"Sn
r.: :i a s.i k r,: ia u a
IT riof and h"t in the etfl;'e
where Mi worked all day
J' pi" K. taking dictation from ex
acting employera. who were sharp It
she made a mistake. How could th
Drip making Blips those muggy July
(Uya, with th thermometer In th
nineties? The key would stick; her.
Angers would slip to the wrong letter
yet ihe was very careful, usually
quite exact In her work. Something
waa the matter with the shift-board
and caused delay that mad the boat
impatient The heat had got om hla
nerves, too.
With her latchkey Malsle opened the
door of the house in which she roomed,
and mo Dated the three flights of stairs
to the hall bedroom, back. Her one
I WOULDN'T marry Marl Morrill
If every hah- of bit head was a
thread t go! 4 sad on the ead
was suspended a diamond!"
Bo said Bad! Sanderson, totting her
bobbed bead in dainty disdain. Sadl
and her friend, Mary Roberts, were
busily engaged shelling peas lor can
ning in a rat arfcored Summer house.
Sadl con tinned: 1 dont know what
the Strap) Simon Is thinking of. He
certainly had th nerv to think a col
lege girl, living In the city, would
dream of coming out her to live In
that shack of a house he has on. that
little farm."
Mary waa about to reply to th
acornful words, but bit ber lip and re
mained silent, Sadie, noticing her
reticence, went on: "If all right for
you to live ta th country yon have a
nice big honte with modern conveni
ences, a ear, and taeom enough to
enjoy yourselves. But no lor In a cot
tage for me with primeval methods.
And Merle Morrill Is one of those Sim
S Eileen Abbott crossed the
A dusty street to th dustier
.playgound a vole shrilled:
V "Oo-oe. here' Miss Abbott," and
half a dozen children tumbled upon
ber. Hands waved frantically in air
and a Babel of voices assailed her
ears.
-It had white tail feathere" "My
mother's sick" "The robin pulled the
worm right out" "Miss Abbott, I've
got a new flower" "I left my exam
ples to home, Mis Abbott" "Please
wear these flowers. Mist Abbott "No,
mine, I waa her trt"
At her desk upstairs th sorted the
flowers, thrusting them hastily 1st
glasses. But ber angers lingered long
ovar on stiff spray. Twice th ttuek
IT wat near th clot of another
day. Th tan had aet and now
cam twilight bringing with It
a certain paefulnest to th tired and
weary.
To Ltla Ball, th girl-wife of Law
yer Bell. It wa growing darksr ev
ery minute In that tick room. &b fan
cied ah heard someone calling and
beckoning for her to eom then the
heard a splash of water and again tht
soft vote eallad. She wanted to go
go. for (if was slowly hut turely tb
blng out of Lila Belle' body.
"Albert promise m dear please
befor I go f
"But Lila you can't go we seed you,
baby and I," and he bowed his head in
agony over the wasted figure on the.
bed,
Clasping her tiny whit arm around
hit neck, the whispered aoftly, "prom
ise me Albert promise me
"I I promise," came from the man
In broken tones.
Four year later Albert Bell and
his daughter Lila, now narlng her
I LIKE currant Jjlly very well,"
muttered Marjorle to herself, "but
1 do hate picking them. Sticky,
squashy things."' and be jerked the
delicate twigs so roughly that btlf of
the bowl she had filled with the scarlet
berries tipped over, and aeay the enin
lnx led circles ran In all directions.
Mai jorie bent over to gather the ber
ries Into the bowl, rather ashamed of
ber little outburst of temper, and nev
er noticed her forget-me-not pjn drop
from Its place at her throet into the
bowl. The pin was a gl't from her
grandmother and she Talued It greatly.
But not knowing of her loss, she kept
right on picking and Mirtlng the cur
rants until Uj bowl m ailed to th
very brim.
When Green Fields Called
window looked out on the back alley
way, but there was a glimpse of sky
abore the row of red brick buildings
that backed onto the alley from the
next street. The sky was pink now
from the sunset light.
The rtew from the back window,
facing the alley, is not Inviting at beat.
Down in the backyard weeds grew
rank. Malsle was grateful for the
weeds very glad that the landlady
had not felt It her duty to pull them
up and fling them over the fence. They
were a reminder of the weadows at
home. She even discovered a sprig
of tansy with Its bright yellow blos
som, and It warmed her heart. A lit
tle comfort came to her as ah leaned
her head against the window sash,
ple Simon who would live that way.
If, lik aid Bill Batcheldor, he had a
coupl hundred thousand. Merle, I
admit, la good looking and neat But
I hope rm level-headed enough net to
let my heart run away with my bead
after a pair of broad ahouldert and a
good muscular system, especially
when combined with Inertia. , Certain
ly, Merle Morrrtl doesn't appear to b
strenuous, to say th least-"
Neither of th girls noticed a rather
more than ordinary llfe-slied mascu
line figure carefully efface himself
from th landscape back of the orbor.
When th girls entered the kitchen
they found Mrs. Roberts In tears. Sh
had Just received a telephone message
saying that Aunt Ida's baby girl had
drank torn fly poison while at a
neighbor, and waa very 111. Mary
hastily snatched a home doctoring
book from the bookcase and started
for her aunt's, Mrs. Roberts turned to
Sadie and said: "There It no doctor
in town today. Our physician has
The Love
it among drooping anemones, only to
Jerk it out and pin it defiantly against
her blue serge waist Pungent, tpicey,
yet delicate, the tcent of tht yellow
blossoms teemed to wrap her round
with a lua-warmed hax.
Once again the stood by the sprawl
ing black currant bush near her door
step. Every atom of the world breath
ed of Spring. And she, laughing and
young and alive could It be only four
years ago? broke off a long spray of
th tiny, bell-Ilke blossoms to tuck in
the belt of her white dress. Then a
little thyly th totted a tinier branch
to th man beside her. Their eyes
met, and
Sharp and sudden the gong whirred
In th hall. Head held high, the
fifth year, war tavellng through the
Whit Mountains and It waa hit out
hop that his Uttl daughter would
get strong and happy that ht brought
her up to Mt Washington. Surely
the mountain air would help to put
color in those lily-whit cheeks. But
Lila waa not happy or contented, the
waa longing for well that was Llla't
secret locked away in her heart and
not daring to tell Daddy about it.
"Dadda, who Is that pretty lady sit
ting down there with the other lady."
Lawyer Belle smiled.
'That's singular my lttle girl, I, too
wat wondering who she wait.''
"It she sad, dadda she looks like
she's going to cry."
"Yes, dear, she does look very pad
and tired," her father answered. At
that moment Ann Joyce espied little
Lila and smiled on her.
"Mother, what a dear little child,
look," and both Ann and her mother'
smiled on the little girl.
Impulsively and without consulting
daddy as was customary, Lila broke
Lost A Diamond
"There it nothing I despise more
than picking currants," she said to her
mother as she carried th bowl into
the warm kitchen.
"Well, I waited lojig enough for
thee," retorted Mrs. Morton, tartly. "I
should think you'd pick thorn faster
than this," and then she selred the
bowl of lusciou fruit and dropped the
berries into the great pot on the stove.
"There," said Mrs. Morton, with a
sigh of relief, "this Is the end. Weil
bare plenty of nice currant Jelly, and
you'll be mighty glad to have it with
your pancakes on a cold morning."
But Marjorle bad aleady sped away
to wash the stains of the berries from
her soft, pretty hands, and to seat her
self on tbe piatia, wondering what her
wltB a tigs ot rctfaf.
Prom a mom aeroe the way cam
the nightly trills of a would-b prima
donna. A late huckster shouted, '. a-ter-mel-ons."
An Ice cream cart
sounded Its gong. The rumble of
trains was softened now by nearer
and harsher sounds, but later they
would make themselves heard with re
doubled force. Was it any wonder
the poor girl was homesick? She ut
tered a stifled sob, pressed her hand
over her aching eyee, that could not
keep back the tears. Then with de
termined resignation sh took up her
workbasket and began to dam a pair
of stockings. Oh, dear! they lid wear
out so soon!
Malsle was startled by an unusual.
been called to an important surgical
case of an old patient' In th town
where he practiced before coming
here. But Merle Morrill has Just
graduated from Harvard Medical
School It he It home, Mary will ask
him to go to Aunt Ida'a with her."
"Why, Aunt Emma, you never men
tioned Merle Morrill's being a physi
cian!" "No; he did not wish any one to
know. He worked his way through
college, not being sure of circum
stances allowing him to finish. So he
requested us to let people think he
was simply working for a living. He
it a quiet, modest, retiring tort of fel
low." 'CUE! II
J L i ..1 Si'
Errand
stepped out to marshal tht lints into
some semblance of order. For Eileen
Abbott the sound of the bell usually
meant an all engrossing interest and
devotion. But today her thoughts
were chaotic.
"Left, right, left, right. William!
hands down! Left left Why and
how had they com to drift apart?
Quietly, Maud in line, Either It all
seemed so long ago, and th did not
care, tbt was glad, of course the waa
Turn to page 44, boys and girls, take
your pitch, do do ml. Ready, ting
And really the alack currant with all
ttt haunting sweetness meant nothing
to her. How tall and quiet and proud,
horribly proud, he had been. Wher
was he now?"
away from ber father and ran to Ann.
"I was just asking dadda If you was
awful sad lady is you scute, me
should say are you dadda don't like
me to say it you he eayt It Is it Is,"
and evidently Hla bad forgotten, for
she could go no further.
"Yes, dear, I understand It isn't good
form, but why do you think I am sad,
dear?"
"Well, I spec-ted you was and and
do you get pains here, too?" and Lila
pointed to her heart. "I gut some
pains there when I'm tad and want
and want "
"And want what, ehlld?" but Lila
refused to say any more on the sub
ject neighbor of the Summer cottage as
doing, and If he wer not lonely all by
himself, with only books and a dog for
company.
Late in the afternoon Mrr. Morton
came out on th piazza, flushed but
triumphant, at she held out toward hr
daughter a glass dish fitted with cur
rant jelly, and the afternoon tua
played on it so that It glowed like on
gigantic ruby.
"I want you to tak this over to our
neighbor next door," she tsld. "Poor
fellow, I'll bet be never tasted such
Jelly la all the days of bit Ufa. Even
If I do sty so myself, I can make good
currant Jelly."
On her war to the little house txt
door Marjorle discovered the lotl of
By
3T
interruption. "Someone to see you,
Mis Banks," the housekeeper called
up the stairs.
A caller! When had she had a
caller before? What could It mean?
She had not even told the girls in the
office where she lived. Somehow, she
did not want them to And her out;
the had been used to something so
different. There waa no one else la the
city whom she knew. Who could It
be
With femlnlnt instinct Malsle
glanced at herself In the small mirror,
brushed back a mass of auburn hair
that bad fallen about ber girlish face,
pinned her collar, and put a fresh rib
bon at her throat. She looked really
pretty as a flush of excitement lit up
The Power
otdi abruptly left the room and
spent the afternoon la torturing anger
with herself. ' "Simple Simon alias
Sadie Sanderson ene and the same.
Same Initials. I made a slight mis
takebut I get It now."
Mary found Merle at home Just ar
rived from his unintentional eaves
dropping, tnd in not the best of hu
mor. But when her errand was ex
plained, all personal matters were for
gotten in the activity of the dwtor.
Together they battened to tht suffer
ing child, and together they worked
and watched for two weeks before
feeling assured of the baby girl's re
covery. Toward the last, when they had felt
3X
Her mind wat still swaying from
partial payments to sun and youth
and flowers, when a knock called her
to the door.
A Uttl freckle-faced boy solemnly
handed out a note.
"Mist Royce said for youse."
Olanclng at It Eileen said. "No an
swer, Robert," and tossed it to one
aide. Mist Royce, lower grade teacher,
wishing to play the Good Samaritan,
had scribbled off the following infor
mation: "Visiting tuptr from tht coast. Fine
man. hat good Jobs, be ready for him."
Sh hardly glanced up when her
own tuperintendent quietly opened the
door and motioned in another man.
With a vaguely courteous gettnr to
Lila And
"I trust my little girl has not intru
ded," and Lawyer Belle tmiled kindly
at Ann and her mother.
"Not at all," replied Ann. I only
wish I could see more of her may If
And Albert Rclle as be leioked into
Ann Joyce's sweet trusting face knew
he could trust bis child in her keeping.
"If she will not annoy you," he said.
"Mother is not well and we are
strangers here at the hotel, and I am
sure we should be delighted to have
the child with us a little while each
day If you haven't any objections."
Before LHa's father could reply to
this, Lila snoke Impulsively, "Is your
mother going to die, lady?"
Ann's hand went to her heart and
By Joella Johnson
ner pin. wa wat annoyed and griev
ed. The pin waa a valuable bit of Jew
elry and the had few siKh trinkets, and
anyway It was her gitndmnther's gift,
and grandmother herself had had the
girl's Initials scratched on the other
tide of it and been so happy when giv
ing It to ber. Teart filled Marjorie's
yes.
The neighbor she found on a corner
of hit piazza, stretched in a hammock,
deeply immersed in a magazine; tnd
at he put the periodical down to greet
her she noted with surprise thst It t' '
a magazine on engineering. Was bj.
then, an engineer?
"Mother made some currant Jelly thle
morning," she said thyly. after she had
Introduced herself, "and teat m over
Phil Moore
her pale cheeks, and a sudden gleam
came Into her yellow-brown eyes.
The unusual mystery, the expectancy
had transformed her from the listless,
discouraged girl, to a hopeful maiden,
with fairy dreams and fancies. She
tripped lightly down the stairs, not
withstanding her weariness, wonder
ing as she weut
The hallway was dark and she could
not see her visitor at first, but a boy
ish voice cried: "Malsle! You didn't
expect to see me, now, did you? Con
fess you are surprised."
"Why, John Haley I" she beamed,
"where did you com from?"
"Well, you see, I was over In Hall
way and I thought I'd run over and
give you the surprise of your life
of a Fool
the little girl's ecovery certain, Mary
went home to get tome necessary
things for herself, leaving Dr. Morlll
and herself alone. Sadie was to re
turn to the city In a few days with
out tomething she had never discov
ered she had until it was lost and Dr.
Morrill had It. a heart. But he gave
no evidence of possessing it. Wistful
ly, Sadie sat and watched him play
with the child, apparently oblivious of
her own presence, until the teart ran
down on the little tweater she waa
crocheting for the small Invalid.
Would she have to h'lrolltat her
self by asking his forgiveness, and
now beg him to take her for his wife?
Turning her head, she saw Mary Juat
i a hp on
By Jennie Skier
Law ni
ward the visitors' chairs, she took up
th thread of her discussion of th
products of th Middle Western states.
Turning to the map to locate the
corn fields of Illinois, her eye twept
with Impersonal Interest th facet of
the two men. For an Instant the room
reeled and she wondered If her lipt
were as white as they felt cold. Then
with sudden thankfulness she realized
that her well drilled self was equal to
the occasion. Her valce went on even
ly, the hand that held the pointer did
not quiver. But she felt as if she her
self stood in an Immense void, lost
and bewildered.
At th end of the recitation Super
intendent Morse, leaning over, spoke
to hla guest. But the visitor settled
Mother
beriTpt trembled, No no, dear,
hope not she Is all that I have to live
for," and forgetting that Lawyer Belle
was watching her closely, Ann cried
softly, shile a mist gathered In his
eyes and he took Lila gently by the
hand and led her aay.
The following day Ann's mother
died The girl was wild with grief,
while IJla's father attended to prac
tically everything and tried to soothe
and calm the stricken girl. The body
waa shipped to Ann's home and to
gether with Lila and her father, Ann
started for home.
"You can not stay in this house any
longer Miss Joyce please listen to me
If your mother had lived she would
witn some, i ao nope you II like it."
"There Is nothing I like better." he
said at once. "It used to b my fa
vorite jelly when I Vas a child. I'll
have some hread and Jelly rtgjit now,
and won't you stay tnd have some
with me?'
Orcliniflly Marjorle would have brn
only tci delighted to accept this invi
tation, but the loss of the pin rsnkled
ani to she said. "Thank you, very
iruch. but I have lost something tnd
must look for It."
She searched everywhere but with
out finding the pin. and to add to her
troubles her grandmother wrote that
she would be with them In a few days,
and the first thing rhe would ask about
would be th pin.
ar you glad to te ma, Mssle? My I there was a bri from the river. But
but It's hot here In the city!" He they wert not alone; thr war many
wiped the perspiration from bit face, others erowded thr.
Waa sh glad to sea him! Malsle" "Do you Ilk It, Male!?" John odd
-res were filled with tears, and eh at length, "tha orowdt. the noise, and
laughed with a happiness the had not verythlng? Alnt what you used to
felt for many months. love?"
John waa her old-time friend. She "I know, John, but-" th girl heel
bad known him from childhood; they taled, "I thought at first I never coold
had grown up together. She had often stand It -but-I've got tn, you know
thought of him In the long weary I've got to earn the money"
month since she left home, but he "Money be hanged!" he roared. "My
was not the kind to write letters. In- girlie, I've got enough for us both,
deed, she had been almost afraid he Come back to the greenfleldt; they're
had forgotten her. It was but a boy calling you. I want you, Malsle. I'v
and girl friendship. Perhaps he had always wantod you, only I couldn't say
married waa she glad? Why, it was It. Will you come home with m "
like boing at home once more -like He held out his arms, regardless of
heaven to her. .the throngs that passed.
"Ain't It stifling here!" he said With a great throb at her heart, a
again!. "Get your hat and come out feeling of rest and comfort, the
where we can got tome air-and talk breathed. "You want me to be"
I've lots to tell you. How can you "Yet I want you to b my Uttl wife,
stand It, cooped up her In the city?" Malsle, for I lov you." HI arms wer
They walked out farther than sh about her, and she smiled, "111 go
had dared to go by herself, where horn with you, John."
l
about to step on to the veranda; and
she could hear Dr. Morrill coming to
ward her and the door where Mary
was to enter.
Stunned for a moment by what she
saw, she listened. Dr. Morrill had
Mary In nit arms, showering her face
with kisses. Then gazing Into the
worshipful eyes so near his own, he
said. "Wasn't It fortunate I overheard
the remark that I was a Simple Si
mon else I never would hav die
covered you were really my sweet
heart Instead of my little schoolmate
companion. I am surely a Simple Si
mon of a doctor to make such a diag
nosis of myself at I did. But then,
doctors always have someone else ex
back In hit chair and shook hit head.
"Not going any further this morning,
Morse," he tald. "tee you at your ol
ios after lunch."
Slightly bewildered th keen blue
vet of Mr. Morse wandered from Mlts
Abbott to the quiet man betide him
and back again. Then a took of re
membrance and comprehension flipped
over hit face. With a qnlssloal lift of
hit left eyebrow he went out Eileen
Abbott saw that look and hated him
violently. She had to hat someone
and Mr. Morte had once lived himself
In a certain little town on the
windswept bay. The half hour before
recess passed somehow. If only she
could get off that spray of tplcy
blooms! But It was pinned too firmly
to be removed with casual caralesa
ness. Her teaching personality
worked on bravely, but still th feel
ing that the waa lost In eternity
haunted ber.
As the recess gong butted and th
children straightened to position, a
By Abncr
say the ssme thing. Come as a
com-
panion to Lila she needs you and
loves you we'll go back to the moun
tains those mountains that make one
feel so near to Him that sends us con
solation with our sorrow." He then
told her of his girl-wife and of his
own sorrow and how he mloHed her.
This awakened a new Interest In the
girl and for the time helng she forgot
her own sorrow and was sympathizing
Mh this wondcful man.
H ii k o7i the mountain they three sat.
together on the veranda of the hotel
and watched Ihe sun go down. Lila
was thinking seriously, Ann wan long
ing and ihe man was thinking of a
promise given to one on a deathbed.
The next morning, early, as she was
wdlng out a violet bed. her neighbor,
the young man, came up and looked at
her with quizzical eyes.
"Well Mis Marjorle." he said,
gaily. "o you didn't want me to forget
you, did you "
"What do you mean?" asked the girl,
surprised.
"Or perhaps you didn't want me lo
forget the Jelly?" he went on, thinking
that never had he seen a prettier girl
than Marjorle In her smorked middy
weeding violets.
"I don't understand what you are
talking about, Mf. Wood." sh said
coldly. "The Jelly was meant simply
as a neighboring kindness."
"Which hand do you choose?" he
said, grinning like a schoolboy, and
held out two tightly closed fists.
"The right," said Marjorle. thinking
he mant to play some prank on her,
and young enough to enjoy his mood.
But hen he unclaKped his flncers
ihe started back in dismay, for In Ihe
nl. ifMi'l.. nlwmn I ,i HMI"I imlHiMK
By Parke Whitney
amine their own cases. I can not un
derstand, though, how you can forgive
me."
Mary's explanation was a passionate
clinging embrace, with ber fact
pressed under hit chin.
"And," continued Dr. Morrill, "I
haven't a diamond suspended from ev
ery hair of my head, but I have a
wealthy relative who hat boucht a
big estate for me to transform Into a
hospital for special surgical opera
tions. I hart worked especially for
that th last two yean to w shall not
live In my 'primeval shack' except for
a possible vacation and to visit th old
friends." ,
vole spoke fn her ear.
"If I may set yon a moment Mitt
Abbott "
Th deep, qui el vote, Ma atndgst,
strong form standing near her mad
th unreal world seem more anresX
Mechanically th acqrrtesced and
watched th children fll oat
Then sh was a war that tomeon
waa holding her hand very tight and
talking very fast
"Mist Abbott Eileen I earn to
look for teacher. I dldnt know, bat
I want something els. I wouldn't
have dared hope but the flowers yon
are wearing Eileen, what doea th
past matter? Wont yon earn back
with me?"
Through the open door th Spring
breet brushed her cheek. Th shrill
voices of th ehtldren were far away
and unreal. Life teemed suddenly
good, too good to deny Par th tak of
a profession.
"Yet, Frank," whispered Eileen Ab
bott, and lifted ber Up to bit.
Anthony
Lila wen
to bed, burTJlwyer Belle re
mained up all night taw the cold
gray dawn ushered in, and then came
the glory of the dawn the sunrise.
With the glory of the sunrise came his
decision and he looked up Into the
beautiful nky and the tun as It shed Its
rays all over the earth nnd cried soft
ly, "Lila I am going to keep that prom
ise -I am going to give my little girl a
mother, and Lila I love her 1 know
you will be pleased."
"Dadda, Ann has told m she In go
ing to be my mamma that's what I
dreamed of and that It why I couldn't
eat or tleep -1 alwajs wanted a moth
er to love me and kiss me goodnight
before I went to sleep."
brown psjm of his hand lay the forget-me-not
pin in all Its dainty beauty.
"Where did you get It?" she aked.
"You brought It over with the jelly,"
he said, smilingly. "It was In the Jelly
and I almost broke a tooth on It. of
course I knew what you had lost then.
Forget-me-not," he suld softly, looking
at her with somethteg new In hit eyes.
"Yon bet I won't! That it If youillet
me not forget you. Will you- Miss
Marjorle?"
And Marjorle, grown suddenly very
shy and not knowing what to do, look
ed down at the pin In hit hand, and
said "Yes." very softly.
"Ho picking currants did you some
good." said her mother some time later
whn she snd the girl were busy work
ing on dainty things for the coming
wedding. "This ought to teach you a
lesson. Marjoiio," but Marjories eyet
were fixed on the currant bushes that
she could see from the window, and
her thoughts were far awav fmm left-sons.
i