The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1930-01-23
THEY
NEEDED A
STEPMOTHER
x Observation-Disclosures
(9 by D. J. walsh.)

TT WAS one Of those afternoons
when a small town girl with va
cation has nothing to do. Frances
Knight, lounging in the porch ham,
mock trying to read slow-moving
story, welcomed the sight Of her
friend, Bertha Glen.
Bertha looked hot and tired and
very cross. She sank into the ham,
mock beside Frances and wiped pow
der and perspiration Unfortunately
from her face.
Ted's awful" she sighed. II can't
do a living thing with him. Our house.
keeper and Dad both leave him to me.
I'm afraid Of Ted when he's mad. He
was horribly mad just now. He told
me to go where it's much hotter
than it is here this afternoon. What
that boy needs is an animal trainer"
"This trying to get along without a
mother is a NESS" Frances said.
"We've got everything in our house
to make us happy except a mother"
Bertha gazed into space. This was
one Of the times she felt more moth
erless than at other times. Her bout
with her boisterous brother had dis
heartened and disheveled her.
"Look! There goes Miss Susan
driving her new carp exclaimed
Frances. "She's wearing the fifth
new hat she's had this season."
"She's a nice looking woman for
her age" Bertha said. "She was a
grill when our mothers were. Funny
she never married"
"She didn't have to. She's got
coolies Of CON-"
Nevertheless she ought to marry.
She's depriving some good man Of her
companionship. That's what Dad
says"
"Mine, tool" Frances bounced on
the cushions. Bertha! I've got an
ideal"
keep it. I don't need it. I've got
one myself" retorted Bertha.
Bertha went home rather hurriedly.
Frances was glad. Snatching her
scissors, she dashed into the garden
and began cutting nasturtiums.
"Here! You get outen therel I
want them to go to seed for my
picklesy" shouted the housekeeper.
Mrs. Bird, thrusting her dust-capped
head out Of the window to see "what
that girl was up to-"
Frances paid no heed. After all,
she was the real mistress Of the house.
When she had cut nice bunch Of
nasturtiums she scooted down the
street toward Miss Susan Burke's.
Miss Susan had shut her smart
roadster in the garage and sat down
on her broad veranda with some sew
ing.
"For me?" She seemed little sur
prised at this unusual attention from
her young neighbor. "How nice!
Won't you have seatT'
Frances felt a sense Of citation.
But she bit her lip with vexation when
a few minutes later Bertha appeared.
Bertha bore a large book in gorge
GUS jacket. Bertha's father belonged
to a book club and this book had just
been handed in by the postman. Miss
Susan looked a trifle embarrassed, but
she accepted the volume.
Frances perceived that Bertha and
she had the very same idea. It was
most unfortunate. Frances made up
her mind that Miss Susan was Just
the kind of mother she wanted. Dad
was fairly well off, but they had to
be mite careful Of expenditure. Miss
Susan was rich. If only she could be
persuaded to marry Dad, Frances ar
gued mentally, she'd probably let them
move into her house. What Won
derful home for a young girl! Think
of the parties one could have there
Dad was good looking and agreeable,
but Frances had feeling that he'd
need her help If he was going to get
Miss Susan. OF course, Bertha's IA
Their was well off and good looking,
too, but he had a drawback. Not
Bertha, Ted. Ted was horror.
Every day Frances piled Miss Susan
with favors. Frequently she encoun-
tered Bertha bent on like missions.
Relations were strained between the
former chums. Bertha took succulent
young vegetables when Frances took
flowers, she took books when Frances
took fruit. She praised her dad to
the skies. Ted was going to be just
like HMM time.
One afternoon Frances sought Miss
Susan with an assurance she had not
before known. That morning she had
gone for a ride with Miss Susan in
the eight-cylinder roadster. She felt
a delightful new possessive sense in
the car, the wonderful house, and Miss
Susan herself.
On Miss Susan's veranda sat q
small, brown, ugly young girl, who was
toiling over some breadths Of coarse
blue-checked Bingham. Frances nose
went up, Bertha's likewise. They sat
down with their backs to the. lob
stacle." Judy Hoy wasn't in their
crowd. She lived in "rooms" and her
father came home at night in overalls,
looking hot and soiled. Besides, Judy
had twin sisters, Jane and Mary, who
played in the street simply because
there wasn't any other place for them
to play. Judy was younger than
either Frances or Bertha, but she and
her father managed" with the help
of woman, who came in once week,