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Show liThe Old Fashioned I Way g I iff By MARGARET M. LUKES Jt W MeClur Ntwipuptr Bmllcate. ... Jeruslm Hlgglns dropped tho L!bhtt e,,nP UrcS8 Bhe WUS. Dx' mtf nnd rocked contemplatively JVind form as she wulted for her Ko btcr to come back from the tele- Cvho ww u,atr sll nskcd Bhnrp'y B Jn Jerry finally cnino from the front K " w,,h hu,f n Bl8h ,nt0 l!,e M Mac chair on the other side of the own lire. Snowliukes were lly w In Bai lM-,aut,ful 8W,r,s unu" .tin fantastic puttcrna ou the living mJZ window. For a minute Jerry rttctitd ,f 8,, hnu not ht'nrd w,mt K mother said. Then, bending her !!iu blonde head over the blue silk iBcklnc she wns nientllng. she on- B It was Jack, mother." .ft-hat'd he have to soy about the illd he wasn't sure. Snld all along Mm u thinking It wns nnother night 'mil nw lie doesn't know what to do Bttctoio some folks In Albany asked bin la to a party . . . You see. Meotlicr, It does put him In a Ox. Si- H 'Kp l I" Mr8- Hlgglns' voice 'H; sharply through the living room. Hllnr long arc you going to sit there Idling excuses for Jack Crawford? MB many times docs tlint mnke now HL, tried to disappoint you nt the Inst H eliute? Albany. Fiddlesticks! You're MmwI cnougli for him to come around JHtm every lusting Sunday night when Hurt's nothing else going on, I notice." MJ list, mother," Jerry's voice, small HLcd meek, tried to Interrupt, "you fjinl understand "' HJ 'Understand I I understand somu Mbfs all right. I understand he's Hfem hanging around here three yearn H taking up nil your time and keep- Ki ill the other hoys nway. It's HJiibtnj now, In It? I'll tell you, when ini t plrl there "was none of your Startling around like that. Humph Bftrt; In the city P Airs. Hlgglns sewed Hildoosly. Tears were very near tho surface HrfJerr's sweet, blue eyes. She had Hti mllow lianl before she spoke. M, mother, It was different when HJrM were a girl. Tlint wns tho old-HfcOiloned old-HfcOiloned way. Jack likes me. I Htamr he does, only " HJ "Onlyl Thinks he's so fine." Mrs. jHRlgglns poised her needle in midair, flint's other folks have friends In Huitfnr." she snld. Just then n light step crunched on Met now that lay In smnlt drifts on Hike front porch. There wns a pull nt Mm bell and In n second Minnie JHoooper, roy nnd vigorous with the "H. burst In on thovn. ' 0h, Mrs. Hlgglns," she cried, "the wVtl for the dance looks beautiful, HJft'itll tliot-e shiny kind of Icicles and HJt're got a moon to hang over the HJjknilcller. i think we'll have the Hf"t time tomorrow night. It's the MrCKt dance the Knitting club ever " She drew n new breath. MSWhr weren't you down helping to Mfccorate, Jerry? HI tell you what, Mf-'ra down tonight. There's still lots Hjr be done. You nnd .Inck come down ml;ht." MJ For a moment thero wns jicrfect MP In the room. Then Mrs. Hlg-Hp' Hlg-Hp' cleared her throat nnd spoke In MKlund fashion. HJ 'Jerry's not going to tho dance MHHi Jack." "Why, mother," Jerry pnt In with MpfosMimcnt while Minnie. Cooper Mf! Ihere, wide-mouthed nnd speech-MH speech-MH ln her surprise. Mrs. Hlgglns Mrt well havo snld she nr.U Per Hlgglns were going to get n Mft. Tor three long yenrs the wishing little town of Bristol had Mrw cen dainty, piquant Jerry In J fompnny of any hoy hut the big. Mrloklng Jack Crawford, "Now, then." Mrs. Hlggliis quickly Mf"" "I'm not going to give nway MP,r,lle secret. Least not all of It. Mr J"' ,cl one part. Jerry's going to Mr " "cw evening dress, Minnie. Mpowldcd sho can't wear this old Mr 'h,n I've been fixing up." She Mr"5' "Jerry's going to have tbnt Mron, wlb the silver lace you may MP' Mn In Shernck's window." ow Minnie Cooper wns not spite Mr' ,n was not even n scandal- Mrler; but 15 minutes aftor sho Wied slowly, thnughtfully down tho K,1 of he Hlgglns' front porch hnlf M young folks In Bristol knew what M IllKRlns hnd told lier. " the meantime bnck In the dining . as shn went methodically about ZV tn,,,e for ""PI"'1", this ener-Mnc ener-Mnc '"He woman wns dealing with ,t h,m JeprJr ,n n "' Jerry's T'16 yenrs she hnd let other Te have their way. Perhaps tbnt ,,' ' sn JRck Crawford, good-Hilt good-Hilt e ' n'"lercd son of the s'lk K, ' ,wfor(K hud never hnd n.qunr-Kn n.qunr-Kn r' ,,c"hops that wns the KmW nf)w hnt the twlnkly eyed mt riT0" ",,,e to kocP her pin mr from vft . "m mysteriously: ,'V(,'Pnrd tell that your mother ?. ,n A,,,m,v- lmv(,,,,t y? IBniln y ,ho frlon,,,' ,,nvo 80'"'' kVtn i? Vrnnso n,,out tlmt. Is there?" fttnim. l,er hp"', " "y fwtUvr m 2 "R.fr," poor bewildered Jerry m. "Neil to talk enthusiastically KrM ""' morning after n good-nn-Art .J?";10" with Mr. Hlgglns they .iK,?. ''reakfnKt dishes nnd went ('Hn,i i? ,n ',,,y ' Nodding this Wi Inn"" ' ,h0 C,0rkR' th Pr- bt hai ., R0(,ont floor of Shornck's " tho dress tnken out of the I 'I Me A skirt thut went out In blllowly puffs a llttlo bodice with ptilT sleeves uud a hand of sliver Ince Uround tho neck that wus finished off with tiny rosebuds. rose-buds. . Ten minutes lutcr In the fitting room the Interested saleswoman was fluttering nbout, dressing Jerry as If sho were a bride. "It fits perfect," she cried, when the last llnul pat wus given nnd a ros wreath brought from tho millinery department cnught In her sort, curly hair. "Is'nt she lovely," she cxclulinod to Mrs. Hlgglns, whose failed blue eyes were now us eager ns u girl's. And lovely shu was, with her cheeks softly pink. Like a rose Itself on tiptoe "There's n fine big mirror out In the deportment. Look at yourself out there," coaxed the saleswoman. Out stepped Jerry In nil her sweet beauty. Hut she did not move. She stood perfectly still. Acrois the Indies' department, walking with great strides, came Jack Crawford. "Sam Tetlow told me you and your mother were up here," he snld, breath-lessly, breath-lessly, and then with a grent gasp of astonishment that wns half marvel and hnlf hurt he stood and looked nt her. "It's tme, then," he snld huskily, 'about tho dance nbout getting all rigged up for some one else. . . . I heard It this morning." Then his eyes met those of Mrs. Hlgglns standing stand-ing lu tho fitting room doorway. "Look here, Mrs. Hlgglns, you've always been my friend. You're not going to let Jerry turn me down this war." Mrs. Hlgglns smiled gently. "It's up to Jerry herself, Jack. She ran change her mind either way." He turned fiercely again to Jerry. "Look here. If you llku this other fellow fel-low better, why why, all right. How do jou know he's the right kind? Oh, Jtrry," his voice sank In utter misery "I wnnted to marry you I" Perhaps you hnvc guessed tlint there were drenm lights somewhere In Jerry's blue eyes. .Something must have happened to them then. Itlght there lu the Indies' rendy-to-weur dp pnrtment Jack reached for her little band. "Come on, Jerry, please. This pink thlng'll bo the beginning of the trousseau, huh? Hh, Jerry? We could tell them tonight nt the dnnce." And bnck In the fitting room Mrs. Hlgglns wns complacently paving the snleswoinuu. It was not until thut night after nil the hustle and hustle of getting the young folks off to the dunce wns over Hint she said to father: "Twasn't a lie. I do know folks In Albany. I know Mngglc Itrundon and she hns a boy. I'd a gone down f fetch him myself to go to thut danco with her. I knew I'd never have to though. Mothers aren't so old-fashioned after all." |