The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1911-02-17
Their Sympathetic
Friends

LG HUSH autumn WIN udu given
Mrs. Kirkland a glowing color and
brought the CLEAN of youth and health
into her dark eyes.
"You look very bl00ntng, JESSIE"
said her sick husband. admiringly
from his nest of pillows @ the sitting
room couch. lie held her cool hand
fog 9 moment and thoA. releasing it
wfah q sigh, remarked, YEARLY, "a
fe0 hours away from me has dons
yoa good. knew it would brighten
y0d up to go out among your friends.
Dc you see many of thSsa?"
ooh, yes, Rob. and tAsy were all
very sympathetic"
kirkland made an oaSgt to look
properly grateful. EgS. Kirkland,
smasing, sat down on . hassock by the
invelsf's couch and prepared to relate
the details of her little outlay.
"F1rst," she said, Il vent over to
your Aunt Harriet's, fss I knew that
even the fact of your having two
broken ribs, a fractured collar bone
and q sprained ankle wGald not be in
her mind a valid excuse for my not
calling IN her during tAo month that
you've been ILL.," .
"How was shof"
mo worse than usual, but exceed
ngly bitter against sutcanObiles. She
.aid she was not at all surprised that
rou got hurt, for autO0OAiling Is q
eckless and extravagaae habit for
,eople in our present circumstances
rhere!"
"Why. didn't she kns0 tAat I wasn't
n our Nv car and thai I sold ours
.Ae very day after those signed notes
brought us into such troeAae?"
"Yes, of course she knows that
said Mrs. Kirkland, but yeus accident
10 a delightful 5ustihcatiea of her
present theory that all tAe troubles ia
the world grow out ~ estomobiling,
80 she couldn't resist pointing a
moral. However, she rent her love to
you and said 20 say you ought to be
very thankful tnat you stll have your
head on your shoul1srs and a roof
over IT,"
Kirkland made . erimace. Mrs
Kirkland went on cheerily:
Then | dropped In to see Glars
Holland, I'm afraid things are going
ssdl! With her new. Toms been
iytaking ngain ard his mother thinks
its al C.ara's fault and won't even
help her with the grocery bill. And
her baby is sick and Deevish. My
heart Just ached for her until she said
That when she thought Of what trou
bic you and I have had lately she felt
she oughtnt to complaia OF her little
worries. She feels dresdfully sorry
for us, Rob"
Very kind of her, I'm sure. But we
can still struggle with our own grocery
bill! Poor Clara means well, of
course"
Eyes, indeed. II was refreshing to
go into the Bowerses' luxurious home
after the disorder and confusion OF
Clara's fat. | gladly accepted Mrs
Bowers invitation % lunch. Mr.
Bowers comes homo for that meal now
and he looked SO sturdy and hand
some, Notwithstanding the ~seventieth
birthday which no celebrated last
week, that it did me good to see him
He was anxious to know how you are
Getting on, and AZ | was leaving he
said he had q very fatherly feeling
toward you, and Just as soon as you
are well enough he intends coming
over to give you q good talking to
about the folly Of signing notes for
people. Don't scowl, Rob. l tell o
| this only because I think it almost
funny. As II you didn't know more
about that pow than he could ever tell
yoa!"
Tea, understand" Kirkland
pressed the hand that lay lightly in
hin.
MN Bowers vent her love ana a
box OF tHberoses. l let the flowers In
The han because I know you hate the
odor OF thsEa."
Kirkland made another grimace.
His Wits Continued:
From there l went downtown to do
o fsw srfands. 1 met George Harris
In the bookstore and he inquired after
| you. He sid he knew you would have
courage to hear illness and financial
i5Ss. File said he didn't know what he
would DO II he should evsr have such
a hard rru Of luck. He looked pale
NJ the idsa OF such . fate"
George never was q heavyweight
soEsgasRted Kirkland, good,naturcdly.
II st0O0ad to speak to Miss Can
aGsd rs I was going through Blank.
lays stsss. You know she is the
woman who sold us the lovely Venc
staR lace collar you gave me last
! Christmas. She said she had heard Of
0s '~reverses of fortune and she felt
voTy scrry for us. l thanked her. and
5vSt as ! was going on she remarked.
Well, anyway, Mrs. Kirkland, o
sif1 have your real laces. That's
sexo comfort That was O consoanr
Eoa I had never thought OF before.