| Show I 1 t 1 Ma Peabody Takes 1 a Hand HandBy t tt t 1 t I 1 1 1 I 1 B By CORONA REMINGTON t t tt tt t IS It 1922 22 by McClure Now Syndicate Mrs Hettle Nettie Peabody thrust the letter back In her apron pocket and removed remo her glasses To a II close observer cr It could be seen b by the flush lush on her cheeks and the nervous ous twitching of ot other her fingers that she was laboring under under un der unwonted excitement At supper that evening her husband and son were knocked speechless by a commonplace com corn remark she made In what she thought was n a commonplace tone of ot voice yolee Inkin bout goin down to Newton Newton Newton New New- ton she said gulping half halt n a cup jf of steaming steaming- coffee to hide her confusion The Jar slipped front from Pa s 's hand and spilled half Its sticky trl trickling kling contents on the red tablecloth beCo before e It was rescued bout what Ma l 1 lie be asked d doubtfully Why not 1 Pa n Interrupted young Peabody Why shouldn't she go Its It's only 35 miles and Ma l hasn't been that far from home since she was married J Ill I'll bet and Its It's only eight miles from Crom here to the beach I want her ller to see the ocean Its It's great grent Mrs Peabody cast a grateful gl glance at her big son and went on with her planning quite naturally Yes I was Id I'd visit with Betty Compton the little girl that spent last summer at the You remember she was gettin over oyer a II aspell aspell spell of typhoid Visit with her bel them millionaire people 1 Why she aint asked you ou Las has she 7 I reckon I got the letter right In I m my pocket now and nUll Its It's the third she's written askin me In the last month She used to come over here most every day when you and Joe was as out In the field and we got to tobe tobe tobe be good friends Sure I remember her She's a pretty little trick remarked Joe and if s she's es e's asked you ma inn Id I'd Just pick up rind thud go Shell She'll give gIn you a good time I am going ing said Mrs Peabody her tone now quite confident Besides Be De sides I got a little business to attend to in town That was how it came about that the following Monday 1 the eastbound express express stopped at Clearview and picked up a trembling excited little figure In bl Mack black and hurried her ber to the big seacoast town Dont fOr forget t to feed the settin r hen in Doll Dollys Dolly's s 's stall she called back backas as she waved a final good good-by to her son on Settling herl herself elt h in her seat sent a little feeling of panic swept over oyer her and once more she wished that she had hadnot hadnot hadnot not been quite so daring Supposing Betty Detty should not meet her SupposIng Supposing ing lag one of those these rushing automobiles should knock her tier down and kill her herand herand and go rushing right along A city was such a wicked place But Dut all her anxiety was for nothing nothIng nothing noth noth- ing for Betty Detty did meet her and Instead Instead instead In In- stead of ot her being knocked down and run over by an automobile she vent went whizzing along the crowded streets In one of ot the most melt magnificent luxuriously luxuriously upholstered cars that she ha hats had ever er seen My Ir AInt this fine she sighed leaning back jack comfortably I never will be able to stand the old buckboard buckboard buckboard buck- buck board again Now tell me about your our trouble with your beau hone honey I was t that at upset when I heard It I Just made up my mind to come right righton on to town sos so's we could talk It over o over Oh Its It's dreadful Mrs Peabody Its It's all aU off oft That's all You mean you jou ou aint engaged to him no more The Time girl no ed in answer and tried to check her r Quivering lip What com i twixt twist you rou Betty Detty she asked avoiding a the young oung gI girls girl I e eyes eg We We Weve We we ve quarreled over oye a trifle and andI I got furiously mad and told him I didn't love him any more and threw his ring on the thc floor and rushed out of of the room but not before I heard him say If It that's the wa way you fee Zeal theres there's nothing to be done done I I accept the Inevitable But Dut you ou do love him child and and you ou know you ou do Its too late to talk about that the girl evaded Is he lie that Henry Winthrop man that's In In n the marble business you ou were telling me about last year ear Yes weve we've been going together ever er since I was fifteen That was That was all that was said about the matter then but the little old lad lady ludy kept thinking It over It was a shame rot for a sweet little thing like Betty Detty to break her own heart to say nothing of ot the nice young oung mans man's simply because because be be- cause she was as IlS proud as Lucifer and had a pretty prett unruly temper When she had had been In Newton some som three or four days a Mrs 1 Peabody de- de to to go on a u shopping hoppl g expedition all nir by herself but she site would return in time to have ha lunch with Betty Detty she promised Helt Bettys Betty's s car was at her disposal dis and Mrs Pea Peabody bod felt Yel very much like t a millionaire herself as she gave her l' l to the chauffeur Reaching ti tits lt u first address addres she went vent Into a tall office building and at last gained an audience with the person she wanted to see ee Im a friend of yours ours Mr 11 Winthrop Win Win- she began hurriedly even cven If It Sou you dont don't know me and I want you to do cIo something Your girls girl's in trouble trou trou- trouble N ble and she n needs eds help Will you OU fort for for- net t your four pride and come with me me Quick Is It serious he asked aske Jumping up and starting for tor his hat Cant tell you QU that It may be You can go In the car cor with me Tense and white faced he lie followed her out of ot the building and into the limousine Not a word was exchanged on on the way home They hurried up the front steps and M Mrs It Peabody forced him to wait In the drawing drawing- room a second She returned almost Immediately with whim Betty by the time hand When they saw each vach other both nearly collapsed I thought you said there was something something something some some- thing the matter with her the man n said at nt last regaining himself There Is said Mrs holdIng holdIng hold hold- Ing on to the tile squirming Bett Betty Hetty She Sloe told you ou a stor story and Its It's killing her She said she didn't love you ou tiny ny nymore more and she owned up to me she did id Bett Betty wriggled and tried to escape then turned and burled buried her face on Mrs Peabodys Peabody's s shoulder t r. r She beckoned beckoned beck beck- to the time man standing like one frozen in the middle of the poor floor A Alush flush lush overspread his face us as he hc shook his head Mrs Peabody gave gae him one look the look she used to use on tin Joe when he hc tried to disobey her If It I worked and in another r second S sie sae le was slowly pushing Dett Betty Into her lovers lover's arms Youre two of or the hea headiest iest children children chil chil- dren I ever saw and Ive I've a It good mind to spank you ou both she said as ns she she- left the thc room Two hours later inter the they came out out In la search of Mrs Peabody I see sec now It was all nil m my fault said Betty I can hardly believe e I Iwas Iwas Iwas was willing to give up my mr whole lifes life's happiness for COl such a n little thing Its always a n little thing honey looney said Mrs Peabody And now Ive I've tended to m my business I reckon Id I'd better be get gettin tin back hack tf to pa and Joe Joeand Joeand and the settin hens hem Sped that place Is no end of ot a sight But you ou will come back for the wedding they ther asked You mus must we couldn't get get- married without you ou If It that's how It is s I reckon Ill I'll just have haye to she smiled since my hearts heart's so plumb set on seen you ou two youngsters married |
