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Show I- J The Ge n e vi eve s I Know he Genev-HgPLQ . jljil JL V W-kJP JL3k- JLJL Copyright, 1910, by Associated Literary Press. Genevieve is in a iunndary. Of course. It In not an unusual thing l for a Genevieve to bc in a quandary, but ! this in a quandary with a big Q, and i3 i ery serious indeed. . Ucncvi'.ve is quite a young woman and ,? ' has .vomrihiug like human Intelligence, ft i She yurfed James a certain number of 'Si years ago. and she was very properly grieved and sorry about It. And when li' the time came, she laid her deep mourn ing aside and put on mitigated affliction. She lias been wearing colors some time now. ami that Is how she comes to be In the quandary. Because, you see. If she bad continued to In- in dcrp mournincr. or even to cherish cher-ish mitigated atTlIctloii. .she would have ii douln in the world alionl marrying Jim- Whereas, wearing colors as she Is, Jim inis an attractive look to Genevieve. "I love you very much, Genevieve." sayH Jim. "and the children are as swf-l as they can be. Why on earth should .oii hesitate to marry mo? If 1 were not able to support you 11 would n oilier or if I were not fond of children. Or. Genevieve, If you did not love me. But you do." "That Is just the trouble. Jim." whispered whis-pered Genevieve, fearfully. "That you lovo nie? What nonsense!" storms James. "Thai Is the reason vou ought to marry me. And, besides, you need a hunbund to help you manage your bows. "A hu.sband to help me manage mv boys. Now you just get that right out L -vour bend. Jim." Hares Genevieve. 1 bo very iimtunt any man undertook to help me manage my boys I would I would And Hbe simply snatched her head away from Jim's shoulder and .stood up in front of him. a crimson spot on e!l.'...1.. p,,c,c'c ai"1 r:iK ' bor gentle eyes-I eyes-I hat Is oust what. I keep telling you that Is the trouble." &iyn Genevieve to tin! astonished James. "I do love vou dearly, dearly. But you have nothing whatever lo .say about my. bows, o there: And she cried and cried, and what was still worse, she declined to cry on Jim's shoulder, but went away to tho other side of the room and cried in a .stingy narrow little chair with arms that wouldn't let him come near her. "The very Idea." sobs Genevieve, and "The very idcaV storms James. And while this is going on. Genevieve's younger young-er hopeful comes In. sees his mother weeping, blazes two rurious young eyes at Jim, and takes Genevieve into his. arms or as far Into his arms as he conveniently can. Genevieve being a fine llgure of a woman, and his arms not being be-ing very long, even for eight. "You let my mother alone." he adds to the ' tumultuous tu-multuous atmosphere. "Kun away. Jimmy-boy." wails Genevieve, Gene-vieve, kissing her son wildly; "ho Isn't doing anything wrong. Mamma's just silly to cry." But tills doesn't help matters any at all. and young Jimmy-boy goes out to Big Brother and declares that the guy In there was scolding mamma. And big brother moodily responds. "Aw. what do you know about it? lie's her beau. He's a-goln to marry her. We're goin' lo have a step-father." And then the true storm breaks over the devoted head or Genevieve. But, while Genevieve is as gentle as possible, she Is also head of her own household and stems thai, storm gallantly. gallant-ly. She Induces Big Brother to come out of his sulks and say that Jim Is a nice man. Shu cows Jimmy-boy so that ho simply drizzles tears on her shoulder and f-ays he'll bo good. But down in the heart of Genevieve the situation Is not relieved. "Marry me. dearest." whispers Jim. as much in love as a man may be even with a charming widow. And. "I suppose he's right in there a-talkln' a-talkln' to her now." a gloomv young voice growls out in" tho hall, as Its owner holds back Jimmy-hoy i'rom forcible entry en-try Into the parlor. "Don't you go buttln' in, mother's beau's there." he croaks at. his cronies, accustomed lo tearing all over tho Iiouse. And. "Gee. ain't it fierce, mother can t come and say good-night only for a minute tonight again," bowls the Irrepressible younger aclon of this bewildered housi-hold. A quandary? Well, 1 should think so! t And the quandary of Genevieve, who has her affections to go by. is as nothing to the quandary of Jim. who has onlv his half-afi'ecllons. Because, while Jim 'loves Genevieve dearlj. yet he cannot be said ,?ll0 c 1 1CS young barbarians of hers. 1 si.m,"i 1 L h,ls , ?arIy ar(l01'- hc declared f. ! 10 1,1,1 ns 1,is vcl'-v own. Jim u ?rt?c ?di "ni' younsr 'wharlans of I If,ii. ;i.a"d ,Jm3 roi'R"en what he was ea ly like when ho was a voung bar- vmI'.'.m ? m,3,',f; Hnw- "c no Proper r.r i.?a l. 0 ,,ny aK"'st these darlings of his own dear Genevieve's and judge fairly as to whether they arc worse or f JL the plain, normal, average fhJI.. 1 ,ne' AN1.,lch 1 what thev are, al-rhoir. al-rhoir. sonic,wiat more subservient lo their mamma's orders than some. Genevieve knows that thev nw iho 5alann,f V,'e ,ove,,osl " t"" most oris - sn i .ro indi tho ''enrcat but Jim isn't hull Lv' , i,S for 11,0 '"ns 1'arbar-li 1'arbar-li f ,llavp crown to loathe the verv and 1 nil- ,?,i UmL mKher cannot come e stor.?J hVl,"S'T ov,er "wording to old they can feel that big man the parknl Way lhe'" ,,Uo irKn w,,c" lhct-v ar "larricd? Urn! been K t?! "a,U l,Vt!(1- C WOUld h.lVO lihn.iilmcrM,wl in tll0sc hoys as their evnnn7 til W. CCU ,,n0rfi SO' Bl wl'0 fail expect Jim to bc interested'.' tr"'Ur,lr.01V''a,'ll,,a,n 1 Soing to do about " ,, Genevieve. And. "What do ion know about this!" mutters Jim. 1 .11! sol"c of. these line evenings Jim f..r to wn,k rlht Pnst Genevieve's bouse, over lo the abode of Jenny, in the 4 next block, who Isn t halfHk so wlttv nor so sweet nor,9 loved as Genevieve "lut.R young barbarians 'ivl,',t the very heart of JJm ls. barbarians. And when tV B.'s. discovering this. exulfcH mamma is going to fmcMB. Jim up by 'phone and "",9. to an early wedding. C9B the honeymoon to her ,3t''59blL and that quandnry ot ,ie,M her close and loving coni, happy second marriage H, friends will be slnslHPm |
