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Show j GIIMGER I j ELLA j by Ethel Hueston j Illustrations bf Irwin Myers Coprrleht. by Bofch Merrill C. WNU Service - 1 ' favor of a stenographic one, which could be crowded Into sis months If necessary. Bat of that thej knew their father would disapprove. Stenographyprivate Stenog-raphyprivate offices male employers lovely girlhood Impossible! Mr. Totllver bad clung to bis gentle old-fashioned old-fashioned ideas In spite of the changing chang-ing times. Ginger gazed at Marjory despair tngly. "Oh, Margie, I should think yoa .could do something. The world Just overflowing with millionaires-praying millionaires-praying every night for pretty wives and yoa Just wearing oat here la Bed Thrush." Marjory carefully Inspected S pink forefinger, questioning the shape of a nail. "Well, I'm willing." she assented, as-sented, generously. "Trot one out" Later In the afternoon as Eddy Jackson was passing In his small car, Olnger signaled blm to stop and ran out to the curb. "Something terrible Is going on In this house," she said, gloomily, "rather "ra-ther Is co better, sod be Is pretty discouraged, dis-couraged, and Helen Is going to postpone post-pone her wedding, snd It will just make blm sick." Eddy turned fhe key In the car. stilling the engine. "That requires silent meditation," be said slowly. "What do yoa think about ttr "1 think It Is terrible. 1 think It will break bis heart." They talked while, and then be walked with her slowly up the flagstone flag-stone path. "Uelen?" be called Into the open door, and when she came out, be motioned mo-tioned ber to Join them In the vine-shaded vine-shaded corner by the hammock. "1 STORY FROM THB START ' ' la th usually quirt bom of Rv. Mr. Totllver of Had Thrush Iowa, tola motharlaaa daughter, Haien, Miriam and Ellen "am-rr "am-rr Ella" r busy "groom inr" thalr atatar Marjory for participation partici-pation In lha -baauty pageant" that avanlng Wltb Eddy Jack-on, Jack-on, proaperoua young farmer, her aacort, Marjory leivei tor the anticipated triumph. Overwork Over-work ha affected Mr. Tolllvar'a eyee to the point ot threatened biindneea Olnger has tried In many ways to add to the family'! tender Income, but aha la not discouraged. Marjory wins the beauty prise,' $50.00. She gives the money to ber father as psrt of the eipenae necessary tor the treatment of hi eye by Chicago specialist. Mr. Tolllver leave for Chicago with Miriam. Dinger meet Alexander Murdock. workt But If yon marry, yon are right here at band, ready to help. Tour time will be your own. Ton can belp Ginger, belp your father, and be will not realize what yoo are doing for him. If necessary, you and Horace can come and stay tr the parsonage part of the time. But don't add to your father's burden the knowledge that be Is stealing a year of his daughter's daugh-ter's happiness. I dare say be Is sick at heart, this very moment, dreading to come home and have you tell blm, sweetly, that your happiness has been burned on the altar of .daughterly duty." Helen studied blm seriously. "Ton are a wise, wise boy," she sold gently. "And 1 think yon are right. I could I belp more, that is true. If I were here In Red Thrush. And I know It would I grieve blm bitterly to have ns change onr plana I could coma every day and belp them." "And they could call on me In a pinch" "But Ginger Is a such a child. Bo much responsibility" "Responsibility never hurt anybody. Ton had It when yon were young, and It did yoa no barm. And Ginger Is not a child. She Is growing up." Ginger stood np wltb bored hauteur. "Ellen Is grown op now, If yon ask me. And If you will excuse me, 1 shall go upstairs. I have some i very Important work to da On Friday afternoon, Mr. Tolllver and Miriam returned to a parsonage that smelled sweetly of wild roses, to three girls whose light glad voices gave no bint of the pain witr- which they bad watched tits approach, head lowered, shoulders sagging dispirited-, dispirited-, ly, bis arm limp beneath Miriam's hand. And under the charm of their laughter, tbelr caresses, their welcoming welcom-ing delight, bis shoulders straightened presently, the tired Unes In bis face gave way to those ot pleasure, snd ; soon bis laughter Joined theirs. "I can't take off the glasses Just yet, yon see." be said huskily. "Still In the fog, as yon might say." "1 rather thought It would take longer," said Helen sympathetically. "It would be foolish to rush things." "But it's really too bad, father," put In Ginger gaily, "because I Just wish yon could see the carryings-on In this old houBe. Oo you know what Marjory has on band nowt A grocery gro-cery clerk, father. And not regular groceries, either. Canned ones. The Orange and Black. Maybe be will . give us a discount." Light laughter, light talk, wblcb bid the sadness beneath, bat did not bide the tenderness, the pervading sympathy, sym-pathy, the great gladness that they were Ove together, even In their sorrow. CHAPTER IV In the living room Ginger found her three sisters. Helen was mending mend-ing a frayed cud for her father as prosaically as though In two weeks she would not be a bride trembling at the altar of ber marriage. Miriam was straightening up the desk with an air of great distaste. Marjory was delicately powdering her nose, watching watch-ing the operation In the mirror of a small metal, case. "Marjory, where did you get that vanity?" Ginger demanded. Marjory closed It hastily and put It in ber pocket. But Ginger was Insistent In-sistent "Marjory let me see that vanity. That's brand-new. Where did you get It?" Marjory, thus driven, produced the -article and confessed to an extravagance. extrav-agance. She had bought It It bad cost ber twenty-five cents. She bad bought It from Alice Ideman. And at last, thoroughly committed, she explained ex-plained In detail. "It's really a very cute Idea, Helen,' she said volubly, hoping by many words to distract attention from the money phase of the transaction, you see, the compact costs a quarter. Alice bad to sell four ot them, and each one of the fonr who bought, bad to promise to sell four more. Then when Alice sends her dollar to the company, for the four she sold, they send her a solid silver one. Just lovely." "Did you promise to sell four?" "Yes. I had to. And when I sell them, 1 send my dollar to the company, com-pany, and they send me a sterling silver one. Isn't It a cute Idea?" at Is like the old chain letter Idea" "Exactly. Where you bad to copy the prayer" "Or break the chain" "And It goes on and on" "All over the world." "Why, they'll sell thousands and thousands of them." (TO BE CONTINUED) "Ginger Tells Me That You Think of Postponing Your Wedding, Helen." want to mix In other people's business, busi-ness, and put my fingers In other peoples' peo-ples' pie. and paddle other people's canoes and everything," be warned her. "Do youT That Is not quite like you, Eddy." "1 am changing. Ginger tells me thai you think of postponing your wedding, Helen. We talked It over, and she and I think" Ginger, sat up In 'be hammock and looked very Important This was showing some deference to ber opinions. opin-ions. She tried to mirror In ber small piquant face unutterable depths ot wisdom. "She and 1 agree that It would be the worst thing that could happen." "Eddy, do yon not see bow Impossible Impos-sible It Is for me to leave borne when father needs me? Horace will under stand. He will be glad to do bis share In helping out" "1 am not thinking of Horace. 1 am thinking of your father. The doctors doc-tors say be must bave complete mental rest Do you think be can be bappy, and serenely quiet, when be knows that yoo are sacrificing your dearest alms snd plans on bis sccount? Will not every touch of your hand and sound of your voice be a reproach to him?" "Oh, Eddy, I couldn't bear to go away and be bappy by myself, wltb father and the girls" Quick tears flooded ber quiet eyes. "Yes, 1 am sure, Helen, you would be bappler to stay at home, and work, and sacrifice yourself. Bui you father's fa-ther's happiness Is the thing that counts right now. Look at It this way, Helen. I think and CInger agrees with me" "Indeed I do," said Ginger stoutly. "We think yon should go ahead as If this little setback amounts to nothing. noth-ing. Make light of It Go on with your wedding. Helen, don't yon see, that If you teach school you will be sway, oui ol town, tied up witb your CHAPTER III Continued Ginger sat motionless. Her slim fingers froze about tbe handle ot tbe little gold cup. Presently she set It down wltb a determination that spoke volumes to the accustomed ears of Marjory and Eddy Jackson. "Let's go for a drive now," she said coldly. "Eddy, you've got to take Marjory In front wltb yoo. I want Mr.; Murdock to tell Die all about the the groceries. I think they are so fascinating." v "But 1 was prepared for yon," objected ob-jected Eddy.' "I planned to give you a driving lesson." It bad long been Ginger's great desire de-sire to learn to drive, but now, wltb a sigh, she relinquished that beautiful beauti-ful dream to save ber lovely Marjory from the machinations of this base pretender. Around tbe world as a stoker, perhaps. Or working bis way from port to port by tie sale of vegetables. vege-tables. Marjory slid Into the front seat wltb Eddy Jackson. Ginger triumphantly drew Alexander Murdock In by ber side', and Immediately set herself to snubbing him. When occasionally. In sheer youth and good spirits, she forgot for-got her annoyance and yielded to the pleasure of the hour, she consoled herself witb the thought that at least she .had saved Marjory for the furore, and they parted at tbe parsouage two hours later merrily enough. Three days passed before tbey bad news from Chicago. It was not very encouraging. There was no Improvement Improve-ment In Mr. Tolllver' condition. His eyes were still clouded In tbe misty fog.. The doctors were pessimistic. By all means be should remain at band for dally observation and treat ment tor an operation If It came to tbat But In the meantime absolute rest was Imperative. He must bave entire freedom from nervous strain, entire lack of worry and responsibility. Fresh air, good food, mild exercise, these were the tonics that by feeding he body would strengthen bis slgbt Particularly they warned that a shock of any nature whatsoever mlgbt precipitate pre-cipitate total and permanent blindness. blind-ness. In writing this sad news to ber sisters, sis-ters, Miriam begged them to face It bravely, and to greet their father with thalr usual light good cheer. "Be very cheerful." she begged, "oh, very. He doesn't say anything, but be looks so sad." Tbe girls at home went Into Immediate Imme-diate consultation. Ginger was first to give expression to ber thoughts. Ginger was always tlt "There's Just one thing about It," she said stoutly. "He's in tor s good long siege of It and we must bave more money. You've got to let me go to work." "What can you do, dear?" queried Helen mildly. It was Helen's mildness mild-ness that so maddened Ginger. Bow could one expect to pull gloriously 6ut of a crisis without Ore and Same and flash? Helen was tbe sort to ask what one could do, when obviously one must do something I "1 don't care what," cried Ginger, passionately. "Anything. I'll scrub, or take in washing, or go on the stage, or anything." Helen considered gravely. Uelen was tbe sort to consider gravely In sucb s moment "The twins must go to normal Just as we have planned," she decided at last "We have tbe future to consider, as well as tbe present 1 will simply postpone my marriage for a year, and apply for a school Miss Jenkins will come and stay here wltb you. Ginger." Ginger flung herself upon ber sister's sis-ter's neck. "Don't do that" she begged. "Oh, don't It Isn't fair. Helen, for you to do all the giving np." Marjory, for ber part, was In favor of abandoning toe normal course, wblcb required two years to finish. In |