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Show 4gk.'& The Little Mother fl I JKu J By Elsie EMdicott Jjlb Cl I I,, RS. WINTERS, sland-ta. sland-ta. a n on tu0 veranda fejl farmhouse, looking JB after a young cou-nWrPftj cou-nWrPftj thing," she thought, SriLIS "Elizabeth Seamen nB2a when It comes to making a good farmer's wife, well " Sho sighed again. Mrs. Winters had spent considerable timo of late sighing. Her happy bluo .... eyes had held a world of worry since 11 I John's return from the city with the I ' startling information that he was in I lore, was loved in return, and expect- I ed to marry in tho springtime II ( Mrs. Winters had contemplated mar-vjj mar-vjj liage for John, and she had told him U i so many a time. However, she bad I 1 calculated that he would find a mate !1 $ among the farmer's daughters round I t about, the samo as his father before IMf him. She had thought of many reasons imS or his prolonged visit to tho cty, but MK the real cause had never entered her 9He ead. SHv did not ease matterB when sho lift Earned Elizabeth's people know tho 0K browns, the Winters' nearest ncigh-llttf ncigh-llttf fcrs Tho fact remained, Elizabeth 1IB tad been born and raised in tho city. was "one of thoso typewriter glrlB whoso principal aim Ms to turn herself out as much like an outlandish fashion plate as possible," an'd ias, flrst and last, Impossible as a farmer's wife. Mrs. Winters did not voice this opinion opin-ion to John. Sho knew opposition would mako him moro determined. Sho must bldo her time, praying meanwhile that disenchantment would come. But evidently her prayer remained unanswered, for ono morning, after tho hour of tho rural delivery, John came In with eyes gleaming. "Mother!" "Moth-er!" ho exclaimed, "Elizabeth's coming!" com-ing!" Mrs. Winters dropped weakly into tho nearest chair. "Not herc7" she breathed faintly. "Oh, no," laughed John, "to Browns . We didn't toll you until wo knew for sure. Mrs. Brown thought it would bo nico for you to meet Elizabeth, so sho invited her. She's, coming tomorrow. Mother, she's tho prettiest, dearest, best little girl" John's voice caught in a rapturous sigh. In a moment he added, "You two will bo crazy about each other the moment you meet." If they wore, they concealed the feeling feel-ing admirably. Mrs. Winters thought, after a sweeping glanco over the stylish styl-ish young figure, "Gracious, she's worse than any figure In tho fall clylo book Mrs. Brown got at Slater's In town." Her smile became tepid. Elizabeth, Eliz-abeth, painfully conscious that her valuo was being taken, appeared uncomfortable, un-comfortable, stiff not at all herself. She reflected, "John's mother is not a bit like John. And I know another thing. She's like all mothers with an only son; sho wants to keep him." Both women wero thankful when tho meeting was over. Elizabeth was very quiet as John and sho went down tho path. At the gate ho wheeled her about and, after silently survoylng the plcturo3quo farmhouse, asked: "What do jou think of your future home, Elizabeth?" Elizabeth's eyes glowed. "Oh, U'b beautiful!" sho answered. "And isn't mother fino? Youll be great pals, won't you?" Elizabeth's eyes saddened. "J I hope so," sho whispered. In her heart she added, "John's mother doesn't want that kind of a pal! sho wants Just John." Tho passing days seeming only to strengthen first Impressions, they played continually at cross purposes, Elizabeth's variety of dresses stunned Mrs. Winters. "How In the laud sakes will John's purse stand such extravagant extrava-gant Ideas?" was her constant Inward thought. She tried once to got tho girl's opinion on tho subject of making a homo, but It so happened sho tried at tho wrong timo. They wero in tho farm house parlor alone. Of course they were 111 at case at their very worst. Suddenly John's mother asked: "Aro you fond of your present work, Elizabeth?" "My work? Oh, you mean my olflco work! Yes, Indeed. I am." Then, under Mrs Winters' analytic eyes, homesick for tho flrst time sinco sho had come to John's country, Elizabeth voiced a sudden yearning In an enthusiastic enthu-siastic description of her office life. Mrs Winters listened without smiling. At last she broke In: "And at home tho houseviork don't you ever " "Oh," Interrupted Elizabeth Indifferently, Indiffer-ently, "mother attends to all that" In the last week of her visit John found It necessary to spend several days In an adjoining county watching scientific farming experiments. "While I'm away," he whispered, as he bade Elizabeth good-bye, "let mother see what a darling you are, won't you? Try and get close to her." Elizabeth smiled wistfully. Tho only way to do that, sho felt, was to make this good-by a final one. She did not visit Mrs. Winters that day. She was lonely, disheartened, and Bho dreaded tho customary searching search-ing glance. Early the next morning, for John's sako. sho went to her. Sho found a very miserable Mrs Winters huddled on a sofa. Constraint Quv to the four winds, and she went hastily toward the woebegone figure. 'My goodness, what's tho matter?" she cried. "Lumbago," moaned Mrs. Winters. "I got up with it this morning, and I've been helpless as a log over since. The men went over to Slade'B last night for the threshing, and I haven i had a soul to send to Brown's." "Poor thing!" Elizabeth's soft fingers fing-ers gently smoothed the pain-wrinkled forehead. "And haven't you had any breakfast?" "Bless you! Yes, I managed that" Awkwardly Mrs. Winters' hand patted Elizabeth's stylish sleeve. "I've got worse since; and, dear me, tho chilli sauce Is worrying the life out of me. I reckoned on making It today. Tho tomatoes are overripe, and they'll spoil on me, and " "No, they won't" remarked Elizabeth. Eliza-beth. "Now, see here, I'm going to get you Into bed, with a hot stovo plate at your back. You're to forget all about chilli sauco. Pain and worry havo given you a fever." She hesitated a moment. "You'll lot mo help you, won't you?" she asked softly. Suddenly she bent down, and her fresh young lips rested a moment on others that were quivering. The rest of tho day was ono long wonder to Mrs. Winters. She thought sho had uover seen fingers so deft as those which saw to her every comfort She knew she had never lasted more delicious chicken broth than that brought to her bedside at noontime. And when there came drifting into tho door the appetizing, spicy odor of chili sauce cooking she lay dumbly wondering. wonder-ing. Sho looked at Elizabeth speechlessly speech-lessly when sho brought her a sarcplo on a saucer. At last sho gasped, "Can you do such things? Why it's fine! It's as good as mine. Folks say my recipe Is grand." "Mother thinks I can boat her making mak-ing chill sauco," said Elizabeth proudly proud-ly "I always make It at home. I love fussing." "My land! I thought." fumbled John's mother, "that you only knew the typewriter, and Just loved clothes and the like." "And a few people," laugned Rliza-beth. Rliza-beth. Suddenly Bhe put the saucer on a chair and sat down on the bed, hands clasping her kneo. Her glanco was clear, direct "Is that why you haven't lilted mo, because you thought I'd mako John a poor wifo?" "Yes," faintly. "You don't want him for yourself always?" "I'vo wanted a daughter always. I've hoped to have one In John's wife." M "I didn't know that" gently. "Will H you try and love mo. Mrs. Winters?" H "I won't havo to try since I'vo Been lf the real you." M Elizabeth bent down and kissed her. fl Then she asked quizzically, "You will M love mo even with my extravagant M tasto in dress?" IbbI Mrs. Winters winced. "Young peo- plo nowadays," sho evaded, "are dlf- ll ferent Whon John's father and I IH started out I did all my sewing to help MH aloug, and " IIH "What if John's future wifo has H done all her sewing ever since sho was MbbI old enough to sew', to 'help along? iJ Now this dress I have on. Ho.v do IH you like it? It cost ?1.1S." M "My soul!" gasped Mrs. Winters. H Threo days later, when John re- M turned he found Elizabeth awaiting H him In his own doorway. Sho had on H ono of his mother's kitchen aprons. Ho M looked at her In amazement "Aren't M you going to say how do you do?" she H laughed. H "What In tho world's brought this JH about?" ho finally articulated. H "Lumbago and chill sauce," answer- H ed Elizabeth promptly. "Don't stand IH thero wondering, John. Come In and H sec the little mother, and we'll toll you IH all about It" IH ,H |