The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-07-21

n he
mad somehow fallen short Of expectations Every
and when there a day on BY chance he nam
ns . steadily at some Improvement the little
last installment He had been ave years buying me
pAce-three before they married--and the two
n.eF"aro. And some day it would be worth some
that way. S VS. '~p'1' 0u''ohs o's
:, But Mary did not What felt was that
a. was h mar mile from street and eight blocks
20 the nearest neighbor that truck patch,
though convenient for food was nat much corn
pany
She began to realize that she was lonely Now she
pu. ootn elbows on the breakfast table and
ner mead ON her open palms. And in the mirror on
Tue wa,i opposite she could herself plainly. shs
vas Sun very pretty--much pretter than when
, aken her from the store almost by just
,'me TO save her from a cough that had an ugly
made "ye to they had met at dances and he had
oi iove and compassion. He had transpianted her
tor nus tte law cottage and her at first put.
IN SIX months she was rosy and for all her slender
had come ~ ~
Since then her life had been in the child and she
nao not known that she neglected man. She
did not love him less did not fail to keen his houss
ana COOK his meals and care for his son--but
MN through mist of motherhood. She forgot be
sometimes only the wife and girl companion So ne
thinking, I'M, with sigh that it was only natural thank
ing his lucky stars that she devoted mother,
work. - -
as oe's Yer the position more responsible He still
zap over ms dark curls. but his young face had set
a. nrst then frettng and fussing until he was fed,
op'ectng to being washed struggling when tried
TO dress him. And then he went to sleep again,
and she remembered what she had been cooking ana
found 1t burned 10 crisp.
Ihen she had to slip away, locking the house be.
nind her and go half mile to order the groceries
forgotten It and shs had Of don se mao seemingly
word She hated to leave the baby, but he was just
asleep and unlikely to wake,
She hurried was out oPh rea+n ana bs
the time she was nearly home again. in
usual she found everything all right She resolved mot
10 10 this agan-Fred would have to do the order
srievance-a phone would have made her less lonely.
me gri was sensitive about expense-she had al
ways felt 1t that he had married her half sick with
nothing save the clothes she stood in. she was an
orphan, but she had always wished she could
come to her husband with a trousseau with linen
for the household. and of furniture all her
own He had thought OF this. dfd.
He naturally paid all the bills they in.
she had never asked him for money. He used to
leave her some but lately he had moi. Her pride
kept her from asking. though she really needed .
number of little things Of a womanly sort.
This was in her mind when she put the irons
the stove and few about tidying the little
she was neat and quick, and nothing her long.
Perhaps this very qutckness made her little impA-
For the first time the thought Of the baby weghtsa
ne, ner and she wished she was for little while among
the work there had never been hard and was poorly
Clothes good enough to hold her pe.on A gu. sn-
mad company There was always some to be
set of her cheap stylish waist and always soras-
body eager to 60 home with her. to take her 70
dance Fred would not take her 10 the Hasa dances
any more He said that Of the thass he
married her for|to got her out Of that crowd sas
knew he was right-but nevertheless
1t was along In the afternoon tme after stop
ping her work to feed the baby again and settle him
the hot irons Her nerves at high tension ana
the singing pain was the last straw. She down
and cried. and the baby walked and cried, too. The
spring sunshine came in from the biz outdoors
Laid an oblonE OF yellow light on the bright rug.
/ &hG mt thu frrkf >u1ftA
soothsd him.
Then she wrapped her burned fingers with a eotn
dipped IN sweet oil. combed her hair well
could. deliberately put her hat and Jacket,
got the babys go-cart from the closet under the
She dressed the child his best for out-of-aooru,
him. when new though, came to her Instead q
just going for walk. she would go to Fannya
children, and always seemed to be having . ray
time She would go for several days perhaps week.
she could not leave Fred and the work. she would
leave note.
She a pencil paper and wrote him mss.
sage
II am all tired out and I burnt my hand, I have
Is too lonesome here. and do nothing but work.
and then sleep The work Is getting be like chain.
and am tired Of dragging IT. l suppose youn
back you can come and get me Nv. got Just dime.
and can't seem to ask you for money II you don't
want to give IT to yourself. Mary"
!. wa. inoon.sauen.. childish enough. but she was
their dresser She never had left him Z note-shs
had never been away long enough--but she felt like
a woman in q story she had read Thsn she walked
the half mile and too the and forgot about the
She had not been downtown for weeks and the
faces and voices everywhere seemed good. Laughter
her eyes. and the little dragging tines In
lifted The pretty baby cooed and attraotsa
pleasant attention She did not transfer straight
throughshs had the extra nicke-but took the child
the store. The manager her and gave her
bright word and praised the baby. and the g1ris
the minute s o'clock came, crowded around hAr.
Many of the same there. and ali had liked
her,
with a Of enyy-many OF them pale
And Nora--her cheeks were far too bright and
eyes big Watching the girl Mary her give
that nasty little cough--thc cough that had once
made her afraid. She asked Nora to walk about =
bit with her.
AS they left the building newsboy yelled his wares
Men killed at Stone Warehouse! Fell forty
from scafold!"
Mary snatched at paper handing the boy her
nickel. her white. But 1t not FRED! Three
OF his dead Would he be In any way