The Washington times., 1930-08-13
Lucky Girl, Cathie Called
AS BetrOthal Is Told
CHAPTER 9

MIhIJ = aA8C "0AASSA w S~-@
to Cathie. She had been want
ing to talk to her for days.
There was so much in her
heart. So many things Cathie
ought to know " or did she
know them already? Girls were
so different nowadays.
Even her girls. Ruth wrote a
paper on birth control for q
course she had at summer ses-
sion last year. Fifteen-year.
old Jean talked knowingly and
easily Of things that even yet
made her own cheeks flush
warmly.
Il hurt that Cathie had not
consulted her, had not once
asked for advice. Never a DO
you think I ought to, Map"
or Ma. what do you think!
Mr.. Farnsworth asked me to
marry him." No. not a word.
Not a single word. Just the
fact, I'm all through at the
office. I'm going to marry Mr..
Farnsworth. Oh, don't all jump
on me. I'm going to !! My
minds made up!"
Remembering it-that night
that Cathie burst in on them
with her news, made Mary
Paige's heart contract anew.
She could see Ruth'S incredu-
lous, stony face, and hear little
jeans delighted Shriek-"Ca-
THE! How WONDERFUL"
Humble Existence.
Mary Paige shook her head.
She had loved, and she had
not been very happy. She
thought of herself and young
Ed Paige, setting up house
keeping in this very house.
With the solid oak bedroom set
and the mahogany veneer par
lor set purchased on the in
stallment plan. And the babies
coming, and she at the wash
tub. and Ed in his shirt-sleeves
putting at his pipe telling how
he'd quit because he wouldn't
take any lip from anybody, by
God. but in a few days, after
he'd rested UP he'd see about
something good he'd heard
about and quitting again
:. and again and the col
lectors coming and Schneider.
the grocer, sending notes by
the children.
She thought Of Ruth, not
getting any younger, and no
sign of love for her, unless it
was love that made her say
"Mr. Browning says" oh twen-
ty, forty times a day.
And little Jean talking about
college already. And young
Eddie, so tall, SO handsome,
so so like his father about
jobs and money.
She put her hands over her
eyes. II don't know" she said
llnhappily. don't know If one
could say that love was enough,
or not"
Mind Made Up
And Cathie, glowing and ex-
cited but strangely calm. mo,
there's no use talking. My
minds made up"
Yes, Cathie's mind was made
UP. There was no mistaking
that. There was a serenity, a
sure, unhurried precision about
all her movements now. The
childishness had slipped from
her, like a worn-out garment.
Cathie was grown up. Cathie,
the flyaway, the giggly, baby
ish one d" why it was only
yesterday that she was playing
lady with the brown couch
cover, dragging it behind her
for a train. Mary Paige's
eyes grew misty. Those were
the days, with the children all
around her. And now with
Eddie gone off on that ship,
and Cathie talking about mar
rying that man she
didn't know what to say. :"
Cathie, out of her new,
grown-up wisdom, tried to help
her mt. There's no use say
ing fsr IN love with Mr.. Farms
WORTH" she admitted frankly.
"But / do like him-oh, ever
so much. I think he is the
kindeSt, incest man in the
world. And when you like a
man, and respect him, isn't
that a lot? It isn't only love
that makes people happy when
they're married, is it, ma?"
Worth Sacrifice
But a look that flashed
across her mothers face-a
glow of remembrance, a fleet
ing radiance, chilled Cathie.
She thought intuitively 1T was
worth 1t to her. Worth all the
work and worry and everything
3" having had father, and
u.s."
she couldn't remember her
father very well. She had only
q blurred recollection of his
rnustaCne tickling her when
she climbed on his lap and
pulled his head down to her.
The thing that she invariably
thougtE of when Ma spoke Of
nim was the little plot in Holy
Cross with lis name, EDWARD
JOSEPH PAIGE, carved into
the slim granite cross. And all
the family, awed and good,
sitting in q row on the curb
ing in their Sunday clothes,
while Ma nut ca'nn lilins in the
vases ard mlled up the dark,
knOttine weeds that kept crop