Show s U w lf w ll 1 J Ifil ill r 4 Ly Z- Z Lo 0 Q ca Y BEING SENSIBLE To Dennet the tho pressure of ot Claires Claire's hand frand and her sudden ludden Into the house meant but one thing She ho had hadS b said S ld id yes CS She had fulfilled his wish lIe He walked home with a grateful happy glow through his whole being lIe He began besan at once to plan how he hec c could uld best make Claire content how he he should ultimately find the road to her heart and make it beat with real love o for tor him He was sincere and therefore confident lent lIe He felt he ha had l lo o much love lo to give gin because ho he truly cared for this girl he had known since they were both children He wondered now wh why he had not always seen geen Claires Claire's worth and charm They had not been thrown together as he and Ruth the girl he married had been That was It It ho le deci decided led It did r not occur to Hiram that he and Claire were ere of ot different fiber altogether that even an earlier propinquity would not have led to marriage e between them and that Claires Claire's acceptance of or him now was only with the tips of oC her fingers fin fin- gene gers so to say From that moment Hiram Himm waited on his customers with new zeal an and gen gen- His little daughter discovered in him a new and livelier playmate ills His acid old housekeeper noting his new zest for life lire his new amiability and his new clothes knowingly knowing knowing- ly h and told her friends that Hi was up fer and and be no surprise J If that spruce lookin Berton girl It affected Claire very ver very differently differ differ- enU In the first place she had not meant the pressure of ot the hand to f mean a full tun answer She wanted time I to o think it over And yet what yet what else was there for her to do 10 She tried to believe eUe it would be bo a n sensible mar- mar She loved home making making home and and there was a home to make Sho loved children children and and there was a child who needed mothering and had already alread snuggled Into her heart hart She Sho loved managing and nd being efficient and efficient and thero there was wa not only a man to manage manago but a a. thriving business that doubtless could be made more thriving under her sense common-sense suggestions and good Judgment She liked Hiram There was as nothIng nothing nothing noth noth- ing repellant about him Just as there was nothing alluring He was honest and kind and clean and pleasant-na- pleasant He was successful and nd generous generous generous gener gener- ous th the leading citizen of or Turners Turners' Junction She respected him As his hla wife she would be bo somebody in the small world the they moved In In the world she was compelled to make her own Wasn't au all that enough basis for e Claire tried to think so and decided that If she had hail to make Hiram a definite definite nite answer soon she would say yes es But she soon found that any more definite answer was unnecessary unnecessary- The townspeople clacked with the news Starting with the hints from old Mrs Strawn Dennet's housekeeper housekeeper house house- keeper the marriage of Claire and I Hiram was already taken for granted and Claire ne er went out of ot the I house that someone didn't fuss up to her with congratulations and wishes for Cor happiness I Except Prudence Cowan Old Miss Prue was not pleased and told Claire so in no measured phrases Its not your OUI destiny child Youre You're going against what's written for tor you in the stars was how she put It Ive e nothing against HI Dennet the tho Lord knows lies He's an honest druggist and hes he's good to his young oung one and gives gies mone money to the church But oh oh Clarrie Clarrie hes he's not the man for you ou Hes got to be said Claire Claire firm firmly I Ive C made up my mind to adapt myself myself my my- self and be bo sensible To be continued |