Show 4 1 I. I 01 i 1 r THE DOO DOORMATS DOORMAT'S D 0 O. O rr U lA 1 RE V VOLT 0 The Pulitzer author ByThe By prize Drawings of BOOTH tt for ALICE the by best ADAMS William A American Jn the Van novel Dresser Novel I that of t the tha sea 11 11 11 1 Miss Daisy Mears l 9 years of ot age ase not comely but ambitious tobe vu to be prominent sat In her family pew upon a summer Sunday mornIng mornIng morn morn- morn morn- morning Ing thinking continuously though t not religiously She had ever a busy mind but the sermon failed to touch It which was no fault of I her pastor To Daisy Dalsy all sermons were what Chinese music Is to the a lover of ot melody she regarded them themas as merely a protraction of ot sound conveying YIng mysterious satisfactions to those dreary and Incomprehensible sible foreigners grown people She sat beside her mother and md 1 her tall taU brother Renfrew and for tor fora a a. little while amused her herself elt by ia playing that the doe crease of ot ott t r Renfrew's trousers was the he sharp edge edgo l of ot a knife She pretended 1 that It cut her when she touched It so that her finger must first be solaced In her mouth then banE bandaged ban ban- E aged with her handkerchief but upon Renfrew's crossing his knees t and turning decisively away she could no longer reach the crease and sought other means or of enlivenment enliven enliven- ment The great hollow of ot the church was shot with warm-colored warm light from the stained windows where shafts of tremulous golden dust obliquely ascended and descended and Daisy Dalsy pretended to herself herselt that the Ule swimming and glimmering particles par par- If tidies of ot dust were crowds of people peo peo- i I pIe that each gilded glided Infinitesimal speck appearing and vanishing 4 r had an errand of ot Its own some some- t where Lookin for their children children chil chil- dren she whispered to herself herselt I Their children were we're lost ost she de decided de- de sided and the microscopic parents were almost Instantly lost too as asher d her eyes tried to follow them but their pl places es were always taken at I once by other tiny fathers and t. t mothers seeking their own truants h- h After Atter a while she tired of ot watchIng watchIng watch- watch I Ing the everlasting fluctuations of J. J I the and d decided to see f. f what was was going on In the pew be behind behind be- be 4 hind her Nothing exciting ap- ap ap appeared p- p k to be happening there though In the hope that something Ift might turn up she looked at the occupants long enough and thoi- thoi enough to make them un un- easy easy Only her white straw hat with Its blue ribbon her forehead rt and her eyes were visible to them L' L I but her eyes were elfin eUln bright with curiosity and inscrutable derision And the old gentleman whom she Ion longest est transfixed with this disturbing dis b gaze had a new sin In Jn his I heart presently in spite of ot knowIng knowing know- know Ins Ing well wen what day it was and where he sat supposedly in meekest meek meek- r r I est worship He lie found himself lt compelled to ascertain if it all aU t the e buttons of Ins his white waistcoat were fastened and discovering one to be missing missing- en entirely entirely entirely en- en just where she gazed the strongest interest he coughed fiercely altered his attitude grew red and frowned at the child but buthe buthe buthe he was forced to look away from her before she looked away from 0 him Unexpectedly she yawned expressing herself herselt audibly and andt t seeming to comment thus upon his lr behavior then she turned forward again not realizing that she had hadt t t caused the recording angel to ad add t In hatred to the long list listl l of the responsibilities of this old f i gentleman A 1 Next her attention centered Itself unon the pew Just In front of her t II Therein sat a a. fat boy not litt little I tI yet et about her own age Master Robert Eliot wearing out a great ennui by various sluggish devices The top of ot his head was all aU that 1 t II was to be seen of him from the I 1 rear Just lust now for he had sunk so low in his seat that his round roundhead roundhead head covered with short mouse- mouse colored hair rested against the mahogany rail He was almost I rl motionless but not quiet there was perceptible a slight but f fairly irly r rhythmic movement of his scalp f 11 and Daisy understood that he was fr 1 i 1 practising his accomplishment of or moving moving- his ears As he had but bu t 4 the single talent Robert was naturally naturally naturally nat nat- assiduous In bringing it to perfection a Beside Reside him and next to their father sat his sister Muriel who was grown s-rown up but had not been I so long grown up as she thought she had That Is to say she was 21 a a. year younger than Daisy's W brother Renfrew Rentrew who may ha have ve learned earned something more from the sermon than Daisy did but certainly cerF certainly F not a great deal more Seated Seat Seat- I ed d directly behind Muriel what he heI I I learned earned was everything possible about the color of ot her hair under I stained-glass stained conditions of light and rapt In this study he looked Indeed appropriate to the house he sat no do-no In no other worshiper in the place showed a a. countenance so devout Renfrew's Rentrew's little sister was aware i of his preoccupation she had often otten f before seen him looking at the j I graceful Muriel and she realized that something portended between C l t I Y the two but of af what It actually tZ consisted her Idea was as contentedly the vaguest st st. She thought of a ae all an I such matters on the adult plan plane e ast as asa s sa t a a. pr prairie farm tarm hand thinks of at Ji between Uruguay l and Paraguay and thou though h she had hadan hadr r an impression that Muriel was i often otten cross with Renfrew who y was always Incorrigibly amiable she felt no concern in the matter t and never imagined that she herf herself herself her her- f self might bear any relation to it She looked at her brother sir sW IL i him looking at Muriel as usual 4 I. I when that was possible and found ft d no inspiration In a state of ot affairs I BO so customary Her thoughts busied l themselves in other directions tl t She began to wonder what everybody everybody every every- body in the congregation would do doi i If she suddenly made a loud noia naHIl of a kind not to be bo expected In church church It If she should utter a pierc piers piercIng Ing squeal for tor Instance or If it she should speak right out and say something queer and wild like Oh 1 gracious me She said 1 it mentally mentally mentally men men- tally then pl pictured the effect and anda a a. little awed giggle escaped herMy her My Iy Wouldn't they hop up she whispered to herself Everybody In the whole placed be hoppin hoppin hoppin hop- hop pin up I The thought alarmed her but at atthe atthe rl the same time it fascinated her 4 Dwelling upon it she felt that she was dangerously near neap yielding yielding- to the tho temptation and although sie su restrained herself herselt she imagined little scenes In which she had be become become become be- be come the heroine of such an epi epi- ode code In these she saw other chil chu- children children dren full tull of amazement pointing her out upon the street or or gathered gathered gathered gath gath- ered about her in me meek k wonder ind and admiration The unfortunate truth J about Daisy was that she loved lo making a sensation and when there thera was a chance of ot making Oll one the circumstances must be overwhelming overwhelming over over- whelming to discourage her She tried a a. very little squeal but really Intended no one except herself herself her her- self seU to hear it however she pretend pretended pretended pre pre- tend tended d that it had been a loua loud one and that the congregation U hopped up Then she tried one a little lIlUe louder upon which her mother moth moth- er quietly gave her a a. handkerchief without looking at her I wasn't whis whis- mamma Daisy Then be beN quiet her mother re returned returned returned re- re turned sharply In her ear and Daisy decided not to try any more squealing without pravo provocation atton It If something should make her squeal something she could afterward point out to her parents as a good and reasonable cause for anybody's squealing that squealing that would be different t and she felt that In such a case she could squeal with ith plausibility She began to meditate upon this and and her elfin eyes rested thoughtfully thoughtfully thoughtfully thought thought- fully upon the round head of ot mouse colored hair reposing against tho the mahogany rail before her The hair stirred slowly like sod disturbed by bya a lazy spade Robert was Yas as still e ex exercising exercising ex- ex his ears p f Unnoticed she leaned forward Ina In ina a thoughtful attitude and a n moment moment moment mo mo- ment later the talented ears caught a whisper so artfully directed at them that no other ears heard it Old fat Robert Eliot this whisper whis whis-r whis per said Robert Eliot's so fat be because because because be- be cause he eats so much grease Upon this the moving ears ceased to move became rigid and alert asid Robert Eliot eats grease the whisper Ole dirty grease Insulted the ears reddened for this was a point In neighborhood history upon which Robert was Jeal jeal- ous He had Indeed eaten the tho strange food pained named not nat of ot his Ig Ignorant Ignorant ignorant Ig- Ig hunger but honorably upon a dare Nevertheless he had suffered suffered suffered suf suf- a great deal from the tongue of ot scandal which had insisted upon misinterpreting the feat and he permitted no one to make such references references references ref ref- as the whispers made and go Moreover he had long since bitterly warned all his his' acquaintances that he would hear never an another ather word upon the subject sub sub- yet yet the whisper continued Poor ole Fatty Robert it said He likes it He likes it candy He eats it every day Few have been worse taunted In sanctuary and Robert felt that he could not bear more of ot this that if It the whisperings continued he must act and act with violence let the consequent disaster r be what it might Ole dirty ole automobile automobile automobile automo automo- bile bile grease the goading whisper said From automobiles automobiles' s' s insides He eats it That's why hes he's so fat I 1 Galled beyond all endurance Robert Robert Robert Rob Rob- ert turned about in his seat and not satisfied with the intrinsic powers powers pow pow- ers of ot his countenance to show forth denial with scorn hatred and insult he went to the utmost known to him calling other members to aid his face In expressing his feelings With his forefingers he pulled down the tho lower lids of his eyes exposing fiery arcs arch not Intended by Nature to be visible with his thumbs t e e pulled up the corners of his mouth farther than would ordinarily be bethought bethought bethought thought possible and he completed this furious sketch by all aU the dIstortions distortions distortions dis dIs- of ot which his nose forehead and gifted ears were capable Daisy squealed Ee yi This squeal though not nearly at atthe atthe atthe the top of ot her voice except in pitch was audible to most of the people in that part of the church there was rustling of ot fabrics and the Mears family were offered a view of many coldly Inquiring faces Hush Mrs Mears said in a vehement ve vehement vehement ve- ve whisper to Daisy But Daisy pointed at Robert Rabert He scared me she said He did dla it itOn iton iton t 10 on purpose Hush her mother said imperatively Impera impera- Well WeIl he did Daisy whimpered but Mrs Mears closed both the episode episode epi epi- sode sade and Daisy's mouth temporarily ily with a gloved hand Those of the congregation In front who had turned to look and disapprove resumed their former positions and among these was Muriel Eliot and her father and mother They had observed nothing nothing nothing noth noth- ing untoward on the tho part of their fat relative for his demonstration had been little more than and so far as his family could see h he had but turned to look laok at Daisy as they did in wonder at her indecorum Obviously he could not have touched her without without without with with- out kneeling upon the seat and leaning over the back of the pew which they knew he had not done and their unanimous conclusion was that Daisy had accused Robert in order to shift from herself her her- self To the Mears family of course matters natters appeared in an opposite light because Roberts Robert's too fanciful mask had been executed in the sight of or all four of ot them and it seemed plain that he did it out of sheerest wantonness They regretted regretted regret regret- ted Daisy's penetrating outbreak but found It comprehensible re reservIng reserving reserving re- re serving their indignant thoughts for forthe forthe forthe the fat transgressor before them Thus It befell that the Mears family sat churched in judgment upon the child of the tho Eliot family and the Eliot family likewise churched sat In Judgment upon the child of the Mears family In such a a. fashion and of ot no hotter beginnings the troubles between In Innumerable innumerable innumerable in- in numerable and l have begun In many a Verona and the Romeo of the Mears family marked with a sinking heart how the color of ot annoyance ran ran high in his Juliet's cheek before him him him- though in truth she was neither a Juliet nor his She had already told him that people could never escape from a likeness to their families he ho feared she might be thinking of this now and he worried about It Inordinately as any lover will throughout the rest of the morning Then Ten when the service was over and the congregation come out into the noon sunshine he hurried to walk beside her wondering nervously nervously nervously nerv nerv- how she would receive him Would you you would ah would you mind if it I walked home with you he asked You seem to be doing it It she Informed him I rather wonder that you care to put yourself In such a position Good gracious What position position position tion I mean in n the position of asking asking asking ask ask- ing to walk with a member of a ai I i family that one ono of ot your family did such a thing to this morning she said For lor although Muriel was pretty pretty Incredibly incredibly so to people p who met the others of her family first she first she was a serious girl and at a yo moat serious ag age Well but but but- buthe he said Well ven but but but- But what she she asked impatiently Impat impatiently t as he paused i I tV Y t j j 1 e 7 I 4 M I N S I off j I Z sHe s- s 1 wr I J f H t t I H He H. completed the furi furious us sketch by all the dis distortions ns of which his nose forehead and gifted as a's rere capable Daisy squealed Well but but It It was our family iam family that everybody stared at dont don't you see see Yes she said untIl until your sister pointed at Robert and put the blame on him Then they shifted their attention Pshaw Renfrew exclaimed I dont don't suppose anyone thought anything of ot it just It-just just children Besides Besides Be Be- sides I dont don't think l many people heard what Daisy said You dont don't My opinion is that even Dr Wyeth heard her in the pulpit He looked at us Renfrew laughed uneasily But It really amounted to nothing at atall atall atall all he protested What difference difference differ differ- ence does it make And he proceeded proceeded proceeded pro pro- to reply to himself with withas as much confidence as he could summon Why absolutely no difference difference dif dif- ference In the world You think not she said lookIng looking looking look look- ing at him as If it she wondered where he kept his mind By the way it seems to me that I hear your family |