy sometime, Bet. Bye,
bye"
Alyse went toward the city and Bet
ty returned to her home, envy of Alyse
ranking in her mind.
Try as she would, however, she
could not forget Alyse's philosophy
and advice. The longer she thought
about it, the more she viewed 1t with
favor and the less envious she be-
came.
Poor little Betty! Stronger charac-
ters than she have gone down under
a similar load; suicide father, an
empty treasury, an invalided mother.
Her only real asset was what her asso-
ciates always had called her "fairy
fingers" Betty could fashion "Paris"
hat or "Drecote" blouse from next to
nothing.
Had she been content to confine her
thought and effort to her dressmaking,
all might have been well, but she grew
restless. She who once had had thou
sands to draw upon found it hard to
confine herself to less than hundreds.
When the money did not come as
rapidly as she thought it should, she
resOrted to all sorts of side lines !;
sent in original cross word puzzles to
all newspapers, supplied last lines to
foolish limericks, named picture pam
els, furnished recipes, bright sayings,
slogans and then allowed herself to
waste many precious moments watch
ing vainly for returns. 1t never seemed
to occur to Betty that literally thou
sands of people all over the country
were indulging in this same indoor
sport every day.
She had just about resolved to give
up wandering into the bypaths, and
confine her best efforts to some lin
gerie she had received an order for,
when she CHANGED to pick up q sheet
of the Sunday paper announcing that
a hundred dollars would be given to
four persons each week, whose hand
writing gave evidence of unusual char
acter.
"Umph!" she thought contemptu-
ously. "a new one. No use my trying
that. My character is anything but
unusual. Still-takes no time-only
costs two cents-guess I'll fall again
just this one last time"
She mailed the coupon and almost
Immediately forgot the whole incident,
so engrossed was she with the lin
ger,e upon which she was at work.
1t happened to be the trousseau of a
millionaire's daughter.
For the first time since her fathers
leath she was able to put her heel
upon the serpent of envy which had
raised it's head and Kissed whenever
she was at work upon luxuries for
others. Instead, she dove into this
soft, silken fabric which grew into
lovely garments beneath her skillful
fingers, beautiful, happy, hopeful
dreams for the young girl who was to
wear them.
In three days they were finished.
Betty enjoyed them as one enjoys a