| Show I i U I HER DECISION 1 I II I A T only goes oes to prove d observed 0 b fI I l V C It 1 tics Mian lI f s sr II r 1 a w w k o 0 H s that thai so vacillating a I f person must bo I 1 or less lees Jc morally de dc deI t nt If I Decatur De DC Decatur had any proper sense of oC her obligations sho Eho would never noer havo given slen pay payIng pa paInS InS Ing guests such a din dinner dinner dinner ner as us we had tonight But aunt Surah f S Marjorie Ran Han Randolph Randolph dolph ventured diffidently the tho din dinners nor ners hero arc are almost always alwaY good but Norah has been suffering Buffering with neu neuralgia i ralgia all nU day and 4 Miss Decatur spoils Norah shame shamefully fully sully and wo we suffer tho the consequences ConsequenCe of or hor her credulous good nature Inter Interposed interposed posed Charlotte Craig Cral a young person with the tho authoritative somewhat dictatorial manner of or a as successful s professional nur nurse c What can you expect of o a n woman who ho confesses to having sat oat up till 4 a I In tho the morning reading now nov novels no els cIs laughed Honor Temple Templo But I flatter myself she Bhe added udde triumphant triumphantly ly y that I havo cured our Oll hostess of o wasting her hor time over Ocr swashbuckler romances I r consider It Jt an Important part of o om my m duties as librarian to elevate tho i public taste and I havo persuaded Miss Decatur to renounce trashy trash fiction faction in favor of oC a course of oC historic historical al nl reading arlod by h an nn occasional really rea good psychological novel Little Kato Kate Kendricks n a stenographer pher hor looked up tip from the h hin In which she aha waa compounding a I mix mixture ml i itura turn ture of lobster eggs and Ind cream to lo toBay tot loI t I day Bay ea crisply I enjoy enjo romances roman V V myself Honor and 1 I shall thull not allow you ou to bluff me out of oC rending reading theme them I but bu t of course you ou can cn n twist Miss De Dc Decatur Decatur round your gout little linger for she sheI has lias no more mind of her hr own than a 1 I jellyfish hurry up with those sand sandwiches sandwiches Sarah this now newberg berg la hi h ready roady r ad Tho Tito pangs of o threatened starvation allayed tho the girls were were chatting awl ami amiably ably abl as they the nibbled fudge and drank their coffee calico at peace with wit all tho world oven on their delinquent landlady There came camo c mo a no knock knook at ut tho to door and Miss 1111 Decatur entered tho tiro room s Sho al 1 o wae was a pretty y little woman toma n whose brown hair hall although plentiful plentifully I ly 1 3 threaded with silver was wag still wavy wa I and abundant and time and trouble I had left no disfiguring truces traces on her het sweet BC t palo halo face tace Marjorie Randolph moro more discerning or 01 more mor sympathetic than the others soon discovered d that their hostess had hurt something on hor her mind which waa making her conversation even een more mo rumbling rambling and incoherent than usual What in is tho the trouble Miss MIR D on ontur tur nho who asked u ked finally Nora is Js nc worse I hope No dear ear replied Mss Miss olf s Decatur Nora is la doing nicely soul and will twill I 1 trust bo be quito quite herself tomorrow Rut Cut 0 O Omy I Imy I my dent dear girls J she wont weds on breath breathlessly breathlessly lessly I can hardly bring l myself to speak of It Miss lIss Graham quick consumption consumption consumption tion the doctor tells me quite In n curable though it may mil bo ho months I IThon Thou Then Hawk js who WON way an nn ev ex excellent I I teacher leach r of or mathematics and and absolutely conscientious in JIl the per pI performance performance of o what hat she conceived to be beher beher beher her duty duly Poor MI Graham what a I fate One of o us must mut mako it a point to visit hilt her at nt least twice a n week celt for Cor or of oC I course she will be taken to a hos has hospital II punt pital Immediately The fhe doctor It Il I Miss Decatur but ahe has a horror of or such Institutions and slid NhO has bogged I me to let her hN die llo here hern In the tho only I homo she Rhe hat has known knon for rot 20 0 years rc A 1 most unreasonable request commented Miss Hawkes brusquely yog 1 es Kato Late who regard regarded ed cd nil problems problem from a business not nol nolon an on ethical standpoint agreed I t un tnt understand that MucH Graham has haA noth nothing ing Inti III but hut a l small annuity which t ample pic to pay pa her hI WIL way in III a n hospital would not allow for Cor tho tin board and und wages of or a fl component nt to attend hor her horn hero You must mut not think of or granting Mich Duch a request Miss f Decatur Decade urged lI Honor HOllor Temple T Your our hands are arc more I than hill full as It Is 15 IsYou IsYou You simple dimple cannot afford to do this thing Decatur Kato argued MIf 1 If we all leave for 01 such sucha a I reason rason you ou will not Lind it easy casy to till fill our out places I INno N no sighed Miss Decatur but butI I 1 have havo a little money mone laid away awa I II I dont blame you girls it is very er de tic depressing pressing to bo be in the same mate house with a hopeless invalid But perhaps when when it Is IB all nil allover nilO allover over O fr you will conic como back to me T IT fT T Turn urn um very cry CO fond of you ou my m dears she concluded with a certain quaintness If we our new nw quarters com comfortable I think it Il improbable that we shall return said ald puss MI tI cold coldly col colI coldI ly I Well Ye dears dean I shall miss you rou was all nil tho little woman as mss she sho ld out ot of the room In ht the sumo samo undecided manner in which she cn On entered it To 0 the tho surprise of the paying pa guests their vacillating hostess al ai allowed allowed lowed lowd them tIem to dopart depart without any further fur further ther thor The apartments at nt Tho The were w rc pleasant the cuisine unexceptionable and In the midst mh l of or their duties and pleasures tho the four hach b ell u I IT WAS AVAS INDEED A CROWD THAT GATHERED FOR THE BUMPTIOUS REPAST elor maids seldom found round time for rOl more than an sal occasional occa lot al careless cureless In Inquiry the Invalid and the faithful friend rl nd who had sacrificed her lieI own oun Interests in i order that a fractious old woman might havo have a n home to todio todio dio duo In Marjorie she sho of the sensitive mouth and tender eyes oyos wan wai made mado of oC differ different eat ent clay cla from these practical persons elson but as min her aunt had forbid forbidden forbidden den her 1111 on the time ground of or possible contagion to enter Iter the house who she could do little to express her 1 thy except by b offerings of or fruit rull and flowers and daily dail inquiries I at It the door d or Several SOI I months had passed when she Bh came cam In to announce with tears In her hel eyes that the lito troubles of or tho the lonely spinster wore over Oot Miss Mis MI Decatur looks 10 years cars older she sho told toll the four our although site she has been heen FO so brave bra and cheerful through It all nIl Im Fin afraid that she sho must mut havo spent nil all her little savings 8 and I I I think girls that thal we WI ought to offer to return to lo her hr at once j I I tea a a I Ie e h t c II f n I Ut t r II U 1 t tl III I 1 l Ir f r u 4 t fa f But the proposition was leas received with marked disfavor A few days day lator later however Marjo Marjorie rie ric came in from Crom her hor walk with a alook alook look 1001 of determination on her childish face and amid sitting down don at mil her hor desk she Rhe a n long lon letter which sho she posted before she slept For a week she kept her own coun counsel counsel sel sol but bul on the thC day dl before Christmas she sho entered the room where tho ho oth others ors ers In a whirl of red and green tissue paper cr and holly ribbon sat oat doing up and directing dainty packages Hh begun hegan hesitatingly I Imet Imet Imet I met Norah Goggin on the tho street a afew afew few fw days ago Miss Decatur was WaK ob obliged liged lI ed to dismiss her hor whon whan wo we left but Norah hat has been heen very vory or loyal loul mind and has hag often run rum In to help with the rough rouSh work when whon hon sho she had a day clay lU off oC ho says sa R that our rooms are arc tilt still vacant tad and hos afraid concluded that Miss hiss bit bitof bitor bitof of or money mOlle must bo be gone sone for by b the lIe looks o 0 the tho pantry shelves sites often ofton the bite and sup aup p The young youn women glanced up from their pretty prell task with shocked aston astonished shed eyes C but MarJorie hurried on So I wrote rot and told daddy dadd all about it and he says Aunt Sarah that I r spay may ma go o back hack to Miss Decatur atul and have hae her hel for my 01 chaperon Daddy Is 18 coming to town tomorrow and I have sent a noto note to Miss hiss Decatur Inviting her to dine with us at The Huron I 1 shall hall hate to leave leavo you all we have havo had such stich jolty jolly times together humility ha I J feel feci that Ive 10 been very lr thought less leSt and selfish and I shall go o with I Marjorie If I Miss Decatur will ivill have I mr We Ye were Just as bad Sarah well go too chorused the others accord Honor Temple adding reflectively Why Wh we te go so back to our old rooms room while willi MH Musts Decatur Is iq dining with Marjorie and her father It wont bo be nee r to ask permission for or orum I Iam Iam am um sure urt that nothing would delight Miss l Decatur moro more than a Christmas Christinas gift sin of her former paying guests Lets go fO sold and ask Marjorie If she he could m It It proposed Honor Horror They discovered dh Indulging in the feminine luxury of a good goo 1 cry ery I but her hr sorrow was war quickly turned to rejoicing when their project WWi wan divulged d Promptly at ullO 10 on the tho fol following following lowing day Marjorie and Mr Ran Randolph Randolph Randolph dolph a handsome maT marl of 60 80 odd appeared and carried Misa Ili Decatur away awa with them tum and not live minutes Utter liner a beaming maid opened tho the doors doon of the tho Decatur homestead to lO various errand hogs boys IIO laden with motley molle bundles and to four young women with their arms full ull of ot Christmas greens groon Three hours later tho ho MisH Decatur lurid lured d buck book to her hor home by on the tho pretext of o wishing to rearrange her h r windblown hair hall be he before before fore Core going in hl to The ThC Huron H stood dazed at al the urn and Hounds so orals that lint greeted heron her hl ron on the threshold In Tn an Instant she sho was ali surrounded I by b her errant arrant paying guests and IJ nd a ascone scone scene ensued that caused Mr Mt Ran Pun Randolph Randolph dolph to walk hastily to the window to hide his misty eyes Miss Decatur was waa so lio unconscious of or having done anything any thins heroic or of having any cause for or resentment that tho the unsentimental man of o business puttered That little woman Is a trump If she does docs look as limp as a rug rag tU doll that has seen scon better hettI days da s snut But nut when the rag ras doll had been swept upstairs and reappeared half an un hour later wearing a new now gray ray silk illk the girls had thought this tIlls wid Will widower ower of 15 1 years curs standing felt Cell an gut unaccustomed thrill In ht the thc region of o ohi his hi heart for It was a transfigured Miss Decatur who topic her hel place pIneo at atthe atthe the tho head held of the tho festal board Her small head was erect with the proud little lift that had been bean ad admired admired admired mired in the far off days of or her girl girlhood girlhood hood before H it had been bean bowed by time limo and trouble To fo Honor Temple whom t tUCh but 1 T know that Miss J Decatur needs me Without walling waiting for it a reply s e c fled to h jr own room for or to take UiKo mich r decided ed step had hud been u a d thinS thing for tor tho the docile girl and site she read cd ed hor her disapproval The Th four stared nt ul one another for a moment In blank silence and Miss Hawkes handsome face grew a trifle pale pal Little Marjorie had Imperceptibly crept crt pt into her heart h lIr until tho the thought of doing oln without her hor caused that hith orto well conducted organ orsan to In a novel and unpleasant fashion Then she Ihl flushed an UR the nhe said with unwonted reading read Ins of modern novels had made mado mad on the subject of o psychology cholo her hostess ah as tho the dinner progressed s d became such an object of or Interest that thul at last she ho whispered to Charlotte Craig under cover coer of the tho talk and laughter f r never ncr was so surprised Do you ou suppose that one uno act Iet of or self s1 fan II n have havo ha radically Miss owners nature Ive 10 rend read r nd of ot such enseK and Iud you Oll can hear hoar for yourself that oh la in ending lilting her without u a single modifying or 01 qualifying clause C and yen act net actually venturing to disagree with Sarah Sa Sarah Sarah rah But Hut Charlotte shook her het head No NoH 0 H it that Its her new n w frock she h returned positively Miss II s Decatur D can un see ICO that lint none of o us even 11 pretty MarJorie can cun hold hoc a candle randle to her to tonight tonight night h and anti the tho knowledge knowl d o that she Is Isa Isu isa a u would give gle any an woman omon con confidence A rod od head was thrust between bol w n the he I disputants tan ts and u nc Kate laughed mischievously I IY Youre Y 10 both hot h wrong this ili bursting 1 r tin J Jinto into bloom with the suddenness s of 0 a cereus is duo to lo tho the fact that Miss MIst Decatur to quote her own eighteen ci thirty diction IK is re receiving receiving the th attentions of o a gentleman Just see the tho assiduity with which Mr r Randolph IS Is serving serin her hor h r to the daintiest bits bit of or the turkey permitting her to satisfy her hunger with drumsticks us as cranky cran boarders hoarders have done for rol 20 30 0 years roars I sec see a light in his blue eyes ees which mako make mo me mistrust that within six Ix months a teacher a librarian a professional Durso und anti a stenographer will sill again be bo occupying apartments at Tho The |
