Show WS N I 1 T H R j LLA by ethel hueston copyright by bobba enrin c ct 0 illustrations by irwin myers myer service STORY FROM THE START in the usually quiet home ot t rev kev mr air tolliver Toll lver ct cf red hed thrush iowa owa motherless mother leBs daughters daugh terii helen dirlam and clien ellentin enGin Ell GI ger ge r ella are buy busy grooming their sister marjory for pillion pation in the beauty pageant that evening with eddy jack son sol pr prosperous 0 farmer her t er escort marjory leaves tor for he anticipated triumph over work ha has affected nir mr rollive r eyes evee to the point of threaten d blindness marjory win th beauty prize 50 00 she gives the money to her fattier to con sult suit chicago specialists mr air tolliver leaves for chicago with miriam ginger meets alexander murdock mr air tolliver Toll lver returns the lex tore giving him little hope ginger gets an idea for a parsonage home for the blind and funds CHAPTER IV continued 8 it was she aho vho announced the early arrival of I horace langley insley Li mopping his brow she said he wits arid aln trig ing like grim giru death to the arm of eddy jackson Jark son who laug lidd tit at film nil much later inter with the final announce ment flint the othel s were on annd sh she e dispatched the twins in pastel pink and yellow to on the sir springtime hevy bevy of orange greep creep mauve and rose tn ill the primary department part ment then she led tier her fataei flown down the stairs to 10 the living room where hp he was to waif for helen al 11 all the chos who tire are there she clie blithely find all the bond hoodlums are parked she ran tip to tier her sisters room find and gave a insi hist tender render touch to the white veil tell oh nalen she whispered helen tool took ner her in hy hi h i arnis arms and the two to girls wept together after ull all ginger was vas helens plenA I baby had hean afi lens from the miju ieni when re turning from the file little cemel erv on the haji where her mother was ans laid away in lowers flowers and t diw ahe lie ann to the upstairs mi stairs ritiro benom of nt that other old to answer tp ohp P wall wait of the lie orphaned hnry you voir you said ginger stoutly winking away her tears rears Vi tull spoil your anoka helen I 1 wish fattier father could see you now dont arv cri im kolne going right down she smiled bravely tearfully fearfully at her sister unfailing refuge of sixteen yeam now leaving hr ond and ran town down the stairs tell ell him film to wait for me lust just a antell nT minute nute i 1 at am n mating ui at once helen called after tier her linger ginger went to io her father fattier father she said 1 must 0 go o now helen said for you to wait here for her just a 0 I 1 think ashes going to pray fattier she cooki lust lost like praying oh fr fai ither lier site she la Is slip she looks like a of a with all bind of secret heipp thoughts in her heart flint nobody else knows anything about just wall wait darling she Is coming anti and ginger tripp tri daintily down me ilia flagstone puth path like a floating hnatink blue cloud in her airy eown in the living room mr boniver Toll ro lver niver accustomed t to patience pati enve hv by of blindness waited quietly but helen to in the file room she shared with ginger was not praying I lelent helen was not B n girl hut bar one ol of deel dee rine one feeling feel liiK much of which centred cen tred around the puny haby sister choul slie site had go eo long ions held field as her especial charge helen was not noi going hway to happy marriage without a 0 final fenlee word ward and gesture tot for the child chii would 4 come home hoine lonely in her a ah h sence bence she and written ganyer it let ter written it the night wore her hei marriage when girls may well or be excused it their evers thought thour ln Is for themselves and their lovers and their hopes helens were for her young eat sister it was for or that purpose that she denied herseim to horace and to me girls shutting nn herself up tip for hours behind a lot gocbel kei door to write to G linger wa ria telling tier her how much she blie loved het her how enuch she had en joyed the hie years of caring for tier her how much she ahe hoped for tier her future not a flowery dowery letter no literary work ot of art hut but one chrit cume from helens eletta li heart with tills this letter abe was going to tene leave for unger sinner a n pre precious clous thing the little diani mid rang thai flint bad and been their ni mothers others engagement ring it hall been given to heln at her moth err era benth find hept heco worn hv by tier her in ID sacred brance tm for sixteen years but bill now with the hie hand of her own upon her hund hoid and soon to be enforce rt ti by the wedding circlet sli bouli puss this treasure on to ganyer tiger she hart had intended Intern led to leave tier her fi farewell grevell on the dressing dressl nt tohle table of t tle the room they nad bad occupied together hut but now upon sudden im am pulse pula thinking of ainge 1 she knew in an a lash hash or of reve revelation littlon ahai A hai the kin girl iiii tr her return she would fly straight up the auddel to 10 her private Banchiu nur rv in the tie attic where alone with her loneliness aap would weep out jut her heart to extitus tion lion and all asleep aie en smiled to herself with iring erlna alpa the darling dart lcK slit hac whis and then mischievously bin bill with she ilie care carefully full draped her veil all about tier her shoulders run ran dm tho the corr corridor lihr set sel dingers gingers Gln GIn serB gers ludden under tinder the hie tru or unit clim climbed lied round ty by round pushing open tit ohp libove her in the hie alc fit she clr herself ur up crossed the hie dust beams und and itro it rt beside 11 Ui igers tigers hd little table dask her eyes milen tle pails of inper the well sharpened the little old dolls iriina the ale mile of setters letters oh my div larli tig ehe che whip dered and agatin rot beuving her but she ehe wilted nuy the lie laid tier het letter ili id its ts envelope my igei oti im the hie table with the ring in a 0 velvel tins hox beside IL L 0 0 0 0 0 0 the bride girlue in stately white while and es carted hy by a 11 fairylike felry alke in dainty blue frills limited tiit cl dilong alon the fa oid path he velvety inan A low marnius rinar til of admiration drifted down the walk and helen clelen smiling lifted it u hand to lo bet town townsfolk stolk in frie wil gree 41 linger 1 tiger leaving the bride nt at the hie door of nt the primary room vat vaunted abed by the maids in their slow profession procession now flen around church and grubbed grabbed tier bet fattier father 1 slowly solemnly rose the lie stra strains ins of the wedding march eddy jackson breathing brent liang I 1 baiel i a rd accompanied the grown to the hie white chalk marks placed XI oh ginger my darling she ahls and wept again for leav lea ing her for ali hiem m before the altar down the rib boned aisle IrI tripped pIed small email white fairies sprinkling flowers bowers after thero them the bridesmaids in pastel rainbow tinted eowna cowns after them the bride serene ir sweet eyed ginger out coot and in her crisp blue with it firm 0 inger nger on her fit fa arm led him slowly down the nasle und placed him squarely upun upon tire llie chrils mark before she went to stand by helen serving the double role as mald maid or of honor to her sister and as tier her fo bothers 4 escort 1 I 1 do murmured helen sweetly the familiar voice of her fattier father and lov lew continued the lie service and presently helens hand wits was tn in that hint of horace A great cutup rose in gingers dingers Gin gers small and in the breath less leas silence that followed helen leaned forward put both aima around her fat fathers tiers shoulders and kissed him tenderly helen was married it was all ail over with laughter taug liter und and kisses hisses and many pay guy words the crowd surged down to the sunday school room for the huffel luri luncheon cheon served by the Rut heans and anen hen the proper moment come helen slipped away from the others and went into the small room beside the pulpit whore where she changed quickly from her bridal robes to 10 trim black find and white tot for traveling and then just a very little later there was a cab at ai the curb and the guests from within flocked flo cled out to mingle fraternally ter fern nally filly with those equally interested outside d e horace took helens hand in his and n nd to in a shower of cowers and rice they the run ran down dowd tire the walk with hei foot un on the he running buyrd board ot of the car she paused crt tier her eyes swept th alu small sweet sea ol of loved and loving taws faces she found tho the bright eyes ot of marjory und miriam found her futher standi standing tig H little fmay away by himself rhen she found ginger a small sol ant dmn figure with lepf forced to a n grim smile and helen tossed lusse rt hei api great crent hiou bouquet lilies illies of the volley valley for net get me ine bots nots und and tiny rosebuds ginger had not thought of must have been sheer instinct which shot tier her tithe lithe youns young arms high ovet over others to catch the precious trophy eclen smiled smile at her my ginger her lips merely formed the words but bur ginger staring rend read the syllables distinctly the cab roller rolled away A shout ot of laughter a chorus of prophecies surrounded ginger with the captured bridal bouquet in hot het hand but she heard anne ol of it IL site she was going home she answered no nis smiling thrusts called no responsive greetings to the merry throng about her she just set her small face toward the old brown door and her obedient little feet carried her lead enly toward it IL up ibe he stairs heavily heavily and down the hall to the bedroom she had shared with helen the room looked strange big and roomy she marveled at its bigness for she and helen had often complained laughingly of its slight dimensions suddenly she ahe real iced one of the little twin beds was gone and the other her own was in the center of the space the two had occupied gingers dingers Gin gers eyes burned sud denly but she was glad that other bed was gone she had not realized hv how it would have teen lying there and gazing across it fit mat empty pillow where helens brown hair helens Holens gentle face helens friendly eyeshade ey eyes eshad had been before she thought of that she salu said aloud conscious of the weight of the flowers she crossed dully to the desk by the window there she found a fat blue vase tilled filled with fresh water waiting to receive them she did that thal she meant all tho the time that I 1 should hare bare her howem carefully with fingers that tha t seemed unfamiliar and strange to her she loosened the white ribbons folded them carefully and placed the flowers in the blue bowl then she sat eat down on the solitary little twin bed and stared at teem stared all about the room what she was doing all morning she thought fixing this room for me putting ty my things where her things had been straightening the drawers and tidying the closet so everything would he be full of roe me and show so much emptiness of her she got up suddenly and turned down the hall bull the ladder was against the wall she climbed dismally pulling herself a great weight through the trapdoor find crossed the beams to the dormer window from force of habit she drew the small stool up to ibe table and benched leached for her pad and then she saw a white envelope my ginger she picked up the letter it was then she saw the velvet box site she opened it curiously a small diamond in an old fashioned setting tier her moth ers era engagement ring that helen had worn for sixteen years ginger held it tn in her hand a long inny time and stared into the dira dim recesses of the dusty oli old room with grave glad wondering eyes this was to her ber a symbol of helens trust if im not a whole lot better belter after this im a whole lot worse than I 1 I 1 aro am she finally 1 I know helen expects me to keep a tuot motherly herly eye on fataei and the twins and I 1 shall not disappoint her oh bow pleased shell be when she bears about my home for the blind there was a certain confidence tn in tier manner as she slipped the small gold blind band upon her finger after all already she had bad token the family affairs in charge the first links of her chain were firmly forged TO BE CONTINUED |