The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-01-24

IN JSEkT OWN.
smile softened and grew more tender
as he bent to kiss the still smooth
forehead.
"Cheer up, mother mine,' he said
laughingly. "All is not yet lost, though
the painters remain on strike. Tomor
row the new home will be painted. By
Saturday we shall be comfortably set
tied"
Are you sure?" demanded Mrs.
Grayce wistfulty. "If you are, we will
not have the gas turned ON again"
There are electric lights in the new
home" he reminded. You will forget
these nights of Egyptian darkness, and
the next time we move we shall not
order the current turned off until we
are safely out of the house."
"To think that at the last moment.
with all packed and ready to move,
this strike should have come up!' said
Mrs. Grayce, with a groan. Are you
positive. Bert. that the painter you
have engaged will not be won over by
the strikers?"
"Never more certain of anything in
my life was the laughing response.
"The painter is no less person than
your accomplished son. | stopped in
and ordered the paint sent over this
morning. Tomorrow shall go and
WELD the brush, so you must wake
and call me early. | must put in a full
day."
Bert passed on to his own room,
lighting his way with matches, and his
mother heaved a sigh of relief. For
eight days they had virtually camped
in the apartment they had given up.
waiting for their new quarters to be
finished. The packers had done their
work. the man had come to cut off the
gas and the moving vans were backed
up to the door when telephone mes
sage came to the effect that, owing to
a strike of the painters, the new rooms
were not yet ready for occupancy.
From day to day the landlord had
promised that something would be
done at once. but now full week had
passed, and hope had commenced to
fail until Bert decided to do the work
himself.
He made an early start. and o'clock
found him in a suit of jeans applying
the paint with as skillful a brush as
though painting were his regular occu-
patton. He worked rapidly and well
and the rooms had begun to assume a
habitable aspect when he heard the
hall door open and close and looked
up, expecting to see the landlord.
Instead he faced about to encounter
the gaze of pair of brown eyes
which seemed to pierce his paint stain
ed jacket and give him an oddly queer
sensation about the heart. The pos
SCISSOR of the eyes was a fragile slip of
a girl whose pure oval face was oddly
like picture by some old master. The
slender form was wholly concealed by
a brown holland pinafore. and this
was splashed with color. A dab of
blue which had sought a higher resting
place made saucy beauty patch
against the dimpling chin.
$50 you have come" she said at
length. 81 was beginning to think that
you would be out on strike all winter
l was promised that my floors should
be shelacked first"
"Yes. but began Bert.
81 want no answers" said the girl.
with a stamp of her tiny foot 81 am
TO have an exhibition day after to-
morrow. and the floors must be done
by then, do YOU heary'
."Yes, ma'am.' said Bert meelly.
1t tEhen pick up your pail and brush
cen nppe along" was the quiet com
hat tb..If had not smelled the paint
,mittaa you would have spent the
% ..'oe when need you so much
sptshe Brow.pn. please
Eel va L oiiettlead the way as though
Eytfident it rgument to be made,
kFehxe in Sover the ridiculous
life Q f malowed after. He
aeaAcy landthe other apart
\ertof forest hall from his
Y rightly Naller place.
yentually Me door
all our and
W. ,rs, as welrose
Rue' The