Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 December 1906 — TO REIGN SUPREME [ARTICLE]

TO REIGN SUPREME

“Oh, yes; it may seem very romantic, but when It comes right down to living In two poky little rooms and subsisting on the bare necessities of life then you get a taste of reality, and It Is quite a different affair. I’m tired end weary of it all, and I’m going to pack up tomorrow and go home. So there!” “Now, my dear sister, what's the use of taking things so seriously? I know it’s nothing very ’funny,’ but I am not going to give in, and I’m sure it's just as hard for one of us as it is for the other, and if you and A 1 want to go home so very badly—well, go! But I am quite content to stay and intend to!” I realized as well as either of them our position was anything but one to laugh at as I gazed around the little bare room and compared it with our own luxurious ones at home, but give In —never! For if I weakened they surely would. Mother had died when I was quite small and left us three girls, nearly all the same age, and “pa,” as we were wont to call him, had watched and cared for us until we had reached womanhood, and all went well until—yes, until Miss Tabitha Jenkins, spinster of uncertain age, made her appearance. We never really loved her from the first She was so—er—prim and plain, as I said to Al, and our love Increased very little when we learned that she had the audacity to hint to pa she thought his girls needed some one older, with a more advanced knowledge of the world, etc., to guard, advise and direct them. Pa began to consider her a very sensible woman—in fact, too much sound to think that perhaps after all he was doing his daughters an injustice by not placing Just such a person at the head of his family, to say nothing of his own loneliness, but we girls seemed to take a different view of the affair, and “thereby hangs a tale." We were sitting chatting quietly one day when he "dropped upon us” and Informed us of his Intention of bringing home to us a mother. We knew without his telling “who” the object of his affection was. I was first Inclined to laugh, but controlled myself in time and said: “Oh, you do, do you? Pray, who? We have done without one all along, and I think we hardly need one now. We do not care to have you burden us with any stepmother, and”— But I had gone too far. Father’s eyes flashed. I saw that I had angered him, for be hag a quick temper. "So you, you, a mere child, dare dictate to me—me, your father? What do you mean? If you don’t like my plans, you know what you can do—not only you, but the whole three of you. The way is clear. I came to ask your opinion, but now—now I am determineddetermined, I say—to marry, and marry whom and when I please.” Here he turned find left us in a state of deep bewilderment .and astonishment. We looked from one to the other. Never had we seen such a display of his temper. Poor All Shall I ever forget her face? She was on the verge of crying, and Gert was thunderstruck, but managed to gasp out “What are we to do?” Each looked to me for a reply. “DoF’ I said. “Get out Gome on. Take what we need. I’m going!” They stared at me In horror. “But Peggy, where are you going tor “Going? Oh, never mind. We can find a place.” Wjt proceeded to pack jjp what we

needed" most, and Id a short time we were alone—alone in. the cold, cold world, with Just $14.78 scraped np—pin money—and a firm resolution never to return until pa sought us and' brought us back to reign supreme a# we had heretofore done. So that's bow we sat that night. It was Just five days. Our purse was very slim, end -see were starting to “wonder and worry.” A 1 and Gert had been out all day seeking employment, and I kept house. They were relating their fruitless adventures when Gert, poor Gert, tired and discouraged, Informed me it was no romance. “Now, you know, Gert, If we give In pa will marry ‘Lady Tabitha,’ and that would be no romance. Just Imagine her chaperoning us! Ha, hat I’d do all In my power to shock her, for you know I like hes as much as a hen does water. Oh, yes, of' course we could love her, and If we don’t pa will come after us, so don’t give in.” That night my thoughts were far away. I was thinking of home—home and father, for we -loved him. He had been such a good father to us, even though he did have a temper, and we had left himI could keep up no longer. I laid my head on my pillow and cried. How long I was there I do not know, but I fell asleep, and I was awakened by the voice of my landlady saying: “Well, I’m sure I don’t know whether the young ladles are in or not. They are always very quiet. I shall knock, though.” Then I heard a dear, dear familiar voice saying, “Oh, my girls, my poor, dear girls!” My heart jumped. I opened the door and was in his arms. “Poor, dear, dear old dad!” I sobbed. "To think we could leave you, and we have been so entirely miserable. Take us home, dad, right away.” I led pa to each of the others. He kissed both. I started to exchange my house dress for a street gown and said: “Come on, girls, pack up! We are going home.”— Boston Post.