The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-09-27

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much I'm all broken up She bowed
her face, face that in spite of its pal
lor was pretty, on an arm bent to shield
it, and said no more.
The older woman sighed in an accept
| ance of the situation that was pathetic
| as the girls rebellion, though she only
| said:
well, KatieYl soon be home; we'll talk
| it over with her She just took home
Miss Cooley's gown.
Ibid she finish it?'
Yes, we sewed on it all day long. Katie
didn't even stop for lunch. She said she
| wanted to wear it tonight, and Katie
amt one to disappoint a customer. She
likes Miss Cooley awful well anyway"
The two women seated themselves at
the table, where on the bright red cloth
were the cakes hot from the fire, the
boiled potatoes and the coffee that made
the evening meal; on one end of the table
! there was preserved fruit in glass dish
with gold border which they all
thought very pretty.
81 sat by Mrs. Cooley on the car to-
night" Mamie said suddenly. 'She amt
got the style of her daughters. She
hestated, then continuped with high
color: "She was telling a lady how bad
she needs help" She looked narrowly
at Mrs. Farley. who answered absently:
81 hoped Miss Cooley liked her dress.
Katie ought to be back by now
She listened for a moment, and then,
as the gate slammed sharply, she went
to the door and looked eagerly out into
the night.
"Well, Katie" she called affectionately.
we're waiting on you
Katie was pleasant-faced young wom-
an with quantity of curly sandy hair.
| She was plainly very tired, but to her
| admring mother and her friend she
seemed at all times to radiate cheer.
Miss Cooley wasn't home,p she said,
drawing her chair to the table. What
do you think of that?"
Wasn't home Wasn't she waiting for
| the dress?"
mo; she didn't even come home for
| dinner, her mother said. She didn't seem
| to know anything about it, Think of me,
| and ma, too, sewing so hard all day to
/ nnlSn II! l. ulQIl lllialh II VI hci aiSiP-
| ing herself to the food she rubbed her
hands over her tired eyes. II wish she'd
| told me if she found she didn't need 1t,
she said simply Then, turning to Mamie,
| her freckled, merry little face quivering
| with sympathy:
| did you go to the doctor, Manner
| she asked. Mamie nodded silently, two
large tears rolling down her cheeks. She
gazed steadily in front of her.
"He said she ought to give up her job
| right away" Mrs Farley said in
straightforward explanation. "She has to
do somethin' where she moves around
more She don't get enough exercise
Mamie" her friend put her hand over
! hers in a quick pressure. Mrs. Cooley
wants second girl and she pays WELL
| Why can't you take place like that for
| a little while? She was asking me to-
night if l knew of anybody" She saw
the wave of color that swept Nantes
| face and added. by spring you'd be all
right again; 'twouldn't be for long
| They're awful nice folks. They'd take
you to the seashore in the summer and
| by fall you could go back to the mill.
J Amt Mr.. Cooley got something to do
with it? He'd save your place.
! AS Mrs. Farley gathered up the dishes
the two girls, still talking together, went
| into the front room and began hastily
picking up the threads and bits OF lace
( and silk with which the days sewing
| had strewn the floor Talking in low
| tones. they worked with great rapidity,
pushing the sewing machine into the
| corner, bringing into prominence an easel
| that held a large crayon portrait of the
! deceased Mr.. Farley, whose long upper
| lip was clean .shaven, while his chin
! beard, sweeping his collar, almost sue
ceeded in hiding the absence of cravat.
| Katie had bought. and paid for this por-
| trait. as she had almost everything in
i the room The girls took great pride in
the parlor. Very few of the mill girls
| had as good.
| They had just time to run into the
bedroom, which they shared, and make
! some hasty changes in their dress. when
\ a loud ring of the door bell held them
GREATNESS. They had pretended all along
that they expected no one.
| When they re-enIered the room two
Young men awaited them. Dressed neat
| ly in dark suits. with glimpses of highly
polished shirt bosoms, they sat stiffly in
the chairs Mrs. Farley had offered them.
1t had not been two hours since Mamie
had parted from them at the mill, but
she greeted them formally:
| Good evenin, Tim Then, shyly,
, "Good evenin, Mr.. Murphy
| The color deepened in her thin face,
| and in Mr. Murphy's, too, as Katie left
them to share the sofa. They sat erect
| ly side by side, listening smilingly to the
banter between Katie and Tim. Now
J and then their eyes met; Mr.. Murphy
| gazing at Mamie with an intensity so i'll
concealed that Katie and Tim were
| thrown into peals of laughter they re-
J fused to explain.
! When Tim Bryan produced box of
gayly coored candles from the depths of
his overcoat pocket the evening seemed
| to overflow with delight. AS Katie I'M
| tied the gilt string she and Mamie ex-
changed luminous glances of pride and