Evening star., 1933-07-23

"/ his pale blue eyes roved wist-
v fully from 28-year-old Jasper
down through Hutch and
Dolby to the 10-year-old twins, Judy and Jen,
1t was upon 20-year- old Carroll that they
eventually came to rest with q pleading look
In their questioning depths.
Papa was 81 and quite lost without mamma.
He went about constantly with bewildered
expression upon his big, red face, and when
ever his eyes fell upon the twins, he stood
back on his heels and scratched his head per-
plexedly. They needed some one to take
mammals place for them. And who could do
that but Carroll? Who, too. but she. could
rally the boys together and keep them about
papa until he got his bearings q bit and
knew just what he was going to do?
OF course it was a hard thing to ask Of q
2O-year-old girl who was pretty, and loved
coed times, and was just on the Threshold
Of life. 1t meant giving up a nice job. and
not having ones own money to spend on
clothes, and settling into the harness that
poor mamma had worn for so many years.
But what else could papa do?
Even Carroll recognized his predicament
Besides, hadn't mamma said to her when
she knew her time was up, Keep the boys
together, Carrie And stay by Judy and Jei?"
Mamma had put in a good word for papa.
too. Love him." she adjured. Hes worked
for you children 81 years"
Poor mamma! She had had to 60 without
q good many comforts She had had to do
without a maid without laundry help, with
out vacations, without new clothes. Because
there were taxes to be met, and mortgages to
be paid of, and things to be improved upon.
Very often Jasper argued with her. pleaded
with her, to accept a little help from him.
Look here, mamma. I've got Q couple
thousand in the bank"
But mamma always shcok her head.
NO" she said. You keep your money.
Jasper. One Of these days you'll meet . nice
girl you'll want to marry. And then you'll
be needing every cent you've got"
Mamma was like that Always thinking of
the children's good. Never taking q thing
from them.
IN the end Carroll took the plunge
= "Ive given notice" she said to papa one
Saturday night. I'm not going back to the
ONCE I'm going to stay home and look after
us ALL"
Papas tired eyes lightened up. The creases
seemed, to iron themselves out Of his face
He said humbly, mindful Of the sacrifice she
was making: "You can have as your own
what would have gone to a maid, Carrie"
He was trying awfully hard to be fair. was
papa.
Yet what storm of protest came down upon
Carrolls head when it became known that she
had given up her job to bend her back to the
tasks that had broken mammal!
Mammals two sisters, Aunt Lottie and Aunt
Nina. were the first to voice their disapproval
And they did SO in no uncertain terms.
You're a fool, Carrie" declared Aunt IOttie
who was thin and most excitable. you're q
young girl. It's your business just now to be
looking about for nice young man who Will
give you home Of your own How are you
going to meet any one If you're going to make
q scrub Of yourself? Your mamma wouldn't
want you to do this
But" cried Carroll, "she said to ms her
self, Keep the boys together, and stay by Judy
and jeff It's my duty!"
Your duty, first Of all, is to yourself" Aunt
Lottie disputed "Your papa will, very likely,
get married again, anyway. And then what Of
the years you'll have given him?"
Aunt Lot-tie!" CAROLS eyes blazed re-
sentiment How can you talk that way about
papa' As if he were heartless beast or
"Norsense!" snapped Aunt Nina. Aunt
Iottie isn't making your papa out . beast or
anything. Being a man. he'll do as all men
do. Get married again."
Carroll drew herself up.
Well" she said. II, at least, won't drive
him to i'll"
And the aunts knew they had wasted their
breath.
A ND so the weeks heightened into months,
I and the months aggregated q year. The
wound inflicted by mammals death ached less
sharply. Little by little the family settled into
the routine Of everyday life. The twins came
to the eleventh birthday. Carroll reached her
twenty-first She looked . little less sprightly,
. little less pert.
However, they were all together Is mamma
would have wanted them to be. And papa