Show I ft I I Carolyn of the Corners B BY RUTH BELMORE ENDICOTT Copyright 1013 1018 by Dodd Coda Mead Mend Company Ino Int CAROLYN MAY LEARNS SOME DISQUIETING NEWS FROM FROM- CHET GORMLEY Synopsis Her Her father and mother reported lost at sea when the on which they had sailed for Europe was sunk Carolyn Cameron Cameron Hannas New Nev York her bachelor bachelor bachelor bach bach- May Uanna's Carlyn Carlyn ls Is sent from to elor uncle Joseph Stagg at the Corners The reception given her by her uncle Is not very enthusiastic Carolyn Is also chilled by the stern demeanor of Aunty Rose nose Uncle Joes Joe's housekeeper Stagg Is dismayed when ho he learns from a lawyer friend of his law in that Carolyn has been left practically penniless and und consigned to his care as guar Carolyn learns of the estrangement between her uncle and his time one sweetheart Amanda and th the cause of the bitterness between the two families Prince the mongrel dog that Carolyn brought with her and the boon companion of the lonesome girl Is In n disfavor with Uncle Joe who threatens to dispose of him but Prince becomes a n hero and wins the approval of the Corners by routing a tramp In the act of robbing the schoolteacher The following Sunday while Carolyn and her uncle accompanied by Prince are taking a walk In the woods they encounter Amanda Prince kills a n snake J I about to strike Amanda and Stagg and Amanda speak to each snake other for the first time In years CHAPTER VIII 9 9 Chet Gormley Tells Some News It was when she came In sight of ot the tho place on Monday Monda afternoon afternoon after after- no noon n she and Prince that Carolyn May bethought her of the very best person In the world with whom to advise advise ad ad- vise Ylse upon the the momentous question which so troubled her Who could be more more interested In the happiness of Miss Amanda than Mr Ir himself I The little girl had been going to call callon callon callon on Miss Amanda Aunty Rose nose had said she might and Miss Amanda had invited her specially But the thought of taking the old carpenter Into her confidence and advising advising ad ad- with him delayed that visit Mr was busy on on some piece of cabinet work but he lie nodded briskly to the he little girl when she came to thedoor the thedoor thedoor door of the shop and looked in Are Arc you very busy Mr she asked him after a a- a watchful minute minute minute min min- ute or two My hands be Carlyn May said the carpenter in his dry voice I Oh I But I kin listen to ye and ye-and and I kin Ian talk Oh Oh that's nice I Did Did you hear about what happened yesterday Eh IEh 7 he queried eying her cally Does anything ever happen on Sunday Something did on oa this Sunday cried the little girl you hear about the snake What dye mean mean snake snake And then little Carolyn May ex ex- She told the story with such earnestness that he stopped working to o listen Humph was his grunted comment comment com com- ment at the end Well I Dont you think that was real exciting exciting ex ex- citing asked Carolyn May And Just see how v It almost brought my Uncle Joe and your Miss Amanda to to- gether Dont Don't y you u see Mr Ml- actually jumped 7 hats hat's that hat you say child he raped out grimly Bring Dring Mandy and Joe Stagg together Well Wen I guess not I Oh Mr dont don't you think that hat would be Just you be ful cried Tied the little girl with a lingering lingering- emphasis upon the most important word vord Dont you see sec how happy they would be I OIL dont don't know as anybody's per- per anxious to see that daughter of mine and Joe Stagg friendly again No 1 good would come of It Carolyn May looked looke at him sorrowfully sorrow- sorrow fully ully Mr had quite disappointed disappointed disappointed pointed her It was plain to be seen that hat he was not the right one to advise advise advise ad ad- vise with about the matter The little girl sighed OIl I I really did spose you'd want to see Miss Amanda happy Mr she whispered Happy Bah I snarled marled the old man setting vigorously to work again He lIe acted as If he wished to say no mere and let the little girl depart another word Carolyn May really could not understand understand under under- stand It It nt at least she could not im Im- mediately That Mr might have a selfIsh selfish selfish self self- ish reason for tor desiring to keep his daughter and Joseph Stagg apart did not enter the little girls girl's mind After that Sunday walk however Carolyn May 1 was never so much afraid of her uncle as before Why he had even called Prince Pl-Ince good dog I l Truly sir Mr Joseph Stagg was being transformed transformed-If if slowly ri lJ- lJ could not deny to himself that to LO a certain extent he was enjoying he the presence of his little niece at The Corn Corners rs If he only could decide Just what to do with the personal property of or hi sister Hannah and her husband in the Ne New York apartment Never in his life had he been so long deeding a question He Ile had really loved Hannah DeIm He De Im w It now did Joseph Stagg every time he looked ed tt ft the lovely Jl I e child who had come to live with him htmat at nt The Corners Why l I Just so had Hannah looked WH f she was a n little hili The same deep violet eyes and I hair and laughing lips lips- Mr Stagg sometimes actually found a reflection of the cheerful figure of Hannahs Carlyn coming between him and the big ledger over which he spent so many of his waking hours Once he looked up from the ledger ledger- it Jt was on a Saturday morning morning and and really did see the bright figure of the little girl standing before him It was no dream or fancy for old Jimmy the cat suddenly shot to the tho topmost shelf squalling with wild abandon Prince was nosing along at Carolyn Mays May's nys ny's side Bless mess me croaked Mr Stagg That dog of yours Carlyn May 1 will wilt give Jimmy a conniption fit yet What want down here Carolyn May lay told him A man had come to the house to buy a cow and Aunty Bose Rose had sent the little girl down to tell teU Mr 11 Stagg to come como home borne and drive his own bargain Well well said Mr Stagg lockIng locking lockIng lock- lock Ing the ledger in the safe Ill hustle right out and tend to it Dont Don't see lee seewhy why the man couldn't have hav waited till noontime Hey you Chet I Look out for the store Dont Don't have any fooling tooling AndOh AndOh And And And- Oh uncle I may may mayI I I stay too Me and Prince cried Carolyn MayWell MayWell May Well be good Pshaw Yes If you want to to responded responded responded re re- re- re Mr Stagg hurrying away My your uncles uncle's hangin more and more aint he remarked Chet the optimistic He uHe does sometimes j w I I Think You Are Lovely Miss Amanda almost laugh Carlyn I never see the beat of it 1 Oh is he cried the little child Is he ate looking up more Do you think he Is Chet I positively do Chet assured herAnd herAnd herAnd her And he hasn't always got his nose noso in that old ledger Well I Well I wouldn't say that he neglected neglected neglected neg neg- business D nr nc maam ma'am said tho the boy honestly You Yon see we men have got to think of business mostly Hut But Buthe he sure Is of some oth other r things too too ya ya-as ya l What things Chet Carolyn May asked anxiously hoping that Uncle Joe had shown some Borne recovered interest inter inter- interest est In Miss Amanda and that Chet had noticed it Why Why well well Now you see theres there's that house you used to live In You know about that What about it ft Chet the little girl asked rather timidly Well Weli Mr Stagg aint never done about it He aint sold it nor sold the furniture nor no thin You know Carlyn May your folks didn't leave you no money Oh Didn't tacy uey cried Carolyn May greyly startled No UNo You see Bce I 1 beard heard all about It Mr Vickers the lawyer came ame In la here one une day and your uncle read rend a letter to too him out loud I couldn't help but hear henr The letter was tl fl om another lawyer and all about you and your concerns I heard it all said sail the quite Innocent Chet And Mr Vickers says So the child hasn't anything of her bel ow own own 1 Joe Chet went on And your uncle sn says 8 Not INot a n dollar what I might sell that furniture for And ho hasn't sold it yet I know He Just cant can't make up his mind to sell them things that was your mothers mother's Carlyn May added the boy with a deeper Insight Into Mr Stagg's character than one might have bave given him credit for pos pos- But Carolyn May had heard some news nes that made her suddenly quiet and she was glad a n customer came Into store Just then to draw Chet Gormley's Gormley's Gorm Gorm- leys ley's attention The child had never thought before about how the good things of life camEto came cameto cameto to her her her-her her food clothes and lodging But nut now Chet Gormley's chattering had given her a n new view of the facts of ot the case There had been no money mone left to spend for her needs Uncle Joe was Just keeping her out ol of charity 1 I And Prince too thought the little Attie girl with a n lump in her throat He hasn't got any more home borne than a i rabbit rab mb ab abbit bit I And Uncle Joe dont don't really like dogs not dogs not even eve now Oh dear me 1 pursued Carolyn Caroln May l Its uIt's awful hard bard to be an or phan But to be a poor orphan orphan just jus a charity one one one-Is Is a whole lot worse 1 I guess I wonder if I ought to stay with Uncle Joe and ond Aunty Rose and make them so much trouble Tho The thought bit deep Into the little little girls girl's very impressionable mind She wished to be alone and to think over this really tragic thing that faced her the her the ugly fact that she was a n charity child And youre you're a charity dog Prince Cameron she said aloud looking down at the mongrel who walked sedately sedately se beside her along the country countr road foad The little girl had loitered along the road until it was now dinner time Indeed Aunty Rose nose would have haTe had the meal on the table twenty minutes earlier Mr Stagg had evidently remained remained re re- at The Corners to sell seU the cow cowand cowand I and eat dinner too too thus thus killing kUUng two birds with one stone And here C Carolyn rolyn May and Prince were at Mr carpenter shop Just as the old man was taking off orr his apron preparatory to going in to his dinner When Miss Amanda was away nursing the carpenter ate at Zit a Ii neighbors neighbor's neighbors neighbor's neighbors neighbor's neigh neigh- bors bor's table Now Miss Amanda appeared on the side porch Where are you going little girl r she asked smiling Home to Aunty Rose nose said Carolyn May bravely But I guess Im I'm late for tor dinner Dont you want to come In and eat with us Carolyn May Your own dinner dinner dinner din din- ner will wUl be cold Oh may I cried the little girl Somehow she did not feel that she could face Uncle Joe Just now with this new thought that Chet Gormley's words had llad put into her heart Then she hesitated with her band hand on the gate latch Will there be some scraps for Prince she asked Or bones I OIL believe I 1 can find something for Prince Miss Amanda replied I owe him more than one good dinner Iguess I 1 Iguess guess for J killing that snake Come Inand in inand inand and we will see Carol Carolyn n May thought that Miss Amanda In her house dress ress and ruffled ruffied apron with sleeves turned back above aboyo her dimpled br brown wn elbows was prettier prettier prettier pret pret- tier than ever Her TIer cheerful observations observations observations quite enlivened Carolyn May again I think you are lovely Miss Amanda Aman Aman- da she sal said f as she helped wipe tho the dishes after aCter the carpenter had gone back to the shop I shall always love you I guess that anybody who ever did love you would keep right on doing so till they died They Just couldn't help It I Indeed said the woman laughing And how about you Chicken Little Arent Aren't you universally beloved too Oh I dont don't expect so Miss Amanda Aman Aman- da said the child I wish I was Why aren't arent you I I 1 I Well I guess its it's Just because because because be be- cause Im I'm not not Carolyn Caroln May said des des- You sec see after all Miss Amanda Im I'm only a n charity child Oh my child I exclaimed Miss Amnnda Amanda Who told you that I I 1 I just heard about it it confessed the little visitor Not from Aunty Rose Bose I Kennedy ennedy Oh Ob no maam maum Did that that that- Did your uncle tell you such a thing tiling Oh no I Hes He's Just as good as he can be But of course courso he doesn't like children You know he And he lie Just do dogs s I Carolyn and Prince have another another an an- other adventure In which they play the part of good Samari Samari- tans Watch for the next In I TO BH DE CONTINUED l 1 I |