The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1911-03-03

The bOx-like hole where Howard
sat awaiting his meal was the largest
room in a fiat which boosted Of five
ana bath There was q bedroom OF
equally dimlnutiye proportions and a
paflor with wall paper so loud that it
talked. There was scarcely enough
room to swing a cat around. The
INN walls We're cracked, the ICONS
were carpetless. Yet it showed tho
care OF a good housekeeper. Floors
II windows were clean. the cover on
the table spotless. The furnishings
were as meager as they We're ingen-
lous' With their slender purse they
hao been able to purchase only the
pare necessities bed, a chair or
TWO, a dining room table, a few kitch.
en- utensils. When they wanted 20 sit
III the parlor they had to carry a
chair from the dining DOM when
meal times came the chairs had to
ITa'el pack again. A soap box turned
UPSIDE down and neatly covered with
chlntz did duty as a dresser in the
bedroom, II with 4 few photographs
ana Jacks they had managed to i'm
part an aesthetic appearance TO the
parlor. This place cost the huge sum
OF $50 a month. 1t might Just as well
nave s 500 for all Howard's ability
70 pay 1t. The past months rent was
long overdue and the janitor looked
lnsolent every day. But they
ana not care. They we're young and
lie was still before them.
presently Annie came in carving
a steaming dish of stew, which she
lald on the table. AS she helped How
ard to a plate full she said: so you
mad no luck again this morning."
Howard was toe busy eating to an.
swer. AS he gulped down a huge piece
of bread. he growled:
Nothing, as usual-same old story.
nothing doing"
Annie sighed. She had been given
thls answer SO often that it would
have surprised her to hear anything
else. 1T meant that their hard hand
o-mouth struggle must go on. She
SAID nothing. What was the useo 1t
woul never do to discourage How
ard. She tried to make light Of it.
"Of course it isn't easy, | quite
understand that. Never mind. dear.
Something will turn up soon. Where
did o go? Whom did o see? Why
didn't you let drink alone when you
promised me you would?"
That vas Coxe's fault" blurted
out Howard, always ready to blame
others for his own shortcomings.
You remember Coke. He was at
Yale when l A big. fair fellow
with blue eyes. He pulled stroke In
the varsity boat race, you remen-
ber?"
Il think I do" replied his wife, in
differently, as she helped him to more
stew. What did he want? What's
he doing in New York;"
Hes got a fine place in a brokers'
office in Wall street. l felt ashamed
to let him see me low down like this.
He said that l could make a good deal
Of money if only | had a little capital.
He knows everything going on in
Wall street. If / went in with him Id
be on Easy street"
How much would it reQuire?-
1.-TWO thousand dollars"
The young wife gave a sigh as she
answered.:
I'm afraid that's 4 day dream. Only
your father could give you such an
amount and you wouldn't 80 to him.
would you?"
Not il we hadn't another crust in
the house." snapped Howard savage
ly. You don't want me TO, do your
he asked looking up at her quickly.
mo, dear" she answered calmly.
Il have certainly no wish that you
should humble yourself. At the same
time | am not selfish enough to want
to stand in the way of your future.
Your father and ~stepmother hate me,
I know that. | am the cause Of your
separation from your folks. No doubt
your father would be very willing to
help you if you would consent to
leave me-"
Howard laughed as be reRlied:
"Woll, If that's the price for the
$4,000 | guess III so without II. /
wouldn't give you up for q million
times $4,000"
Annie stretched her hand across
the table.
Really" she said.
Gro BE Continued