Show C CLADY LADY BLANCHE FARM FARMA A Romance Finance of o f the Commonplace By FRANCES PRANCES PARKINSON KEYES A Af 1 AV S f Copyright by Frances ranee Parkinson K y 7 S lee CHAPTER Continued VII VII Continued 7 Dont cry darling I 1 I Its It's n shame but Mary Alary Iary t will Ill III buy you another just like It only prettier maybe the next time she goes to Hush Bush honey Let LeI Mary Alary put you In bed with Moses while she gets you dry pajamas and changes your sheets and und wipes up all the pieces so you ou wont won't cut your dear little feeL Comfort fresh linen and more yn wa ter all having baring been provided Moses loses was urged to conti continue nile his devotions I 1 donl dont see why I 1 should say If U l I should die lie before 1 I wake Ive I've said It and said It and 1 I aint never neer died at all Well just say God bless tonight then God bless Daddy and Mary Iary and Algy mumbled Moses glibly and andall all my dear friends and make me a 8 good boy and bless Cousin Jane and Cousin Violet and find Blanche You needn't bother about Paul Patti he snitched my woodchuck trap Amen Now sing me The Sugar SugarPlum SugarPlum SugarPlum Plum Tree he commanded climb climbing ing fog Into bed and settling himself on his pillow Mary began It bravely enough But Bul the reference to Pit Paul II was too much for her Before she reached the Chocolate Cat she found she co ild lid not nol go on Im afraid 1 I cant can't finish The Su Sugar gar ar PIli Plum Plan III Tree tonight darling she said abruptly bending over o to kiss him and In spite of her some hot tears fell feU down dawn on his face Then sh she tied led from the room Moses loses lay for a long time wide wide eye eyed and pondering He ne loved loell Mary as ns he loved no one else In Inthe Inthe Inthe the world and Mary Iary plainly was very unhappy Moses nl always slept with a small Canton flannel Canton flannel dog named Spotty to which he be had been devoted from Infancy It had gon through numerous vicissitudes More than once It had fallen In thE brook but bul Mary hac had always fished It oui out and dried It II In the oven oen And one nl night ht he had 1 ripped It open and devoured most of Its lin lining Ing nn ing an experiment which had roved very disastrous to both But Dut But j C potty still survived Moses made madea madei a 8 sudden resolve He lie hugged Spotty and kissed what remained of his nose Ue lie gUlped as be he did lt It Never since he could remember bad he tie gone to sleep without first laying his head headon headon headon on the cherished toy Then he picked It up and pattered Into Marys Mary's room It was as he be bad had expected Mary Mory teas as lying on her bed weepIng Moses held out his tr nd Dont cry any more please Mary he said softly Ive brought Spotty to sleep with you ou It was then that Mary Iary realized that she had found n a second source of comfort In Moses Most of her unhappiness had been caused by selfishness Moses was willing to tomake tomake tomake make for her what was to him a tremendous sacrifice She drew the child with his little flan Canton flan Canton net nel toy still In his hand Into Inlo bed with her ber and cried without reo re restraint holding him In IH her r arms Moses lay solemn and silent ask askIng askIng lag Ing no questions making no over overtures tures Rut But she could feel fee his bis sympathy sym sympathy pathy In every curve of his warm little b body lI Gradually y she relaxed e a sense of peace of compensation of contentment stole over her She fell asleep her cheek check against her ber little brothers brother's Things never seem seemed seemed d half so hard again CHAPTER VIII MEANWHILE A Paul Instead of rejoicing In his longed longed for for lib lib- liberty lib liberty erty was finding It utterly dull flat fiat stale and unprofitable In the first place living at close quarters with his mothers mother's nerves unrelieved by Blanches Blanche's sunny pres presence ence or the ready escape to Mary Iary's s house which had always been open to him was not a pleasant experience ence as has bas already been hinted But Dut this was by no means all nil For Fora Fu Fua Fora r a day or two after his sisters sister's wed wed- wedding wedding ding he was really ill As soon as ashe a ahe ashe s he was WIS sufficiently recovered how how- however how however e ever er he made his way feeling very blithe nn and unshackled to call o on Rosalie Im right In the midst of pack ing fag packing she announced I 1 ha ent haven t tL much time to spare Im I'm going back bac L to New York on the midnight Paul strove to express his regret Dont you go getting fresh wIth withmel withmel i mel me I said eald Miss King Bing crisply in t r C not that kind and you ou needn't for forget for get It little one Why t you tell me you ou was engaged to tha that looking I gond cousin of yours My Iy but she's a looker l 1 I Im not eh engaged aged to her saId sal d nu aul shortly V v Oh Oil she's thrown you over ha hashe s she J jeered Rosalie Well I 1 should think she would She ca can cando cando n do a 8 lot better than you Little Bo caBo oy Blue mue even If tf you behaved yourself instead of hitting bitting It up all like summer youve you've from been Boston Doston doing Is That Mr all right and hes he's sweet on her bo me mel I some swell be be- It was me that broke the said Paul en stiffly and un- un un grammatically Rosalie stared at him speechlessly for a moment But Dut only for a mo meat ment So that's the kind of a bird are Is it she Inquired with you yoo Im ha beardo measurable scorn Well ell Ive I've heard beard hearda o Lr t a lot about ancestors since I I struck this burg and I 1 dont don't deny that you youre got something to be proud ot of along that line The men that came UI up here to here to say women nothing of the wom en that came with and em cm and just got settled when the Revolutionary war broke out and were willing wl and glad to strike out again and tight light for their country were sure BUrl all wool anda and a yard wide and then some But Dut I 1 guess If they could look up or down do now as the case may be and see their descendants wearing trousers out the seats of their trous ers sitting on the post office steps and saying what they'd do If hi they was President resident or on the tha I curbstone In Wallacetown thinking k they're having baring the h I h 1 of a time because they've got a couple too many drinks Inside of ot them and lire are talking to some skirt they wouldn't introduce to their mother mother-I mother 1 guess them diem old captains and jUdges and governors would think the good old stock had run down to a pretty poor line of goods 1 I I 1 I got a fellah In New v York floor York floor walker on the who eighth who doesn't know who hIs father was Iet let lei alone any great great- it grands grands I But hes he's white clean through for all that believe helle me If f he be could have hate chance your my I 1 what hed he'd have hae done with it I 1 A good home and money monty for an edu education education education cation and a lady for a sweetheart I And youve you've turned turned up your ugly uly nose at all of while them them while hes he's had to climb out of the gutter on his way to decency without a soul to I I help him But hes he's got gol there all allright allright allright right Ive I've written Steve that If he be still wants a girl who's been foot fool enough to play round all a summer wIth a stupid rube that thaI was another another er girls girl's beau he be can have her ber and hes hel telegraphed back prepaid that bed hed be waiting In the Grand Central Cen Central right by the gate on Thursday Rosalie having departed without further delay to smooth things out with Steve SIeve that episode seemed to tobe tobe tobe be closed and Paul felt fell that he had bad reason renson to hope that thaI It would be a along along along long time before anyone made him so thoroughly uncomfortable again But BUI he was mistaken The next person to treat treal him harshly was Doctor Noble Meeting the boy one day on the road down which Paul was wandering somewhat aimlessly David brought his motor to a o stop and hailed him Just the person Ive I've been hoping be he remarked pleasantly I to see wanted to speak to you about your fiancee Im I'm worried about aboul her I all well dont don't think she's looking at If It you mean my cousin Mary Manning said Bald Paul with forced dignity she Isn't my fiancee Oh said Bald David still pleasantly be a that must of Well of course great disappointment to you but perhaps Its It's all for the best Of tastes wouldn't be par particularly course your congenial l Mary has such sucha a One fine mind Well I must pass paBs along the good good news to Thomas Gray the next time I 1 see hi him If he hasn't heard It already l 1 I menthe believe he thought with ld considerable of wag re re- regret regret gret that you wh had the right t of In that thaI quarter seemed bent benton Paul glared People reminding him that Mary wa ryas on not after all in ID the least depend dependent dependent alien atten attention for masculine him ent upon flea tion It II hurt hurl his l hi pride The war news Isn't very good g goodIs nod David with an nb ab abrupt lIs I Is It ft wen went I on change of subject Ever ger thought rapt rupt of enlisting In the Foreign legion 1 had hed him If IL he e doctor If the his Is Ishad cutting of thou had bad ever could coull not hay have e hand Paul right surprised The war b been In spite e still re rega 1 In with h of the of the sinking when It was WIlS regarded I impatience at Lord alL no nol l I Ill I'll Paul ul exclaimed med now DOW Why should U I Why youre you're exactly the sort of chap for tor It I No ties of any kind independent Income tine fine constitution constitution tion- tion tion Farmers cant can't be spared Quoted Paul hurriedly recalling statistics he had happened to read In some newspaper It takes five men In Inthe inthe Inthe the nel field to keep one at the front And Ive I've got heart trouble he went wenton wenton wenton on growing very red and writhing I more and more at Davids David's pleasant voice olce Hard luck luckl I But Dut are you sure Been een examined lately Well Vell come up to the bouse house some evening e and r t h- h hI I s sib ib J But Hes He's White Clean Through for All That Believe Mel let me look you over Some eve eve- evening ning soon Im I'm goIng across my- my myself myself self very shortly as a member of one of the nar ard medical units Well We'll be connected with the British army Jacqueline's goIng to take up some branch of ned Bed Cross work nursing probably It 11 Isn't sa 88 If we we had any children ended David a little wistfully Im sure Austin Gray Cray would have done thim some some- something thing long ago If it ft hadn't been for forS S Sylvia Naturally any man that's fortunate enough to get gel a family like ike l that makes It his first con as long as he be can Well by good goodby Paul began to feel very nry sorry for himself Public opinion which h be e had at first t thought to be wholly on his side sille seemed to be grad gradually but none the less surely swinging the other way If It the th e older women still chattered against Mary Iary the younger ones spoke diP dif differently and none of them would have ha anything to do with him He I e led lell an unappreciated existence after twenty twenty one one petted years As Asfor Asfor A s for the men he thought they were e actually beginning to go out of their way to be disagreeable to him and an d pleasant to Mary He lie found him himself himself self virtually ostracized In lIam lam stead Ham stead and neither White Water nor no r though h be he tried them the m both seemed to furnish either last lastIng lug Ing stimulation or lasting solace He li e discovered as many another man manbas ma mahas has bas discovered ere the deadly dullness s with which dissipation Is la permeated perm permeated e sled Driven at al last to desperation by b y loneliness and boredom he d to go to Mary and ask to be reIn reinstated stated In to her favor This seemed d easy enough when he first thought though t of It but the more he reflected the themore th themore e more he saw that it might be rath rather er lIe He had treated Mary Mar y somewhat admitted She Sh Shwas e was having a very good time without with without out him him-he him he was forced to admit that thaI too arid too and there was really no special reason why she should ever er I crave his society lie He started d on his errand of reconciliation several times only to turn back feeling that his bis stomach was caving In un uncomfortably comfortably for tor some reason and that It might be better to wall wait n a afew afew few days longer loner At last having spent a Saturday evening at al home when everyone every one else under thirty In town had gone Ione ofT off on nn a o picnic e re returning tl turning In the high st spirit spirit- at 41 midnight Mary Mary Jary was with the Crays and laughing nl atu a when they dropped her BI nr tile the front he door took his Ills courage what whal there way of It In his hand hands and in t sought hl her herout herout out HP he her late that thai Sun day afternoon In la dInn summer sit Rit m tint ting In the fragrant orchard read readIng tug In a book a rather solid looking book She was Paul thought look ionic looking ing unusually fresh and contented and attractive U Julio ullo he said advancing towards to towards wards her ber firmly though Inwardly quaking lo lIu said Mary quietly with with- without without out looking up Pauls Paul's heart gave a queer exhibition tion of acrobatic powers as If tf It were turning somersaults all n the way from his throat to his stomach and then began to thump to thump to thump so vigorously that thaI he feared It might be audible He lie was pleased and be he was beyond all a reasonable measure excited Have lave a good time last night be inquired carelessly Yes res Did Old you Paul choked and fumbled with his tie Oe Ile could not understand why Mary should ask such a tactless Question when she knew v perfectly well well-he Ue decided to be magnanimous nn and Ignore It What are you reading he be asked The Life of Charles Francis Adams Do you like It Very much haven't you read It Another tactless question 1 I Marys Mary's voice olce expressed only polite surprise yet she was aware that he be never read things of that sort The top ot of Pauls Paul's collar Co was rapidly sinking to the level Jerel of ot his collar clIar button Mary went on reading rending I thought Id I'd come over o for a lit lit- littie little tie tle while wh he murmured desper desperately desperately I Mary turned a page I Nice day Isn't It I Lovely Warm for the time of ot the year too And likely to grow warmer any minute replied Mary Iary her eyes still on her ber book Paul could feel even the back ot of othis his neck growing red Still he per persisted Blanche Is back In Brookline Drook Mother had a 8 letter from her last Insl night She's thinking of leaving me and and going down t to pay her a little visit I 1 should think It would be a n very ery pleasant change for her ber Something In Marys Mary's tone made Paul look at her ber more carefully 1 The painful flush at al the back of his neck spread all over o him Ue he could feel the cold perspiration dropping down his spine There was no pos pas possible I sible doubt douht of It- It Mary it-Mary It Mary Iary was laugh laughIn laughIng In Ing 1 Paul turned his back on her and strode away Though he ht was unfit with the quotation he be had had hadIn In substance pictured Mary sitting like Patience on a monument stall stalling smiling Ing down at nl grief Apparently she was doing nothing of the sort sorL She missed him so little and was get get- getting getting ting along so well we without him biro that when he went to her ber and tried to tomake make up she felt she could af af- afford afford |