AA THE MEEKER GIRLS 8B ‘A Broken Dream Restored 8 By Fannie Hurst jo B50 A ARR IAL WA (® by McClure Newspaper Syndicate.) (WNU Service.) VEN with such terms as *old- F maid,” and “maiden-lady,” prac- Ser tically gone out of the language, there was something about the five unmarried Meeker sisters that did suggest them, The Meeker girls were so apologet- feally unmarried. Each and every one of them met you on the supposition that vou questioned her standing. The homestead, inherited from their parents, was filled with twittings among themselves and to their friends, when they called, of opportunities that mizht have been. If Lily had cared to White! It was known, among the Meeker girls, that in 1809, during a two weeks’ trip to the Adh Edith had three times refused a young Canadian trader from Quebec who had since be- come a coal baron. Meta, and dicted by her sist family, had * left, After the battle of Vimy confessed to a secret fallen. Teena, the youngest, although non- committal, gave youn the that life had not passed her by. Besides, it was a fact that Nicholas Lang, a widower of standing in the town, was calling on her, Every girl, at one time or another fn her life, has a chance to marry, the Meeker girls were forever protesting, perhaps too loudly. Thank goodness, not one of us has ever felt the need to marry just for the sake of being married. Naturally we've had chances, Not that it's the sort of thing we discuss Strangely, this defense-mechanism was not one which the girls employed solely with the friends outside home, who as time went on began to refer to them a8 “The Meeker Girls.” It was something they practiced among selves, keeping their spirits agog, on the buoyancy of a self induced state of mind, “Meta, it's an outrage the way you treat men! After all, no you to fee 1 one who asks yon, but might let one or two of them call at the house™ “If 1 were to let who drops into the office to ask me, we'd have the neighbors all talking. Just because I happen to be a stenog- rapher In a law office doesn’t give them the right to presume, and they might as well know it.” With Lily After all, the affair with was one to leave its imprint across a lifetime. The world thought Tom White had died of influenza following the World war, The knew better, Tom Whi iy as If they had seen It disintegrate, had taken to his bed of a broken heart, after Lily had spoken her sor- rowful refusal. It somehow fit. ting that Lily should continue to keep her heart locked In dss Ella, too, for that matter. Poor Ella, whose secret garden had been blasted fn full bloom. . . And so it went among themselves. And life, In the Meeker homestead, If It appeared monotonous to the be holder, was far from that to the girls. There was Meta, Evening after eve- ning, around the pleasont sitting room fire, Lily, seated as usual, Turkish fashion on the sofa, Ella stitching away at handiwork, the girls would listen to Meta, Oh, but she was a naughty, darling, heartless sinner! No wonder, even with her equal share in the comfort- able little estate shared by the sisters, Meta had decided to venture out into the business world, She was just the type to make contacts, or rather, as the girls giggled among themselves, to avold them, The way Meta handled the difficult gituation of the men about her in the office was masterful! Naturally they swarmed about her. Even at thirty eight, there was a sparrow prettiness to Meta, but lots of good it did the men. Evening. after evening, filled with drolleries, merciless in her high- handedness and oh, 80 comical In her world pictures of the luckless crea- tures who wooed her, Meta recited her days, “And he comes Into the office where wo gitting pretending to be bent ver my typewriter and says: ‘Miss Meta" “You don't let him call you Meta, do you darling?” “That's what I'mf coming to, honeys, if you'll let me. ‘Miss Meta,’ he says, ‘the boys tell me you're just the coyest young girl In this office and make all the flappers look like prayer meet ing.'” “Nerve I” “Nerve doesn’t express it. Nothing in the world on his mind but dating up with me. OL, you have to be in business to know what it means to keep a man In his place.” “Would he propose, Meta?" “Would he propose? Give a man — old accept Tom ondacks, affectionately In- t of the right and long ers as the flir turned down" tidge, Ella an} feeling the collectively assiduously them- one expects Marry every surely yom évery man eall was different Tom White now, Meeker sisters te, just as sure- was its tower. like that an Inch and he'd be calling her every night!” “That's right, in their places.” It it percolated through at all, to the Meeker girls, who in the forties and fifties, were lean and rather plucked-looking, that pathos and amusement were blended in the atti. tude of their friends, certainly that consclousness was slow to reach the close little inner circle, Romance brushed this cirele night after night, sat in flushes on the dry flushed cheeks of the sisters, warmed the recesses of the draughty old house, Then came the time when, outside that inner sanctum, the amusement of friends became laughter and the laugh- ter, derision, Man-crazy as the Meeker girls, That sounds like a Meeker pipe-dream, Hear the latest? Another secret lover has sued for Lily Meeker's hand. Ac- cent on the secret! That was the beginning of a strange and deadening thing that began to happen to the Meeker girls, Delicate- darling, keep them Ivy bred, sensitive to the intonation or | the si roused laugh, there seemed | to seep slowly Into that home, as the | girls wore on in years, awareness that cat of was out of the | More and more silently the girls | gathered about thelr little eircle, eve nings; less and less they came to dis- guss, with friends, the repudiated amours and woolngs, Even Meta, as time wore on, came more and more to maintain silence eoncerning the many overtures of the men about the office, It was during period of those silent, rather years in the great old house that had used to ring to the tales of conquest, that Nicholas ang, seventy-one, took Teena Meeker, fty-three, off day to the town of Greenwich, Conn. artd married her! A Meeker had succumbed. A Meeker sister, marrying, had proved to an all ynical world that she was in the eved of a man. It gave authenticity, it gave reality, it gave authority, not only to Teena, but to the Meeker sisters, Something flowed back into the eyes of the remaining four, The old light of conquest. The old vistas of ro- mance. The old alr of desirability. The Meeker sisters are once ‘more reciting with authority the sagas of the suitors who have sued In vain. | There Is even about Teena, the | wife, a slight air of sheepishness | toward her sisters, for the human ness of not only having permitted herself to be wooed, but won, the pretense hoe ong. the dreadful ALY one sister foo © desirable Real Beauty Matter of Form, Color and Taste Mang that to be beautiful and artistic the work of man must be expensive, Cheap things are considered tawdry and even vulgar, Articles that useful are also barred by some Individuals who con- sider themselves capable of judging. Edward P. Rich educational director of the Detroit Institute of Arts, different He clares beauty to be a matter of form and color and that good design need To prove that his theory Is correct Mr. Richardson start. ed out with a reasonable sum of money provided by the Junior league to buy | useful articles that would conform to the requirementsyof artistic beauty. By visiting department stores, hard- ware establishments, chinaware em- | poriums, Mr. Richardson collected 188 articles, not one of which more than 50 cents and most of much less, and assembled them in a corridor of the art institute where an exhibition of American painting wns on view. They Included table. ware, glassware, curtain materials, ta. napkins, The exhi- oted much attention and ! regarding the xpert had proved his | persons believe are wrdson, holds fd Ha, de not be expensive. fifferent cost them ble covers and bition atir there was n lispnte claim that contention. Pepper and salt shakers need not offend the lover of the heantifnl, and cups and saucers ean he and at the same time have the element | By keeping this fact in | mind housewives ean make life more | pleasant, Mannfacturers would do well to examine the collection made by Mr. Richardson, and if they will learn the lesson he set ahout to teach they will improve the standard of taste and find It profitable.—~Miam! Herald. decorative | Parents of Presidents The parents of Washington and Adams were of English descent: those of Jefferson, Welsh ; those of Madison, Monree and J. Q. Adams, English; those of Jackson, Scotch-Irish; of Van 3uren, Dutch: of Harrison and Tyler, English: of Polk, Scotch-Irish; of Tay- lor, Fillmore and Pierce, English; of Buchanan, Irish: of Lincoln, Johnson and Grant, English : of Hayes, Scotch: of Garfield, English, though’ his moth- or was of Huguenot descent: of Ar- thur, Scotch-Irish; of Cleveland and tenjamin Harrison, English; of Me- Kinley, Scotch-Irish; of Roosevelt, Dutch: of Taft, English; of Wilson, Scotch-Irish : of Harding and Coolidge, English 3 of Hoover, Swiss, ,Odorless Skunks The much maligned polecat, mophi- tis mephitis, to give his scientific name, is on the way to losing its one claim to notoriety. Thanks to Intensive breeding experiments, the odorless skunk has come to stay. Not only has eareful breeding, supplemented by veterinary surgery, removed the objec- tionable feature of close companion. ship with the wood “pussy,” but the animals also are stripeless, Although experiments are not fully concluded, it is felt that these hygienic polecats have renched a stage of drwelopment where they may be offered to the a A pS the she AXINE was entertaining club of whieh was president with a Christ- mas party, The group of lively young women gath- ere] about the tree for their annual election, “Before we take up election of officers for next year Maxine announced, “1 want to review with you a little of what we have done this past year. “It was at our last January meetin that we decided that good times alone would not keep our club alive. Then It was that we carry the Christmas spirit through the year by considering the 25th of every month a ‘Christmas anniversary,’ and doing some act such as we would do if It were really Christmas time, “On January 25 we helped the Stone boy get a new on February 20 we took out and cooked a real Christ. mas dinner for the Perking family; yw bridge the $ suggested pr suit ; for the postman's boy, and got Mr, Williams to give him free violin les song, and by the way, I understand he is showing real talent. In April we took care of Mrs Perkins while she was sick, stopping in every noon to fix lunch and straighten up. “May 25 was a Sunday, and we took all the poor children we knew to the park for the day. In June we gath- ered discarded winter clothing far the Welfare society to put in shape for fall use. * “On. July 25 we started Phyifls Biv- ens off to a tuberculosis sanitariam. In August we bought school sup- plies for Sarah Stone, and In Sep: tember we made another drive for discarded clothing. “For a couple of weeks during Octo- ber we helped in theCommunity Chest campaign; in November we waited until Thanksgiving day, when we distrib- uted five turkeys; and here it Is De cember again What are we to do this month?" “Well, sald one of the girls, “of course we have been working all month on toys for the Community tree for poor children. Bo I suggest that this month we spend the 25th at home, but that nest year we follow the same plan, and | nominate our President Maxine for re-clection” (8 1521. Wastern Newspaper Union.) Ra PLE The French Santa Claus The French Santa Claus is dressed world's fur market. like a Harlequin in the old pantomime, AChristma Surprise r= Ay Harold L.Cook ELL, said Mr. Jar meson, “1 don't see bu Jennie,” I'm a fallure though I coul out this half-milli give : you the only happiness you Si really want this Christmas ove” “What's that?" queried his wife. *Why, our son!” he exclaimed “Don’t you suppose I know how you are going to miss him this first Christ mas birthday of his that he has not Don't you suppose 1 real- as you do that he Is our our true and wealth: worth nothing to us with him?" “Of course,” answered Mrs Jame- son. “But you are a SUCCesR, Dever theless, If it hadn't been for the money you've made by your hard work, we never could have given Rich ard the advantages he has had. He has that splendid opening in Chicago, and evenif he Is too far away to come home for just one day, I am glad that he has the opportunities which our wealth has given him. Of course our son means more to us than all these things, but we atill have each other, you know.” “Yes, my dear, we still have each other,” he said. Mrs. Jameson kissed her husband affectionately and led him toward the window, “Look I” she exclaimed. “A plane!” Sure enough, high over the great expanse of white lawn before the house circled a tiny plane the sound of whose motors just barely reached their ears. Nearer and nearer the earth it came, and Mrs. Jameson kissed her husband again. She knew in comparison that in the plane was Richard, their boy, their treasure, “It is my Christmas present to yon and to him,” Interrupted his wife, “Just as twenty-one years ago today 1 gave him to you as your son and heir, today I give him back to you. With this machine he can visit us on holidays, for now we are twelve hours nearer Chicago.” 1@, 1931, Western Newgpaper Union.) FRIIS INS YW HW Rp Examination in Psychology 79 FEE RY # Ww FH : By JANE OSBORN ¥* Pe We He We Ye 3 Ye Ue Te He He We Ve He We Ue We He He Se Ye We We {© by McClure Newspaper Syndicate) ({WHKU Service.) HEN Lois woke up that bright day in May the sun was stream- she opened she felt that something was Then she remembered, She had gone to a dance with HRob- ert Granger the night before, She had she had because she really liked fked him well Robert had sald her an important on that night, She remembered that she felt a real lonthing for the Robert who had made that merifig declaration as thes home, narrowly missing a tel pole and & passing car ns he tr drive and propose at once, Somel Robert had managed dancing wi fooll her eyes wrong. ghe felt very that much, t quest] -~when he drunk- Robert she loathed, So that was the Lois, settling herself Indolentls Perhaps It fst trouble, the pill trouble at it was that she had realized too late the renal 1 ert she had once lik had chosen for that vantage In huarryi went off to college wi breakfast wouldn't after ination, there was ne now ng n she eleven peychologist chology man of sixty nt his desk wit) lazily at the “I am sorry, Doctor “but I didn’t to get to the examinatior ing. I would course-—thongh for & special exam { Doctor Stratton regarded Lois with. out much show of personal The fact by the type of scatter sald, wake was he was alwars brained stud of which apparently this young He told it required to gis was typical. her feggors were n« clal examinati ness, Still he n ure to wake In tis tion In the nature of iliness not physical. But he couldn’ ered writing out a tion for her. He would put Mr. Platt, And so matters were arranged for ns save in ens toh on rd ight regard epecial t up to ing at nine o'clock In Mr, Platt's emall and much relieved at this turn of events Lois went home— recalling as she went a few conversa- the young “I have Doctor Stratton’s permis. Mr. morning. of a Platt explained the next “After all If 1 am anything your rating in the course rather After this obvioudy premeditated in. man looked a little confused and then laughed. Lols She said she liked the There were things she could how to spell the words, He asked a few questions—which he ft was over. He sald he would give Doctor Stratton a good report, Lols rose to go and Mr. Platt rose, chance to know you a little better. Perhaps you'll give me permission to call some time” Lois gave the young instructor an appraising glance. “I'd be charmed” ghe said. “Perhaps you eould come this afternoon.” Late that summer Professor Strat. ton opened a letter from his young asaistant, Ie read It with an expres. gion of half-amusement, half boredom, “So it poor” he sald to his wife, “Feathoerbralned young woman overs ¢leops on morning of important exam- {nation which she possibly couldn't Clover young instructor gives her a raling of ninely.eight In fifteen minutes test—and within two months has taken her for his life mate.” STOP YOUR COLD IN 12 HOURS WITH Breaks a cold in 6 hours. Drives it away in 12 hours. Relieves y Headache—Neuralgia—Pains | “McKESSON ct ROBBINS (SET ae Te Little Damage Done by iz Missile, as It Happened Mark ner in portiz uy Twain, at a publishers’ din- New York, talked of Lis re- Virginia City. g a horse thief one day,” he sald, “and all of a sudden burly scoundrel pulled off his wt and threw it at the Jud Ie It r boot, too. £ y - if it's Your Liver— Y our liver is a delicate mechanism When it happens to be out of order it needs to be “set right.” That's exactly what you do when you drink a few cups of Carfield Tea. The gentle but po- tent action of its pure herbs flush the bowels thoroughly, restore the normal action of your Fiver, and make youfs, feel fit and healthy, ny At the noorast druggist 2A > GARFIELD TEA A Natural Lative Drink Highest Possessions Above Monetary Value are the things which the g values most? A an has sk. hoor chance —at the first sniffle rub on Children's Musterole once every hour Jor five hours. Children’s Musterole is just pood old Musterole, you have known so long, in milder form. This famous blend of oil of mustard, camphor, menthol and other ingredients brings relief naturally. Musterole gets action because it is a saentific* ‘counters frritant® —not just a salve—it pene= trates and stimulates blood circulation, helps to draw out infection and pain. Keep full strength Musterole on hand, for adults and the milder—Children's Musterole for little tots, All druggists,
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers