Show THE EVENING STORY L THE THu SCAPEGOAT Copyright 1912 by W. W Werner When Flossie Merton was a a few ew weeks old her young oun parents regarded her lier se se- se Clarence CLu Merton Merlon knew lenaw Just what brought tho the little wrinkle to his smooth brows and ho voiced the tho thoughts of or both when ho spoke eve Veve got to bc begin to lay Jay something b by for her hel right away Florence Florence- he said Florence I Iy Morton looking absurdly y young ung to mother anything except a a. doll reached u up UI and petted his hand with her hel ringed one saying sains Youre a mind reader Clarence Ciarence It was vas Just lust what I was thinking I guess uess It jt would make mako any anyone one think of ot It It the Logans d dying and leaving poor little Grace Graco without Rn anything It was terrIble If H that cousin of oC her mothers mother's hadn't opened her Iter heart and taken tho the little waif wait wed we'd have havo had td to that's all 1 TI L I I r Youre a mind reader Clarence Oh I say I Two Now you ou coul couldn couldn't nt have C managed Florence and you OU know It You cun hardly manage this young lady Mrs Merton sighed There Thero was much of oC relief relict In the sigh h. h Id Il 11 have had to she site remarked but Im I'm thankful the way It turned out I hope tho the poor little thing will be bo happy n But t about Flossie Weve We've got ot to save Ve something for her hel What hat worries roe me is whit were we're going oln to save We could use lots more moro mane money than we wo ha have right now Maybe Mab Ill I'll get a a. raise said Mr II Mer Mer- ton cheerfully Yes and maybe you ou won wont won't t. t We Well We'll 11 have to pave savo out of c what W we have I wonder Iwonder what we wc can give up Anything CX except It my cigars cigar hastily o observed Mr II Merton You know you'd be better oft without them like a chimney all the thet t time I m e. e But you ou couldn't live live- with me Flor- Flor ence- ence if I gave ae them up Then Them they're tut of or the the- question for fOI forT fOIT T cant can't live without you Well We'll save come oth other r way a But tho oth other r wa way did not Immediately Immediate immediate- ly h present Itself No sooner did tM may u-may begin to save on something than a a. r rea rca rca- Zion son for fOI the folly of or their course presented pre pre- Itself Mr 11 Morton e economized on an overcoat that year going gob oln without a a. new one and adding 0 O to toe tho l meager bank account didn't JI pay though he was proud enough at t tho tha time He Ue had been ac accustomed accustomed nc ac- to wearing an overcoat and the theold theold theold old one ono was hopelessly shabby and out o of da date tee He could not could hot well refuse t the hG invitation tation to dine with tho the president of or th th bank where he ho wor worked ed who was waa an old ok friend of ot hIs hla f father ther as well nor Could conic h ho wear tho the old overcoat Tho The precious pret baby was left with her aunt and he and Florence Get eel out Tho They took a car car congratulating themselves on saving cab hire but a clumsy fellow passenger pas as Benger stepped on the the- theone one really reany good dinner dress that Florence poss possessed sed it and polling the evening fo for fOI her nd And then as if Ir rate Iato wished to rub the lesson in in Mr 11 Merton lerton took cold and was alarmingly ill W. W with pneumonia pneumonia monia Uk for fOI two weeks HI His Ii salary salary sal sal- ary went merrily on but doctors doctor's billand bill and medicine would have havo bought him two new Altogether It rather dampened their for tor a a. year or or- so And by by- that tha time Miss Flo Flossie herself herBel was the most potent reason for the them not saying folh for fol h her el She had started in lire lifo witha mo most t ex expensive e.- e. pensive e layette When It Jt was outgrown own It could scarcely be replaced by garments less leu dainty As tho the funny funny- bald head ha had boasted a real Valenciennes J laco hico co tap It would have been been- beena a sin eln and a a. shame to have put a cheap one on tho head now running over With riotous curls ot of of- gold Od They simply couldn't do it They held nek many a 1 solemn conclave they promised each other to reform Then at the first temptation they fell tell Flossie's clothes s were were the admiration and envy of oC every one ne There Thereas was as no m child thc they knew so o daintily daintily- dressed But Buthe she he w was wa-s 8 an expensive I little Hi e mortal for tor any struggling struggling- parents to own By Dy the ti-me time time- she was 6 years tar old a anew anew anew new expense confronted her father tather- and arid mother It was was was' almost as irresistible almost as costly as clothes Jt It had not riot amounted to so much when she hc was as a baby satisfied with bab baby things To Tobe Tobe Tobe be sure the temptation was 38 with them strongly only twice a n. year yearn year on Christmas Christmas Christ Christ- mas mae and on the tho birthday of oC Flossie Then hen indeed they longed for for- forthe the purse urse of ot that they they- might might- the rifle thc toy shops for Ol the pleasure of or their littie little lit lit- tIe tle maid But before the dawning of or tier her seventh seventh seventh sev sev- birthday the haunting haunting- old longing to lay Jay something by again possessed them Some Somo chance remark of ot an ac acquaintance ac- ac at them searching back over over- the prodigal years ear They talked it 11 over found round where the mistake had been made and each to each promised amendment Unluckily for for- Flossie her hel birthday was near at hand i Shell bo be looking forward to it It said liar her father She always gets so much r Well We'll U hate hato to dl disappoint her The Tue sound Bound of ot weakening in the tone lone made the or olce the tile mother mothel moro more de de- de- de Even if IC she's ehe's a a. little disappointed disappointed pointed at first shell she'll get over ovel it It it- probably Isn't go good d for tor her anyway be anyway be being ing Indulged so o much Well We'll get her something sensible concluded concluded- the mother r Like what clothes what asked Mr 11 Mer Mer- I ton Well not Well not clothes I guess said his wife with becoming hesitation She Site has hns to to have o a. a doll a-doll doH for tOI one thing observed Mr Ir M Merton I ton a stoutly She asked me ml She asked me too tool said her hel mother I I I I I 4 1 Lt 1 m i Merton Morton c zuo o in with a 1 shamefaced l air J She S 'S e really needs one H r Christmas doll dohi is a woeful sight eIght Her birthday I coming corn In so long long- ton after Christmas makes a n. doll almost a necessity nc e But they therl all nil prices It needn't cost much tT T The Tho neit next day Mr Mt and Mrs appointed a a. meeting place at the tho Ian lart est eat doll store store-in town T They They- Joo looked looked-c cd dolls and dolls but ever eYer their eyes wu w ar r dered back to the show doll doll doll-a. a. a sui 15 u-in u ported beauty which It kept nodding 4 head at them in a knowing Way War last Mrs drs Merton gave herself a u. shake an and hastily selected a al Those mechanical things 8 always sj 11 site she said fald out of or order any anyway way And Mr tr fr Merton gravely S il 4 A few days dayS' b before fort Flossie's me mein ln ain Mr r. r Me air all In ln his lian w S an t 1 t tage age I I FJor Florence nce o Into the tho subject at once once I I 1 I sot got jN doll doIr The d darned d thIng kept lt nodding ri Its head at at m mall mall me me It was all da day And when when I 1 found a a II ri r t it u. u In Jn my mr pay M iIi airs s. s Merton t sat eat at silent apparent struggling with Coins e at last uy You ou did 1 she sho Yes ho he answered Im lm an au I 1 ur guess Suddenly Sudden Mrs r. r solved Itself Into h hysterical I I did too he said as pp- pp pon aJ e could speak I I couldn't help It It out of or the tho the house money the theP day da then Tit M the they both lau laughed thed eo so i hearth hearth- unrestrainedly that the c cook ok p hers herself Bless le lt s them for tal a couple o o. ddll said a oo said Mr f But this Is too good ton Two b by George Georg-a Who Who's SQl 01 to o he be the he-the the tho one to 10 return the KP lt Ret Return urn Return what 1 my W nce I wouldn't for or orthe the wold Tb two two Peas Ill I'll dreer f rn like Ilko as fr twins Just think ot She It to death ive I've a lot of ot elot mine already And lv made for tor gIrl little doU for tor the cooks cook's the tho cheap not week Think her hel twins birthdays birthday's Ws Its the dearest idea An And haven't been really I she he almost covers It the raise 1 eluded gleefully |