' "When a Girl " By ANIV LISLE : A New, Romantic Serial Dealing With the Absorbing Problems of a Girl Wife CHAPTER CXXXIV (Copyright, 1919. King Features Syndicate, Inc.) At noon the messenger from the broker's office arrived with Junt'a check. He signed it and after the boy had gone Jim stood with the envelope in his right liand tapping it against the lingers of his left slowly and thoughtfully as if lte were weighing it and all it stood for. X watched ltim in silence as at Hist he ripped it open with his •forefingers and stood with the bit of yellow paper held taut between his "hands. Xt rattled crisply. Jim's eyes turned down at the slip of paper and he kept moistening his dry lips and swallowing perkny. Presently ho looked up and caught my eyes. Ho grinned at me —almost maliciously. Then he crossed to me, his shoulder dipping as his limp dragged him to one side heavily. ' , , "X,ook at this!" he cried, nourish ing the check. "Even if 1 invest it conservatively it'll bring as much as I could earn slaving at old Norrey s desk eight hours a day. And 1 m not saying I'm going to be conserv ative." "Jim, promise me you won t you won't take any big risks with it. Put it into something safe, some thing legitimate," I begged. Jim stared at me coldly for a moment, and his voice was curt: "You'd better hurry into your things and call a taxi or you'll be late for Virginia's." As lie spoke, 1 remembered with a start that the evening before Vir ginia had invited me for' luncheon. Until now 1 had forgotten. But Jim was continuing in his curt, im- j personal tone: "I'm going to rush down to the ban.x with this certified check. Bet- ! tor *.HE HIT ME W>T HA, ROLUN' " I RAM< THE DELL AGAIN •/ fj VP SEErv awav PER I THAT TO OO I OPENED THE FRONT DOOR -\T PIN AND tLAMMEO THE DOOR- / H AN' | TOLD HER wHft I THE HEART BREAKER ! .1 A REAL AMERICAN LOVE STORY By VIRGINIA TERHUNE VAN BE WATER CHAPTER XLVI i (Copyright 1019, Star Company) After a telephone conversation that was at least ten minutes in length, Mildred Brent restored the receiver to its hook and went into the library, humming a gay little tune. Her air of innocence irritated Hon ora, who laid down her paper and spoke sternly. "What did Tom Chandler want?" Mildred waited for some seconds before replying. Then she tossed her head defiantly. "What do you mean?" she evaded. "I mean that, it seems strange that a main with whom you quarreled should call you up as soon as he comes to town on a furlough. I cannot understand it." "I suppose it does not occur to you that he likes me and enjoys talking to me," Mildred retorted. Her sister's tone changed. "Milly," she urged, "sit down for a minute, dear 1 want to talk to you." "Can't you talk as well if I stand up?" the other objected. "Certainly," Honora forced herself to ansjver calmly. "Only I hoped we might come to an understanding without either of us losing our tem pers. So it would bfe well to go slowly." "Well, go on them," Mildred re joined. "What have you to say?" "I hope you will not resent it, dear," Honora began. "But I feel that perhaps you have forgotten that you were disgusted with Tom Chand ler because of his habits end asso ciates. He is the same man now that he was before ne enlisted." "He is not necessarily the same man!" Mildred oontradictetj. "The war has changed lots of fellows. You know that as well as 1. ' An Argument "The ■war!" The exclamation was contemptuous in spite of the sntuk cr's endeavor to be patient. "What does Tom Chandler know of the war after a few months spent in camp on this side the Atlantic? X ac knowledge that the experiences of the men on the fighting front have made new beings of seme of them. They face danger and death there, and such things try men's souls and awaken them to what is true and right. But a little While in a New .England training camp will not transform a man's entire nature." • "You don't want, to believe that there is any good at all in Tom," Mildred accused. "I do believe he has possibilities for; good.. But that is beside the DAILY HINT ON FASHIONS A SMART FROCK FOR THE GROWING. GIRL 27 57—A style like this is practical youthful and becoming. In brown, or blue serge, for waist and sleeves, with skirt of contrasting plaid or striped woolen, it will make a splen did dress for general wear. Silk or sutin and serge are nice too, for this model. The Pattern Is cut in 3 sizes: 12, 14 and 16 years. Size 16 will re quire 4 7-8 yards of 36 inch ma terial. A pattern o* this illustration mailed to any address on receipt of 10 cents in silver or stamps. Telegraph Pattern Department For the 10 cents Inclosed please send pattern to the following ad dress: Size Pattern No Name Address City and Btate HARRISBTJRG TELEGRAPH question, MiUy. What puzzles me is how ho dared call you up to-day. You certainly gave me to understand that you and he had parted in au ger." "And I was a fool to tell you of it." Mildred declared. "Yes, we did part in anger. Then when 1 saw that he was willing to do what sonic I model young men shrink from doing ! —and when he proved this by en- I listing tried to thinlt kindly of j him." Ifonoru Interferes | "Did you write and tell him so?" "1 did not. But when he sent me a postcard the other day saying he I was coming home for a few days, X | decided that I would bury the : hatchet. So 1 just wrote him a post card back again with the words- VAII right." on it That was all. Cer- i tainly nobody ' not even you I could object to that." There was a long silence. Mildred i moved restively. "Well?" she demanded. "Have you ] anything else to say?" Honora shook her head. She was | too perturbed to allow herself to speak. "I may add," Mildred remarked Airily, "that Tom asked me just now if he might come and see me to night, and 1 told him that lie might. So what's the use of more conver sation on the subject, anyway?" I Then she began humming her gay j little tune again and went on up to her room. Honora sat still for a long while after Mildred had left her, thinking over the situation. Something was due to Arthur. She must in some way keep him from being hurt by Mildred. Y'et if Tom Chandler were encouraged to call here, and was allowed to see Mildred alone, fie would exercise his fascinations once more upon the girl, and she would, as readily as before, yield t.o those fascinations. If she were allowed to spend an hour or two alone with him that would sure ly be the result. This state of affairs Honora must prevent not only on Arthur's ac count, but on Mildred's as well. A renewal of the former intimacy be tween the susceptible and impulsive girl and the reckless and seltish young man might lead to. disaster. There was but one way to avert this without admitting Arthur into the secret. And this was the way that she, Honora Brent, must take. She must make herself an intrud er must be the undesired third that makes "a crowd" of what would otherwise be an agreeable "com pany." "I hate it. It. is a horrid task but it seems to be up to me," she muttered. "It will mean Milly's in digation and Tom Chandler's hatred —or, what is worse than his hatred, his ridicule. But it is for Milly's sake." Was it for Mildred's sake? The question thrust, itself into her mind. She answered it in the af firmative, yet she know that she was going to interfere because she did not want Arthur to be hurt. He had quite enough to bear already. She remembered his harassed ex pression of countenance these days. He was anxious about, his father's health, worried over business Surely to all these cares should not be add ed a shadow of doubt as to the loy alty of tt\e girT to whom he was en gaged. "The girl he loves!" Honora forc ed her lips to murmur. She had to say this to confirm her self in her conviction. To He Continued Daily Dot Puzzle U io - 2 ? 2b * £ ' 9 _ • 23 57 , 33 21 ' 36 22 4. .36 ,3b 2b * * • 1 42. 4o lb. 17 44 • 1 .14- .() 43 ' S. '2- V ll 4. ® • , >0 3*7 63 ( , z . } • 4 55 59 b • • •4s Draw from one to two and so on to the end. Life's Problems Are Discussed A few weeks ago a household was plunged into sorrow. The wife, who seems to have been the tie that held the family together, died. And thus, quite apart from the natural sense of loss and bereavement, a dif-| ficult and perplexing situation was created for those left behind. So now a group of people, with I their relationships and half rela tionships and lack of relationship, are gathered under one roof, and, deprived of that tender, tactful hand which formerly smoothed out their disagreements and adjusted their differences, are facing the question what to do. The son of the husband does not! appear to cut any marked figure in ! the equation, and may, therefore, be I dismissed from consideration. It is j the oldest daughter of the mother 1 who writes me, signing herself] "Doubtful," to state her problem I and ask me if 1 can shed any light I upon her quandary. She is now a girl of nineteen, she ] says, and consequently must have I been about half grown at the time; of her mother's second marriage. But she and her stepfather have never been able to agree from the first. There has always been an antipathy between them. One gath ers that it was the mother's influ ence alone that kept her at home, and also that she herself is a strong rather outspoken character. The mother's death has left her prac tically alone in the world; the only persons to whom she is connected' by any ties of blood being her two, little sisters and brothers. "Mow the question that stares me in the face," she writes, "is, what ought I to do under the circum stances? I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, and were I to follow my inclination, would un hesitatingly do so. But what about my poor mother's children? "My stepfather wants me to step into my mother's place and make a home for him and them. If he were my own father, I would not question tliis solution for a moment. But the fuct that he is no more than a stranger to me, now that my mother is gone, an da distasteful stranger at that, puts a very different com plexion on the matter. Would not people be very apt to gossip about me, living in ,the same house with a man who is in no way related to me? "Yet on the other hand, if I go away and allow things to take their own course, it is almost inevitable that my stepfather will remarry, if only to secure a home for himself and proper care for the children. Must they know the meanness of a stepmother, as I have had to know the meanness of a stepfather all these years?" Bet us take up the most unim portant query lirst, and dismiss it in a word. No one whoso good opinion is of the slighest value —no one in fact except the possessor of a pecu- depraved and vicious mind— would ever question for a moment your perfect right to assume the charge and direction of your step father's home, as fully as if you were his own blood-daughter. It is done every day without the least ad verse comment in hundreds of cases where the justification is far less] than yours.-' At to the advisability of your do ing so, I am not so certain. He solving it down to the strict terms of duty, (here are twp points to be considered: first your duty to your self: second, your duty to your lit tle brothers and sisters. That you owe a moral obligation toward these motherless children to see that they are properly brought up and cared for is undeniable. No one can probably do it as well as you, for no one else will give them the same tenderness and love. Yet, you • must remember that nmr Soldiers Shave With m Cuticura Soap . The Healthy Up-To-Datc Cuticura Way 111 No mug. no slimy'soap, no germs, no free alkali, no waste, no irritation even when shaved twice daily. One soap for all uses —shaving, bathing and shampooing. Doubles razor efficiency, not to speak of value in promoting skin purity, skin com fort and akin health dtie to its delicate, fragrant Cuticura medication. Largest selling skin soap in the world. Cuticura Toilet Trio Consisting of Soap, Ointment and TaicAm are indispensable adjuncts of the dajly toi let in maintaining skin purity and skin health. By bringing these delicately medi cated emollients in frequent contact with your skin as in use for all toilet purposes, you keep the skin, scalp, hair and bands clear.sweetand healthy. 2Scea. every where. their father is their natural and legal guardian, \tith the iirst claim upon them and lie has shown no desire to evade his responsibilities. In fact, so far as you indicate, there is no fault to be found with his at titude toward them. Should you go away. I fancy that the children would not greatly suffer. As you say, it might probably result in the introduction of a stepmother; but, then, all stepmothers are not the dragons of the story books. The' majority of them are more deserv ing a martyr's crown. You know the circumstances bet ter than I do. 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'M \J ' At Lower-Than-Elsewhere Prices M||i llMy Trimmed Hats 0 *• in a comprehensive assortment of pretty "wnii shapes and smart Spring color tones, new arrivals and especially attractive, $1.93 up @SOUTTER'S 25 Cent Department Store Where Every Day Is Bargain Day 215 Market St Opp. Courthouse ; * A 4"4'-A-4.-A-A-A-Z.-A-BJ i MARCH 3, 1919. their father will give them the pro tection and supervision they deserve. I am free to admit that so far as I cnn judge from your letter, he seems a very decent sort of a man. It al ways takes two to make a quarrel or a disagreement, and it may be that he has not always been to blame for your differences. At any rate, he appears ready to sink Ihem now, to start on a new basis. And while we are on the subject, I am not sure but that you also owe a duty to him. ' However unsatisfactory it may have been to you, he has for several years extended to you the protection of his home. Yet, provided the children do not .absolutely reed you, and, provided your going away does not savor of Ingratitude toward your stepfather in his trouble, your own life and your own inclination come first. And, in any event, if you are go ing to bring a spirit of dissension into that home or to set those chil dren against theiiy father, while you essay your task in Jin attitude of stiff-necked defiance, it is better for you, better for the little ones and better for the man that you go-r --even though there were fifty step mothers in the offing. It is for you to decide. 7